D Robby Sandrock (Spokane, Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Kelowna, 1994-99) has signed a one-year extension with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). Last season, Sandrock had 51 points, including 13 goals, in 59 games. He led the league’s defencemen in assists and was named to the first all-star team. 
F Ben Maxwell (Kootenay, 2003-08) has signed a one-year contract with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). Last season, with Kärpät Oulu (Finland, Liiga), he had 42 points, 16 of them goals, in 49 games, finishing ninth in the league’s scoring race. Maxwell got the primary assists on the Game 6 game-winning goal (a 3-2 victory) and winner and on the Game 7 OT goal (1-0) in the league final. Kärpät had been down 3-1 in the series.---
1. A Thursday afternoon tweet from Lethbridge lawyer David van Moorsel, who specializes in the fields of business and trademarks: “Lethbridge Hurricanes are seeking trademark protection for a new logo. Looks like it's original this time.” The details are right here. . . . The Hurricanes moved from Calgary over the summer of 1987, and when their nickname was announced, Pat Sullivan of the Lethbridge Herald wrote that with a nickname like that the logo should be an overturned mobile home.
2. F Troy Bourke, the captain of the Prince George Cougars, has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. Bourke was a third-round selection by the Avalanche in the NHL’s 2012 draft. . . . According to capgeek.com, Bourke’s deal calls for NHL salaries of US$610,000, $640,000 and $645,000, with an AHL salary of $60,000 each season. He got a signing bonus of $195,000, payable in three installments -- $60,000, $65,000 and $70,000. . . . Bourke, 20, is the Prince George franchise’s all-time leading scorer. He put up 85 points, including 29 goals, in 69 games last season. In 276 career regular-season games, he has 236 points, including 84 goals . . . Bourke finished last season with the Lake Erie Monsters, Colorado’s AHL affiliate, picking up seven points, three of them goals, in 15 games.
3. If you watched Tuesday’s Stanley Cup game between the New York Rangers and host Montreal, you saw Canadiens F Dale Weise take a hit to the hit and need help getting off the ice. You also saw him return to the game a bit later. . . . If you are at all aware of the concussion problem in hockey, you were wondering how it was that Weise was allowed back on the ice. . . . David Shoalts of The Globe and Mail has written an interesting piece on the NHL and concussions, and it’s right here. . . . Feel free to take out NHL and insert WHL, because things are pretty much the same in the major junior league.
4. Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star also was writing about Montreal F Dale Weise and it’s obvious that Arthur is wondering just how it is that Weise was allowed to re-enter a game he had left in such wobbly condition. . . . Arthur’s column is right here.
5. You know concussions are a serious issue when the White House gets involved, which is what happened Thursday as President Obama convened a gathering of top sports executives and researchers to discuss the situation. Michael D. Shear and Ken Belson of The New York Times have more right here.
6. If you’re wondering what’s going on between the CFL and the CFLPA, check this out right here. Andrew Bucholtz of Yahoo! Sports Canada has broken it down and his report includes charts that make things easy to understand.
7. Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post hits another home run right here as he tries to figure out just what is going on with the Washington Nationals.
8. The Vancouver Giants have signed F Brendan Semchuk, the 10th overall selection in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. Semchuk, from Kamloops, had 77 points, 45 of them goals, with the bantam Tier 1 A1 Blazers.
9. The headline reads: Crocodile injured by falling accountant during circus bus accident in Russia. . . . You are able to read about it right here. Seriously.
10. You may be aware of the Internet scam in which NBAer Chris Andersen, the Birdman, found himself caught up in not that long ago. It’s an amazing story and makes for a great read. Flinder Boyd of Newsweek has it all right here.
