A little of this and some of that . . .
1. Most observers have the matchup they were hoping for as it’ll be the QMJHL-champion Halifax Mooseheads against the WHL-champion Portland Winterhawks in Sunday’s Memorial Cup final. . . . The Winterhawks advanced with a 2-1 victory over the OHL-champion London Knights on Friday night. . . . Sunday’s game starts at 5 p.m. That’s Saskatoon time.
2. I’m thinking that should Paul Brandt ever decide to quit his real job, he could get work as an anthem singer. If you aren’t aware, Brandt is a true Canadian hero thanks to all the charitable work he does and the work done by his Built It Forward Foundation.
3. Lorne Molleken, the general manager and head coach of the Saskatoon Blades, will spend the next while pondering his future. He will be back next season, but will he return as head coach? . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, who did such a bang-up job of covering the Blades through a difficult season, has that story right here.
4. There were at least some $20 tickets available for last night’s semifinal, and it seems there are some available for Sunday’s game, too. A friend from Regina sent me a note from the Saskatchewan Hockey Association. . . . “Let’s PACK the HOUSE” for the semifinal and final, it reads. “A limited number of $20 seats are available in the upper bowl.” . . . It also provided a link to Ticketmaster.
5. I don’t know if those $20 tickets had any impact on the gate, but attendance for last night’s semifinal was 9,161.
6. What thoughts were going through Saskatoon D Dalton Thrower’s head when he couldn’t play in the Blades’ 6-1 loss to London in Thursday night’s tiebreaker? . . . The aforementioned Daniel Nugent-Bowman has that story right here.
7. A postgame tweet from Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “Ty Rattie after the game: ‘We aren't done yet. We're doing this for Portland, for Mike Johnston and everything that happened this year.’ ”
8. Sepich is in Saskatoon covering the tournament for The Oregonian. His complete story is right here.
9. The line of the night belongs to Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino. Late in the first period, Portland F Chase De Leo blocked a shot deep in his zone and was on the limp. Moments later, however, he was zipping up ice with the puck. “De Leo,” Cosentino said, “looked like he got touched by Oral Roberts when that puck came to his stick.”
10. If they are to win on Sunday, the Winterhawks are going to have to manage the puck better than they did last night. They had some shoddy moments in their zone and were bailed out by G Mac Carruth, who is back in the zone. . . . Only Carruth had more of an impact on the semifinal game than did Portland D Derrick Pouliot, who was terrific. Pouliot was plagued by a high ankle sprain during the regular season and played in only 44 games. You wonder if he’s feeling a bit fresher now, and perhaps his recovery time is a bit quicker, because of his time off the ice during the regular season.
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An email from one fan after Friday’s post:
“The prices you quoted are close to half the seats at a Winnipeg Jets game. My seats in the bottom row of the upper bowl behind the net go for 60 bucks. Remember, Jets tickets are among the highest in the NHL, and the Blade's owners attitude is that people should expect those kinds of prices, after all it is the Memorial Cup. I say, yes, but it is still junior hockey.”
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And this email from a fan in the Portland area:
“I'm a fan of hockey in general and I follow the Portland Winterhawks. I go to a few games a year, recently took my son to Game 5 of the final against Edmonton. Cost for two good seats in the lower bowl including service fees was under $70. Lots of families in attendance.
“If the Memorial Cup was held in Portland or another WHL city I would surely be tempted to get a tournament ticket package. I am a fan of hockey, having grown up in Ontario and played as a youth. But, at $600 to $800 a ticket package, how in the world would a family be able to afford that? Even one game in the least attractive seats is going to be a minimum of $150 for a family of four.
“I am not sure an average fan would shell out that kind of money, especially if the host team is not able to compete with the other three elite teams in the tourney.
“As for me, I am thrilled to have purchased a streaming package for all the games for $25 and have watched all the games live on my computer. Clearly many fans even in the host city would choose this option as the best bang for the buck.
“I say the Memorial Cup ticket prices should be the same as the host city's regular pricing structure. Fill that arena, and keep fans buzzing all week long about the amazing live hockey they get to see. It is appalling to see so many empty seats for such amazing hockey.”
———
F Brendan Ranford, who set the Kamloops Blazers’ record for career regular-season games played this season, has signed a contract with the AHL’s Texas Stars.
Ranford, who completed his junior eligibility as a 20-year-old this season, signed a professional tryout deal (PTO) with the Stars and will attend their training camp. The Stars are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, who are owned by Blazers majority owner Tom Gaglardi.
Ranford had 87 points, including 65 assists, for the Blazers this season. He then added 20 points, 15 of them assists, in 15 playoff games.
The Edmonton native, who is a nephew of former NHL goaltender Bill Ranford, played in 348 regular-season games with the Blazers, finishing with 357 points, including 137 goals.
Ranford was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the seventh round of the 2010 NHL draft but wasn’t signed and became a free agent.
———
Paul Danzer of The Columbian, a newspaper in Vancouver, Wash., reports that Edmonton Oil Kings F Trevor Cheek has “three torn oblique muscles and a partially torn trapezius muscle.” . . . Cheek was injured in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final against the Calgary Hitmen and didn’t play again. . . . Danzer’s story is right here.
———
Hockey Canada, which is holding its annual general meeting in Charlottetown, P.E.I., this weekend, has dropped head scout Kevin Prendergast and goaltender coach Ron Tugnutt. . . . Prendergast had been the head scout since September 2010. Since then, Canada placed second twice at the world junior championship, while also finishing third and, this year, fourth. . . . Tugnutt had been with Hockey Canada since 2011.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Moose Jaw Warriors have re-signed assistant coaches Mike Vandenberghe and Mark O’Leary. . . . Vandenberghe is preparing for his third season on the Warriors’ coaching staff after joining them during 2010-11. He played with the Warriors in the late 1980s, and also has worked as an assistant coach with the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . O’Leary joined the Warriors prior to last season. He had played in the OHL with the Mississauga IceDogs and Guelph Storm before going on to a five-year pro career. . . .

The USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks have fired head coach Jim McKenzie, who had one year left on a two-year contract. McKenzie joined the Lumberjacks during 2011-12, replacing the fired Kevin Patrick. . . . Muskegon was 32-23-10 this season, but was swept from the first round of the playoffs. . . . McKenzie played in the WHL with Moose Jaw (1984-88) and Victoria (1988-89).

Matt Kabayama, the associate coach with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, won’t be returning. The WHL team made that announcement on Friday. . . . Kabayama spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Hurricanes before being named associate coach prior to 2009-10. . . . The Hurricanes also are looking for a head coach, having fired Rich Preston in March. . . . The Hurricanes have yet to announced whether Chris Chisamore, an assistant coach who also works with goaltenders, will return. . . .

Jean-Guy Trudel has signed on as head coach of the Peoria Rivermen, who will debut next season in the Southern Professional Hockey League. Trudel signed a one-year contract that includesd a mutual option on a second season. . . . Kevin Tucker has a one-year contract as assistant coach. . . . Both are former Rivermen players. . . . Trudel has been coaching with the Peoria Mustangs of the NA3HL. . . . With Peoria no longer in the AHL, the Rivermen are preparing for their first season in the SPHL.

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Give him Liberty, and give him hockey

Brandon Mistal finished this season as the captain of the BCHL's
Salmon Arm SilverBacks.
(Salmon Arm SilverBacks photo)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Brandon Mistal just wants to play hockey.
So he’s prepared to travel 4,338 kilometres from his hometown for ice time.
After three-plus seasons in the BCHL, Mistal, a 21-year-old forward from Kamloops, is headed to Liberty University in the fall.
The school, a private Christian university, is located in Lynchburg, Va. The Flames are a Division I hockey team, playing in the 54-team American Collegiate Hockey Association. The ACHA, which has been around since 1991, governs non-varsity hockey in the U.S.
“That would be awesome,” Mistal, 21, said of the opportunity to play four seasons at Liberty U. “As long as the money all works out and I can keep going down there, I will definitely play four years.”
Mistal played in the BCHL with the Penticton Vees, Cowichan Valley Capitals and Salmon Arm SilverBacks. He concluded this season as the SilverBacks’ captain, putting up 36 points, including 13 goals, in 56 games.
“He’s an outstanding young man,” Troy Mick, the SilverBacks’ general manager and head coach, said. “His dedication, his character, his work ethic . . . were so emblematic of being a captain that it was a real no-brainer for us.”
Like a large number of BCHL players, Mistal had his hopes up for an offer from an NCAA Division I school. But as this season wore on it became evident that wasn’t going to happen. All the while, he kept hearing from Liberty.
“It was in the back of my mind,” he said. “I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was hoping for Division I . . . I was keeping all my options open.
“But they were the only ones who were talking to me through the whole season. Then, after the season was over, they really wanted me to come for a visit.”
Mistal traveled to Lynchburg in mid-April, saw the campus, skated with some of the Flames and “stayed with couple guys off-campus.”
“It was a pretty good experience,” he said.
These days, he can hardly wait to get back there and get started.
“It’s not the biggest rink,” he said of the 3,000-seat LaHaye Ice Center that is located on the university campus, “and there’s not that many seats, but they love hockey down there and they pack the barn. They support the team so well.”
Mistal grew up in a Christian home – his family is Pentecostal – and his faith is important to him, so Liberty should be a good fit. It was founded in 1971 by evangelical fundamentalist Jerry Falwell, whose roots were Southern Baptist. Falwell died in 2007.
“It’ll be a bit of a change to have that different environment,” said Mistal, who will set out in pursuit of a business degree, “but it’ll be cool to experience that.”
His connection to Liberty came through the Silverbacks’ chapel program. Kenny Toews, the Silverbacks’ chaplain, reached out to Flames assistant coach Dave Semenyna. The rest, as they say, is history.
The Flames are losing two of their offensive leaders, so Mistal is hoping to make an immediate impact.
“I think I’m an all-around player . . . a pretty smart player,” he said. “I like to get in the corners and cycle and work on the boards and create offence out of that. I’m hoping to go in and contribute offensively right away.
“I think I’m one of those versatile guys who can do everything pretty solidly, hopefully with a decent knack for scoring, too.”
Head coach Kirk Handy also is hoping that Mistal is able to contribute right away.
“He’s someone who can definitely make an impact right away, who can play in a lot of different situations,” Handy said in a news release. “He’s a class act with strong leadership abilities. He’s a very well spoken guy who, just in the time we’ve gotten to know him, I’ve been really impressed with his character and his demeanour.
“On the ice, he’s going to be a guy we can count on on both sides of the rink, a two-way hockey player who has a good scoring knack.”
Mistal also will get to see some new country, as the Flames’ 39-game schedule includes stops in such places as Charleston, W.Va.; Athens, Ohio; Blacksburg, Va.; and Tucson, Ariz.
“I’ll gain experience and exposure so I jumped at the opportunity, for sure,” he said.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Kevin Saurette (Regina, 1997-99) signed a one-year contract extension with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). Saurette started the season with Kaufbeuren (Germany, 2. Bundesliga), where he had 10 goals and 16 assists in 25 games. He then signed with the Giants just before Christmas and had 14 goals and 18 assists in 28 games. You can read about it  right here. . . .



