Brent Sutter, the owner, president and general manager of the Red Deer Rebels, 
announced Thursday that the contracts of assistant coach Brad Flynn and goaltending coach Kraymer Barnstable won’t be renewed. . . . Ryan Colville is the lone remaining assistant coach on staff. He has completed three seasons with the Rebels. . . . Also listed on the team’s website is Erik Lodge, who is shown as “skills/assistant coach.” . . . Flynn had been with the Rebels since May 7, 2018. . . . Barnstable was named to his position on June 14, 2018. . . . The Rebels, of course, also are without a head coach after Sutter stepped aside on April 10. In his absence, Flynn, Colville and assistant GM Shaun Sutter handled the coaching through the end of the season.
Wade Klippenstein, long a familiar face around western arenas, is the new director of amateur scouting with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. He replaces Alan Hepple, whose contract wasn’t renewed. . . . Klippenstein, 51, has been scouting for Colorado since 2016-17. . . . Prior to that, he was the Brandon Wheat Kings’ director of scouting for three seasons (2013-16) and he also spent six seasons (2007-13) with the Prince George Cougars, filling the roles of assistant coach, head coach, assistant GM and director of player personnel at one time or another. He also has worked with the Saskatoon Blades, Prince Albert Raiders and Moose Jaw Warriors, and spent three seasons (2004-07) as an assistant coach at the U of Alaska-Fairbanks. . . . Hepple had been with the Avalanche since 2002-03. He was an amateur scout for seven seasons and the director of amateur scouting since 2009-10.
A happy and lengthy retirement to an old friend, who always had an answer whenever there was a problem in the press box . . .
A Thursday evening tweet from the Port Alberni Bombers (@PortBombers) 
read: “Thanks for letting us join the fun #vijhlofficial @BCHockey_Source #bombershockey” . . . The junior B Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League awarded an expansion franchise to the Bombers earlier in the day. . . . The VIJHL will have another new team in the Lake Cowichan Kraken, which is owned by Luke Armstrong. The Kraken — that’s the team’s logo on the left — announced earlier this week that Ray Tremblay will be its first general manager and head coach. . . . Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist has more on the Kraken right here. . . . Two new franchises will leave the VIJHL with 11 teams. At least, for now.
Dorothy will be taking part in her eighth Kamloops Kidney Walk, albeit virtually, on June 6. If you would like to be part of her team, you are able to make a donation right here. . . . Thanks in advance for your generosity.
If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:
Living Kidney Donor Program
St. Paul’s Hospital
6A Providence Building
1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6
Tel: 604-806-9027
Toll free: 1-877-922-9822
Fax: 604-806-9873
Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca
——
Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney
Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre
Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street
Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9
604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182
kidneydonornurse@vch.ca
——
Or, for more information, visit right here.
TAKING NOTE 