---
THE COACHING GAME:
George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press reported Thursday night that the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers will name Don Elland as their head coach today. Elland has been an assistant coach with the Whalers for four seasons. . . . Elland, 50, will replace Mike Vellucci as head coach. Vellucci, who had been with the Whalers for 14 seasons, left to become assistant GM and director of hockey operations with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. . . . The Whalers and Hurricanes both are owned by Peter Karmanos Jr.---
Dave Allison is the new head coach of the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers. Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register reports that the announcement is to made this morning. . . . Allison has coach in Des Moines before, as he was the head coach of the AHL’s Iowa Stars for three seasons. He also was hired to coach the Buccaneers once before but, as Birch wrote: “(Allison) never took the ice for a game due to work-permit visa issues. He instead took a job as a scout with the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins.” . . . Last season, Allison was an assistant coach with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. . . . With Des Moines, Allison replaces Jon Rogger, who spent two seasons as head coach. . . . The Buccaneers have missed the playoffs in each of the last seven seasons.---
From Bob Irving (@BobIrvingCJOB), the long-time voice of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on CJOB: “Shame on the cfl and the players association. Wake up folks, you are on the verge of damaging a grand Cdn institution, perhaps permanently.”
There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
being decided in a shootout. You know, the ol’ skills competition.
From Brent C. Wagner of the Lincoln Journal Star:
In Medicine Hat, G Marek Langhamer stopped 25 shots to lead the Tigers to a 2-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Tigers lead the best-of-seven first-round series 1-0 with Game 2 in Medicine Hat tonight. . . . F Curtis Valk got the Tigers on the board at 14:57 of the first period, with F Chad Butcher making it 2-0 at 2:55 of the third period. Butcher, who is from Kamloops, had six goals in the regular season. With F Anthony Ast having undergone an appendectomy and not likely to play in the series, Butcher moved up to play alongside Miles Koules and Markus Eisenschmid, each of whom drew an assist on the winner. . . . D Julius Honka scored for the Broncos, getting a PP goal at 8:40 of the third. . . . Broncos G Eetu Laurikainen made 28 saves. . . . The Broncos were 1-for-4 on the PP; the Tigers were 0-for-3. . . . The Tigers, who sold out each of their 36 regular-season home dates (4,006), drew 3,512 fans to the opener.
In Portland, F Oliver Bjorkstrand’s second goal of the game, at 18:23 of the third period, broke a 3-3 tie as the Winterhawks got past the Vancouver Giants, 4-3. . . . The Winterhawks lead the first-round series 1-0 with the second game in Portland tonight. . . . The Giants were outshot 45-16, including 32-9 through two periods, but they hung in there. . . . F Jackson Houck gave the visitors the lead at 6:08 of the first period. . . . Portland took a 2-1 lead on goals 43 seconds apart by F Brendan Leipsic (12:37) and Bookstand (13:20). . . . F Thomas Foster pulled Vancouver into a tie at 17:22. . . . Leipsic got his second of the game at 18:19 of the second period, giving his side a 3-2 lead. . . . D Brett Kulak pulled the Giants even again, at 7:16. . . . F Taylor Leier, D Derrick Pouliot and D Mathew Dumba each had two assists for Portland. . . . Vancouver G Payton Lee stopped 41 shots, while Portland’s Brendan Burke turned aside 13. . . . Houck and Dumba got into a fight as the game ended. . . . Portland F Adam De Champlain was back in the lineup for the first time since Jan. 31. . . . The Portland power play was No. 1 in the WHL in the regular-season, at 27. 5 per cent. But after going 0-for-5 last night, that unit is 3-for-25 against Vancouver this season. . . . The Winterhawks now are 27-1-0 since Dumba played his first game with them on Jan. 17. . . . The first period ended prematurely as there was a problem with one of the gates at the Vancouver bench. The teams were sent to their dressing rooms, then, after repairs were made, they returned to play the final 2:52 of the period. Foster scored 14 seconds after play resumed, tying the score 2-2.
EDMONTON (1) vs. PRINCE ALBERT (8)
draft to the Saskatoon Blades for second-round picks in 2012 and 2013 and a third-rounder in 2014.