F Konstantin Pushkaryov (Calgary, 2004-05) signed a one-year contract extension with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). He had four goals and six assists in 28 games with Barys this season.
———


A little of this and some of that . . .
1. The Saskatoon Blades’ season came to an end last night with a 6-1 loss to the London Knights in the tiebreaker game at the Memorial Cup. The Knights will play the Portland Winterhawks in the semifinal game tonight, with the winner meeting the Halifax Mooseheads in the final on Sunday. . . .
2. The Blades’ season was one to remember, but surely for a lot of the wrong reasons. After beating the host Edmonton Oil Kings 3-2 in a shootout on March 12, the Blades finished with one victory in their last 10 games.
3. With the Blades loss, we are left to wonder if we have witnessed the final game of Lorne Molleken’s WHL coaching career. Only Ken Hodge (742) has more WHL regular-season coaching victories than Molleken (603).
4. If Molleken does choose to step aside as head coach — he would, the theory goes, stay on as general manager — who replaces him? Three names you are certain to hear: David Struch, the Blades’ associate coach; Dean Brockman, who just finished his 12th season as head coach of the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos (he also is the GM); and Chad Mercier, who resigned as the general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Bonnyville Pontiacs following the season
5. The moment that Saskatoon D Dalton Thrower raised his left arm, he was done. It was Wednesday night and Thrower was trying to stop an outside-in move by Portland F Taylor Leier. Thrower’s arm made contact with Leier’s head and now neither skater will play again in this Memorial Cup. . . . Thrower, who served a two-game suspension in October for a headshot in a game in Lethbridge, was suspended for the remainder of the Memorial Cup by NHL Hockey Operations (yes, that’s National Hockey League Hockey Operations), which handles disciplinary matters at this stage of the tournament. . . . With Thrower out, the Blades inserted D Kyle Schmidt, 19, into the lineup.
6. Thrower wasn’t penalized on the play, meaning you are free to wonder what it was the four on-ice officials were watching at the time.
7. Also Thursday morning, Portland head coach Travis Green told the media that Leier won’t play Friday and isn’t expected to play again in the tournament, which means he won’t play in Sunday’s final should the Winterhawks get there. Leier obviously has a brain injury after taking a hit to the head and then having his head strike the ice when he went down.
8. Kevin Mitchell, the sports editor of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, has spoken with Jack Brodsky, the Blades’ owner and governor, about the attendance at the Memorial Cup. That story is right here. . . .
“Grumblings have been heard about ticket prices,” Mitchell writes, “which for Wednesday's game between the Blades and Portland Winterhawks ranged from $66.25 (including service charges) to $113.75 in the lower bowl. Most upper-bowl tickets were $66.25, though $37.50 tickets could be had at the back of the arena.”
Brodsky told Mitchell: "I think ticket prices are where they should be. This is the national championship; this is the top teams in Canada playing. If you compare it to some of the NHL exhibition games we have in Saskatoon and the quality of hockey there . . . our prices aren't as high as some of those are. I think we're priced right."
Sorry, Jack, but you are asking some working stiff to pay $37.50 to sit in the Bob Uecker seats to watch a junior hockey game. That’s too much, never mind having to pay more than $100 for one ticket in the lower bowl.
We’re talking junior hockey, a sport whose fan demographic — families and seniors — isn’t rolling in that kind of dough.
Some WHL teams encountered problems selling playoff tickets when the prices got to the neighbourhood of $30 a pop, especially with games on live television.
When you’re talking $100 a ticket, well, that’s a lot of Netflix.
(If you’re a Saskatoon hockey fan who didn’t buy Memorial Cup tickets, either a package or singles, feel free to email me at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca and let me know your opinion.)
9. I was told Thursday that the deal involving the sale of the BCHL’s Salmon Arms has been completed. “The i’s are dotted, the t’s crossed,” someone with knowledge of the situation told me. “It’s done.” . . . The ownership group, which includes Troy Mick, is to be announced next week. Mick will be the club’s general manager and head coach. . . . Randy and Terry Williams had owned the franchise for six seasons. Mick, who already owned a piece of the franchise, also will serve as the president.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jay Varady is the new general manager and head coach of the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, effective immediately. Varady spent the last two seasons in France as head coach of the Les Ducs d'Angers for the last two seasons. . . . Varady is a former associate and assistant coach with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. . . . He also was the video coach with the U.S. team that won the world junior champonship in 2010. . . .

Dale Hladun has resigned as head coach of the junior B Princeton Posse of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. Hladun had one season left on a three-year contract. . . . Shortly after posting that on Twitter on Thursday, George Elliott (@PosseWebcrew) followed with: “More resignations from Princeton Posse executive expected in the next few days.” . . . Elliott also tweeted: “In his letter of resignation, Head Coach Dale Hladun claims to be owed $15,000 by the Princeton Posse.” . . . One more tweet from Elliott: “There are a lot of rumours flying around about the Posse. Remember, there are two sides of the story. Be sure to seek the information.” . . .


The Colorado Avalanche has cut a deal with Patrick Roy, who will be the NHL team’s head coach and vice-president of hockey operations. He had been co-owner, general manager and head coach of the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts. . . .



Benoit Desrosiers has joined the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix as an assistant coach. Desrosiers, 24, spent this season as an assistant coach with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.
———




From Portland Winterhawks F Taylor Peters (@thepistolpete25): “Congrats to @Jnicks20 on a great dub career”
@Jnicks20 is the Twitter handle for Saskatoon Blades F Josh Nicholls.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Codey Burki (Brandon, 2002-07) signed a one-year contract extension with Lausanne (Switzerland, NL A). Burki, who holds dual Canadian-Swiss citizenship, had 12 goals and 17 assists in 39 games this season. Lausanne won the NL B Championship and promotion to NL A for next season. . . .
D Vladimir Mihalik (Red Deer, Prince George, 2005-07) signed a two-year contract extension with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). He had two goals in 15 games with Slovan this season.
———
A little of this and some of that . . .
1. The line of the night goes to Les Lazaruk, the veteran play-by-play voice of the Saskatoon Blades. It was the middle of the second period when Lazaruk commented that the fans were really into the game “complaining about everything.” . . . Pause . . . Then he added: “I’d swear it was Moose Jaw.”
2. Bob Wilkie, who won a Memorial Cup in Saskatoon the last time the tournament was played in Saskatoon, is the new director of player development and scouting for the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks. Wilkie, who is from Calgary, was a defenceman with the Swift Current Broncos when they beat the Blades in the final of the 1989 tournament.
3. There will be a lot of talk about the hit by Saskatoon D Dalton Thrower on Portland F Taylor Leier in the first period. . . . If you haven’t seen it, it’s right here.
4. At this point of the Memorial Cup, all disciplinary situations are handled by the NHL’s Hockey Operations department. The people there will be taking a whole lot of looks at Thrower’s hit and will make a decision (suspend or not) early today. . . . Meanwhile, I would be surprised if Leier, who was awfully woozy as he left the ice, plays again in this tournament.
5. The Winterhawks filled Leier’s spot on their second line, alongside Chase De Leo and Oliver Bjorkstrand, with Paul Bittner, a 6-foot-4, 195-pounder from Crookston, Minn. And he was a factor in Portland’s second goal, De Leo’s score that put the Winterhawks up 2-1 at 4:08 of the third period. . . . This really spotlights Portland’s depth. Don’t forget that the Winterhawks lost three of their top four scorers from last season (F Sven Baertschi, F Brad Ross and D Joe Morrow) and really didn’t miss a beat.
6. I’m thinking that Portland F Brendan Leipsic was kind of busy in the second intermission, because that’s when word broke on Twitter that he had signed with the NHL’s Nashville Predators. Must have faxed the contract in from the Winterhawks’ dressing quarters. . . . He then came out and scored his first goal of the tournament at 6:27 of the third period, and that one proved to be the winner. . . . (Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports reported later that Leipsic actually signed on Sunday.)
7. Attendance was 9,239, so cue the groans. . . . The London Knights, the host team for the 2014 tournament, have announced that ticket packages will sell for between $600 and $680. They play in the 9,100-seat Budweiser Gardens. If they are able to create a demand for tickets, they’ll sell out. The Blades, who play in the 15,195-seat Credit Union Centre, aren’t able to create a demand for tickets.
8. After Portland F Ty Rattie scored his fourth goal of the tournament in the third period, WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) tweeted: “450 — If you count up his reg season, playoff, & MC points.. You'll see that @pdxwinterhawks Ty Rattie just recorded the 450th of his career.”
9. The Blades meet the London Knights in the tiebreaker game tonight, with the winner moving on to play the Winterhawks in the semifinal game on Friday. . . . The Halifax Mooseheads are into Sunday’s final.
10. Driving home from work on Wednesday night, I noticed two gas stations charging $1.41.9 for a litre of regular gasoline. That’s up seven cents a litre from earlier in the day and 30 cents from February.
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The Vancouver Giants have placed D Tyler Nanne, 17, on their protected list and are working hard in an attempt to land the grandson of former Minnesota North Stars icon Lou Nanne. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has more right here.
———
Well, Wenatchee, Wash., wasn’t without the NAHL for long. Just a few days after the Wild announced that it was relocating to Hidalgo, Texas, the Fresno Monsters have revealed that they will be moving to Wenatchee. . . . One of the reasons the Wild left was an inability to reach a lease agreement with the Town Toyota Center; the Monsters apparently had no such problem. . . . Michelle McNiel of the Wenatchee World reports that the NAHL board of governors is to meet today and Friday, and approval for the move is expected to be granted.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Geoff Grimwood is return for a second season as the head coach of the B.C. Major Midget League’s South Island Royals, who play out of Victoria. The Royals were 11-22-7 last season. . . . Grimwood also is an part-time assistant coach with the WHL’s Victoria Royals. . . . Rob Milliken has signed on as an associate coach alongside Grimwood. Milliken coached the major midget team from 2005-10.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Ty Morris (Swift Current, Vancouver, Red Deer, 2003-05) signed a one-year contract with the Landshut Cannibals (Germany 2. Bundesliga). He had one goal in two games with the Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, 2. Bundesliga) and three goals and five assists in 40 games with Munich (Germany, DEL) this season. . . .