In Calgary, F Greg Chase scored two goals and drew two assists as the Hitmen doubled the Kootenay Ice 6-3 in what was a first-round playoff preview. . . . Chase, who finished plus-5, has 35 goals. . . . The Hitmen go into the playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed, while the loss, combined with a victory by the Swift Current Broncos, knocked the Ice from fifth to sixth. . . . The Hitmen have won four in a row, while the Ice has lost four straight. . . . The Ice went 4-2-2 in the season series, which means the Hitmen were 4-4-0. . . . The Ice again went with 16 skaters, two under the maximum, and again scratched D Landon Cross and D Landon Peel. . . . Calgary F Jake Virtanen scored his 45th goal in the second period and later got into a scrap with Ice D Rinat Valiev. . . . The Hitmen got a goal and two assists from each of F Mike Winther, who has seven goals, and F Pavel Padakin, who has 27. . . . F Sam Reinhart had two assists for the Ice, while F Jaedon Descheneau scored his 44th goal and added an assist. F Luke Philp also had a goal, his 31st, and an assist. . . . The Hitmen (48-17-7) and Ice (39-28-5) will open Thursday in Calgary. . . . 
In Moose Jaw, the Swift Current Broncos clinched fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 3-1 victory over the Warriors. . . . The Broncos, who have won four straight, swept a weekend series from Moose Jaw. . . . The victory lifted the Broncos past the Kootenay Ice and into fifth. . . . F Jay Merkley, with his 34th, and F Coda Gordon, with his 26th, gave the Broncos a 2-0 first-period lead. . . . Moose Jaw F Jack Rodewald, who scored seven goals in 56 games for the Regina Pats last season, got his 28th in his 58th game with the Warriors at 19:42 of the first. . . . Broncos F Nathan Burns added insurance with his 27th goal at 17:46 of the third. . . . Broncos G Eetu Laurikainen stopped 29 shots. . . . According to a tweet from Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald, Warriors D Jesse Forsberg “is going to join the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles for the end of their season.” . . . The Broncos (38-25-9) will meet the No. 4 Medicine Hat Tigers (43-24-4) in the first round. They’ll open Friday in Medicine Hat. . . . The Warriors (21-42-9) finished 10th in the Eastern Conference and missed the playoffs for a second straight season. . . . 
In Red Deer, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored a 7-4 victory over the Rebels to wrap up first place in the Central Division and the Eastern Conference for a third straight season. . . . The victory was Edmonton’s 50th of the season and tied a WHL record for consecutive 50-victory seasons (Kamloops, 1989-92). . . . The Oil Kings have won three in a row. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson and F Curtis Lazar each had two goals and two assists. Lazar has 41 goals; Samuelsson has 35. . . . Edmonton D Cody Corbett had a goal, his 17th, and three assists, while D Dysin Mayo had three helpers and F Edgars Kulda got his 30th goal. . . . The Oil Kings were 5-for-8 on the PP; the Rebels were 0-for-5. . . . Red Deer F Aspen Sterzer scored his 28th goal and added an assist. . . . The Oil Kings (50-18-3) will begin the first round at home against Prince Albert or Red Deer on Saturday night. . . .
In Saskatoon, the Prince Albert Raiders erased a 4-3 deficit with three third-period goals and beat the Blades, 6-4. . . . The victory lifted the Raiders (35-32-5) into eighth place in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Red Deer Rebels. The Raiders are out of games; the Rebels play in Edmonton today and need a victory to force a one-game playoff for the conference’s final playoff spot. . . . Raiders F Jayden Hart scored twice, giving him 14, while F Collin Valcourt got his 28th goal and added two assists. . . . Raiders F Dakota Conroy tied the game with his 30th goal at 1:12 of the third, via the PP. . . . Hart gave the Raiders their first lead at 17:41. . . . Prince Albert F Leon Draisaitl scored his 38th goal and added an assist. . . . The Blades got two goals from F Chase Clayton, who finished with 12, and three assists from F Cory Millette. . . . Saskatoon F Nikita Scherback, the WHL’s highest-scoring freshman, got his 28th goal to end a nine-game drought. . . . The Blades (16-51-5) finished the season on a 12-game losing streak. . . . 