D Juraj Valach (Tri-City, Vancouver, Regina, Red Deer, 2006-08) signed a one-year plus option contract with Slavia Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had two goals and five assists in 46 games with Kometa Brno (Czech Republic, Extraliga) this season. . . .




F Mikhail Yakubov (Red Deer, 2001-02) signed a one-year contract with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). He had one goal and seven assists in 52 games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia, KHL) this season. . . .




D Ales Cerny (Swift Current, 2000-02) signed a one-year contract with Nice (France, Division 1). He had two goals and four assists in 20 games with Mulhouse (France, Ligue Magnus) this season. . . .

F Radim Valchar (Portland, Lethbridge, 2007-10) signed a one-year contract with Gap (France, Ligue Magnus). He had 13 goals and 25 assists in 43 games with Bardejov (Slovakia, 1. Liga) this season.
———
A little of this and some of that . . .
1. With one game left in the round-robin at the Memorial Cup, the Saskatoon Blades still can win this thing. And would you have said that after they had been swept from the first round of the WHL playoffs? . . . Of the four teams in the tournament, the Blades have put in the most consistent effort to this point.
2. On Saturday night, this was shaping up as a Memorial Cup to remember. Now . . . who knows? We’ve had a one-goal game, two games decided by three goals and one with a seven-goal differential.
3. We do know that the Halifax Mooseheads, who hammered the London Knights 9-2 last night, are through to the semifinal, at least. . . . We also know that there will be a tiebreaker on Thursday.
4. Dave Hunchak, the head coach of the Kamloops Blazers, tackled the subject of goaltending on 92.9 The Bull’s pre-game show at the Memorial Cup on Tuesday. If you haven’t noticed, there is a dearth of quality goaltending in Canada these days. . . . “A guy you can take to world juniors and he’s got your back . . . do we have those guys in our system right now?” Hunchak asked. . . . Hunchak then pointed out that Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov is from Russia, while Portland Winterhawks starter Mac Carruth is from Minnesota. . . . “Half (the starters) aren’t even from Canada,” he said of the Memorial Cup goaltenders. “It’s a concern not just in Western Canada but right across the board.”
5. Listening to Hunchak providing so much insight and raising so many valid points on The Bull’s pre- and post-game shows has me wondering why he isn’t a regular on Sportsnet’s intermission shows.
6. Here’s hoping Hunchak doesn’t lose his voice when he returns to Kamloops and gets down to work as the Blazers’ head coach.
7. If you’re a regular at Memorial Cups, who can plan on being in Vancouver in May 2016. That’s because Ron Toigo, the majority owner of the Vancouver Giants, wants the 2016 Memorial Cup for his city. Jeff Paterson has that story right here.
8. Morris Dalla Costa of the London Free Press writes right here that organizers in Saskatoon, including Blades governor Jack Brodsky, aren’t disappointed with attendance figures. Nor should they be. . . . Attendance was announced as 9,237 for last night’s game between Halifax and London. . . . Keep in mind that Credit Union Centre can seat 15,195 fans, which means there is never a demand for tickets. This is something the Blades battle all the time — there always are tickets available, so there is never a rush to purchase. . . . It will be interesting to see how many fans show up for tonight’s game between the Blades and Portland. If you’re wondering, prices at Ticketmaster in the wee hours of today ranged from $37.50 to $113.75 per ticket. I would suggest that’s too much for junior hockey, even at the bottom end, and especially when the game is being televised live.
9. Should we believe London head coach Dale Hunter when he says he wasn’t the least bit upset that his Halifax counterpart, Dominique Ducharme, had his big guns out on the PP with an 8-2 lead and two minutes left in the third period? . . . From a journalist’s perspective, I wish more WHL coaches would do that in regular-season games. It would guarantee that there would be lots about which to write.
10. A Saskatoon victory tonight sends the Blades right to the final, leaving London and Portland to play in Thursday’s tiebreaker, with the winner moving on to play Halifax in the semifinal on Friday. . . . A Portland victory tonight, means Halifax is in the final, with London and Saskatoon to meet in the tiebreaker, with the winner going against Portland in the semifinal.
———

The Oklahoma City Barons, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, practised Monday in Moore, Okla., just three hours before a tornado laid waste to much of the community. Terry Jones of the Edmonton Journal writes about that right here.
———


The Kamloops Blazers have signed Matt Recchi, the director of player personnel, and head scout Ken Fox to what a news release says are “multi-year” contract extensions. . . . Recchi and Fox have been in their positions since July 2008. . . . Recchi works out of Kamloops, while Fox lives in Hodfast, Sask.
———

THE COACHING GAME:
Jason Brooks won’t be returning as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs. Brooks, who had been with the IceDogs through two seasons, said he is leaving because of back problems. He had surgery in March. According to an IceDogs news release, Brooks will return to Listowel, Ont., “where he will join the family business.” . . .


The BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers announced Tuesday that Michael Olson won’t be back as an assistant coach. Olson, the captain of the Clippers when they won the BCHL title in 2003-04, cited personal reasons in leaving the club. He spent the last three seasons on the team’s coaching staff.
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From Thomas Miller (@Thomas_Miller): “Just saw a city bus with ‘go blades go’ on it. This is offensive to other teams and fans... I am taking this to human rights.”
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From Darryl Wolski (@darrylwolski): “The official Chilli of the OHL and WHL....im all about sponsor dollars but.... an official Chilli??? #bizarre”
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From Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood): “Prince George, BC was so great tonight! Thank you for making our next-to-last show so amazing! You rock!”
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From Kamloops Blazers F/D Josh Connolly (@jconnolly02): “Hey @mikefisher1212... Would you mind it if we traded lives for a day? Good god you're a lucky man. #carrie”

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Alberta hockey hall opens to Clovechok, Flyers

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Another hall of fame is soon to open its doors and welcome Andy Clovechok.
In the last few years, Clovechok, who is Mr. Hockey in these parts, has been part of induction ceremonies held by the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in Red Deer and the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in Vancouver. He also is a member of the Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame and is a Blazer Legend.
Next month, the 1947-48 Edmonton Flyers, including Clovechok, will be inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame in Red Deer.
“Oh yes, I do (appreciate it),” said Clovechok on Tuesday night, as he took a break from watching an NHL playoff game. “The first one we got into was here, and I appreciated that.
“And then into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame . . . we appreciated that.”
Clovechok, 90, and his wife, Molly, who is 88, aren’t planning on attending the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame ceremony in Red Deer on June 15. They were in Red Deer for the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame ceremony in 2005.
“There were about eight or nine of us at that one,” Clovechok said. “There will be a couple there for this one.”
The Flyers won the Allan Cup in 1948. At the time, the Allan Cup, emblematic of senior hockey supremacy, was one of Canada’s most coveted hockey trophies.
Along the playoff trail, the Flyers took care of the Trail Smoke Eaters, Winnipeg Reo Flyers and the Ottawa Senators. Edmonton beat the Senators 4-1 in the best-of-seven Allan Cup final, winning the last three games 7-0, 5-3 and 5-3. Ottawa held a 3-0 lead at one point in Game 5.
It has been estimated that 60,000 people, half of Edmonton’s population at that time, showed up for a parade that was held to salute the Flyers.
Clovechok tied for the team lead in goals (35), with Maurice Rimstad, and his 63 points — Bill Mahar also had 63 — were second only to Rimstad’s 80.
The Clovechoks, who will celebrate their 66th anniversary this summer, went to Vancouver in September for the induction of the 1945-46 Vancouver Canucks into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame. The Canucks won the Pacific Coast Hockey League championship.
Clovechok quite enjoyed the hoopla, but admits now that it was awfully tiring.
“Everybody was after me for interviews and stuff like that,” Clovechok said, before laughing and adding: “If they had of been interviewing my wife that would have been different because she can talk.”