In Prince George, F Todd Fiddler scored four times and F Troy Bourke had a goal and three assists as the Cougars beat the Kamloops Blazers, 8-3, in the final game of the season for two non-playoff teams. . . . Fiddler finished with 50 goals, just the second player to do that since the franchise relocated from Victoria over the summer of 1994. . . . F Quinn Hancock scored 54 times in 1997-98. . . . Bourke, who turns 20 on March 30, finished the game with 236 career points, a record for the franchise since its move to Prince George. That broke the mark of 233 that had been held by F Eric Hunter (2002-07). . . . Bourke finished this season with 85 points, including 29 goals, in 69 games. . . . Cougars F Zach Pochiro had three assists, while D Sam Ruopp scored his fifth goal and added two assists. . . . F Cole Ully had two assists for Kamloops, which got 43 saves from G Bolton Pouliot. . . . Kamloops F Deven Sideroff scored his second goal of the season 42 seconds into the third period to get his guys to within 4-3. The Cougars, who snapped a six-game losing streak, then scored four straight goals, with Fiddler getting No. 49 shorthanded and adding No. 50 at 15:50. After scoring two goals in 14 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Fiddler struck 48 times in 42 games with the Cougars. . . . He finished the season with 98 points. . . . This may well have been the Cougars’ final game under the ownership of Rick Brodsky, who has owned the franchise since purchasing the Victoria Cougars in 1994. He is negotiating the sale of the club with a local group. While a deal isn’t yet complete, it is believed to be inching forward. . . . The Cougars (27-37-8) finished ninth in the Western Conference. . . . The Blazers (14-53-5) wrapped up the poorest season in Kamloops franchise history. They went 4-24-1 after Guy Charron replaced Dave Hunchak as head coach. . . . 
In Everett, F Carson Stadnyk scored his 23rd goal at 18:32 of the third period to give the Silvertips a 3-2 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Victoria F Tyler Soy had tied the score with his 15th goal at 16:29 of the third. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 22 shots, as did Victoria G Coleman Vollrath. . . . F Manraj Hayer had two assists for the Silvertips, who had won 5-3 in Victoria on Friday night. . . . The Silvertips (39-23-9) moved into fourth in the Western Conference and for the first time in their 11 WHL seasons will meet the Seattle Thunderbirds in the playoffs. Home-ice advantage for that series will be decided today. . . . The Royals (48-20-4) will open a first-round series against the Spokane Chiefs at home on Saturday night. . . . 
In Kelowna, F Nick Merkley had a goal and two assists to help the Rockets to a 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Merkley tied the club record for single-season goals by a 16-year-old as he got his 25th. F Shane McColgan, now with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees, scored 25 as a 16-year-old in 2009-10. . . . Merkley, from Calgary, finished with 58 points in 66 games. He was the ninth overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . The Rockets had beaten the Giants 6-5 in Vancouver on Friday night. . . . F Carter Rigby had two goals for Kelowna, giving him 18. . . . F Jackson Houck scored twice, giving him 34, and added an assist for the Giants. . . . Vancouver G Payton Lee, who was shaken up and left Friday’s game in the first period, stopped 35 shots. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 29 shots in running his record to 39-7-4. . . . The Rockets (57-11-4) are the Western Conference’s top seed and will open at home against the Tri-City Americans on Friday night. . . . The Giants (32-29-11) finished seventh and will meet the Portland Winterhawks. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., G Eric Comrie turned aside 18 shots to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 3-0 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Comrie, 18, has four shutouts this season and nine in his career. . . . F Jesse Astles scored the game’s first goal, his 11th, at 14:24 of the first period. Four of those 11 goals came against the Chiefs. . . . Tri-City’s other two goals came via the PP, as F Parker Bowles got his 15th and Beau McCue added his 20th. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg was held pointless. He leads the WHL with 118 points, seven more than Portland F Nic Petan, who has one game remaining. . . . The Americans had lost five in a row (0-3-2) and went in 1-5-4 in their last 10. . . . Tri-City (29-32-10) finished eighth in the Western Conference, meaning it has a first-round date with the Kelowna Rockets. They open Saturday in Kelowna. . . . Spokane’s loss, combined with an Everett victory, left the Chiefs (40-26-6), who are out of games, in sixth spot in the conference. They open at Victoria on Saturday night.
Posts