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A little of this and some of that . . .
1. Mike Johnston, the suspended GM/head coach of  the Portland Winterhawks, was said to be in Credit Union Centre on Monday, the first time he had watched his club play in person since an 8-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., on Nov. 24. I haven’t been able to find out if he was using the Bobby Valentine disguise, though. (Can’t remember? Go ahead and Google ‘Bobby Valentine disguise.’)

2. Are the Winterhawks back? They beat the London Knights 6-3 last night, after a 7-4 loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday. . . . They got two goals from Ty Rattie, superior goaltending from Mac Carruth, and another terrific night in the faceoff circle from Taylor Peters. . . . Oh, and D Seth Jones was plus-4, so perhaps he’s at least back on a par with Halifax F Nathan MacKinnon.

3. You have to wonder how many coaches look at Rattie and his long stick and are tempted to get him to shorten it. A stick that length for a highly skilled talent goes against the traditional grain of hockey, but Rattie is a magician with it. So perhaps he should stick with it!

4. Les Lazaruk, the veteran radio voice of the Saskatoon Blades, is calling every Memorial Cup game on 92.9 The Bull. But you’ve got to wonder if there is a Plan B should his voice disappear. Hello, Roger . . . Roger Millions! . . . No. What about Kevin Waugh?

5. The attendance for Portland-London on Monday night was 7,575. And there was more social media abuse piled on the City of Saskatoon and the Blades. . . . Look for more of the same tonight as the London Knights and Halifax Mooseheads clash.

6. A note from a Portland fan: “Huge ‘props and kudos’ for the Saskatoon radio station that is covering the tourney — 90 minute pre-game show featuring Dave Hunchak and Peter Loubardias . . . every game broadcast . . . extended post-game show . . . The Bull has done a great job covering this tourney.”

7. I’m sorry, but looking at all the permutations and trying to figure out what might happen over the rest of the week gives me a headache. Let’s just allow things to play out. It’s more fun that way.

8. With the Everett Silvertips, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Prince Albert Raiders each in need of a head coach, I’m not hearing too many rumours. . . . But I have heard that Brian Pellerin may be the Raiders’ next head coach. A native of Hinton, Alta., he played four seasons (1987-91) with the Raiders and has WHL coaching experience (2004-08) as an assistant in Portland. These days, he is the head coach of the prep team at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton.

9. When Patrick Roy steps behind the Colorado Avalanche bench for the first time as head coach, will he still have his Stanley Cup rings in his ears?

10. In my business, you grow inured to a lot of the things that happen in our world. I spend a lot of evenings at my desk, periodically checking photos that are sent our way from around the world. Whenever tragedy strikes, the photos are right there; a lot of them aren’t pretty. Having been doing this as long as I have, the vast majority don’t have an impact on me. But that wasn’t the case on Monday when the pictures began to come in from the Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., a suburb of Oklahoma City. The school had found itself in the way of a tornado that hit during the afternoon. . . . As you make your way around your world today, please keep the folks and families from that area of our world in your thoughts.
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Jim Donlevy, who is leaving his role as the head of the WHL’s education program in June, has been named the 2013 recipient of the WHL Governors Award. . . . He was given the award during a reception in Saskatoon on Sunday. . . . According to a news release, the award “is presented annually to an individual, who through their outstanding achievements and service to the league, has contributed to the growth and development of the WHL.” . . . Donlevy has headed up the education program since 1992. . . . He is leaving his position as the director of education services at the end of June.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Adrian Dater of the Denver Post reports that “Patrick Roy will be the next coach of the Avalanche, according to Roy’s brother, Stephane.” . . . That story is right here.
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From Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich), who is covering the Memorial Cup for The Oregonian: “Dominic Turgeon made it through a shift without Dale Hunter jumping off the bench to blast him into the boards.”


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Matt Strueby (Regina, 2006-10) signed a contract for this season with the Perth Thunder (Australia, AIHL). He had five goals and seven assists in 16 games with the University of Regina Cougars (CIS) and two goals and four assists in 23 games with the Colorado Eagles (ECHL) this season. The Australia regular season started May 4 and ends Sept. 1.
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A little of this and some of that:
1. The Halifax Mooseheads’ white sweaters are much better for the TV viewer than the ones they wore Saturday.
2. The person whose decision it was to hand out those noisemakers for Sunday’s Memorial Cup game should have his/her pass revoked. Watching on TV, it often sounded as though the building was in the throes of a mosquito infestation.
3. The Sportsnet telecast on Sunday began with an ode to Halifax F Nathan MacKinnon and his three-goal opener. What the talking heads forgot to mention is that MacKinnon was the beneficiary of some leaky goaltending by Mac Carruth of the Portland Winterhawks. Of Halifax’s seven goals in the opener, Carruth likely would want five of them back and three of those were scored by MacKinnon.
4. If Carruth had turned in many efforts like that in the WHL regular season or playoffs, the Winterhawks would have been on the beach long before now. BTW, anyone expecting Portland head coach Travis Green to change goaltending horses in midstream hasn’t been paying attention. . . . And how did Carruth handle things when he met the media on Sunday? He said his club didn’t get the goaltending. Check out this piece right here by Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports.
5. Let’s thank the Saskatoon Blades for turning this into a tournament. Gee, you mean there’s more to this thing than Drouin, MacKinnon and Jones? . . . The Blades’ 5-2 victory over Halifax on Sunday means that if Portland beats the London Knights tonight, everyone is 1-1 and the fun really begins.
6. Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov won the goaltending battle last night, and the Blades won the game. That’s what can happen when your goaltender plays extremely well. . . . Of course, it helps when you're a bigger and more physical team that scores five times.
7. The Sunday game had its nasty moments. There were at least three really ugly knee-on-knee hits and that’s three too many.
8. The Blades went into Sunday having lost 13 straight postseason games. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls may be sore today, especially one knee, while F Lukas Sutter is likely going to need treatment on a shoulder.
9. The attendance on Sunday was 8,934, and there are people wondering why the Credit Union Centre, with a capacity of 15,195, isn’t full. Maybe it’s the ticket prices, the game being televised, summer-like weather. Or maybe it is what it is and this is what the major junior tournament is going to draw in Saskatoon. . . . You’ve gotta wonder what it would draw in Spokane or, say, Portland?
10. Alexis Normand is scheduled to sing O Canada prior to Tuesday’s Memorial Cup game. Yes, Normand is the singer who botched the The Star Spangled Banner on Saturday. Kevin Mitchell of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a story right here that details how she has dealt with that moment and all that has followed.
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If you are wondering what is happening with the film rights to that book over there on the right — Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1989 Swift Current Broncos — you’ve come to the right place. . . . Shayne Putzlocher and Holly Baird are in attendance at the Cannes International Film Festival as they work to spread the good word and canvas potential investors. . . . If you’re in Saskatoon at the Memorial Cup, there are copies of the book available at any of the three Coles stores (Midtown Plaza, Sask. Market Mall, Lawson Heights) or the Indigo store in The Centre.
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The AJHL-champion Brooks Bandits beat the host Summerside Western Capitals 3-1 on Sunday to win the RBC Cup, the national junior A championship. . . . This was the first time the Bandits have won the title. . . . F Cam Maclise, a ninth-round selection by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the 2007 WHL bantam draft, had an empty-net goal and an assist for Brooks. He was named the CJHL’s player of the year on Friday. . . . The final game drew a tournament record crowd of 4,211. . . . Brooks was the CJHL’s top-ranked team for the final 22 weeks of the regular season. . . . The Bandits are the first AJHL team to win the title since 2001 when the Camrose Kodiaks did it. . . . The 2014 RBC Cup is scheduled to be held in Vernon, B.C.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Adrian Dater of the Denver Post is reporting that Patrick Roy, the co-owner, general manager and head coach of the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts, is a “strong candidate” to be the next head coach of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. Dater’s report is right here.
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From Neate Sager (@neatebuzzthenet) of Yahoo! Sports): “Watching from the media room again b/c the wireless doesn't work on press row. Great Memorial Cup, Saskatoon.”
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One more from Sager: “This is what the #memorialcup is becoming, host team sits out for weeks, wears down a legitimate skilled team. All about the money, though”
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One more from Sager: “Alright, no more tweets about the Credit Union Centre wifi, kvetching gets old. Saskatoon's made it a tournament. #positives.”
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From Saskatoon Express editor Cam Hutchinson (@camhutchinson): “@neatebuzzthenet Enjoy your stay in our city and may you find a hotspot or a dial up connection ... #didsomebodyshitinyourcornflakes”
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From Matthew Gourlie (@MattGourlie) of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald: “Per twitter former MJ Warrior Jordan Henry is engaged to season 14 Bachelor contestant Jessie Sulidis. Henry is playing in Finland.”


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