Author: greggdrinnan

‘Fellas, it’s been nice to know ya’ . . . BCHL chooses to leave Hockey Canada . . . WHL’s conference finals resume tonight

The BCHL announced on Monday that it will operate as an independent organization — back in the day, it would have been referred to as an “outlaw” league — as of June 1, a decision reached after “owners, governors, executives, and committees thoroughly explored all options but were unable to establish meaningful discourse with the governing leadership of Hockey Canada.” . . . The announcement was hardly unexpected after the 18-team BCHL chose to leave the Canadian Junior Hockey League in April 2021. One result of that move is that BCHL teams no longer compete for the Centennial Cup. . . . The BCHL news release explaining the decision to leave Hockey Canada is right here. . . . You can bet that this will shake up junior hockey in Canada as the BCHL now will be recruiting junior-aged players from across North America and Europe. . . . You also have to wonder if this isn’t the first step towards a super junior A league, with the BCHL, over the next few seasons, shedding a team or three and a handful of other Western Canadian teams coming on board.

For more on the BCHL announcement, check out this interview right here as Brian Wiebe of the BCHL Network chats with Steven Cocker, the BCHL’s commissioner. There are a lot of questions still to be answered, but there are some answers here.

WHL

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

A couple of things worth watching as the Seattle Thunderbirds and host Kamloops Blazers prepare for Game 3 of the Western Conference final tonight. . . . The No. 1 Thunderbirds hold a 2-0 lead on the No. 2 Blazers, who will be the Memorial Cup’s host team. . . .

The Blazers lost D Logan Bairos during Saturday’s first game after he absorbed Kamloopsa hit from Seattle F Jared Davidson. Bairos didn’t play in Game 2, with D Ryan Michael inserted into the lineup. But Michael left late in the first period after being hit by Seattle F Reid Schaefer. . . . Shaun Clouston, the Blazers’ general manager and head coach, told Marty Hastings of Kamloops This Week that they asked for supplemental discipline on Davidson prior to Game 2, but didn’t receive it. And Clouston said after Sunday’s game that they were thinking about requesting supplemental discipline on Schaefer for the hit on Michael. . . . “I thought both hits were dangerous hits,” Clouston told Hastings. “I thought the first one there was some contact to the head and the second one tonight, the hit on Mikey, was right on the numbers.” . . .

Meanwhile, Darren Steinke, who blogs at Stanks’ Sermon, reported after SeattleSunday’s game that Seattle F Jordan Gustafson may have gotten injured as he and his teammates celebrated D Jeremy Hanzel’s OT goal. Steinke wrote: “The only down part for Seattle on the winning goal was it appeared Thunderbirds standout centre Jordan Gustafson, who turned 19-years-old in January, injured himself during the winning goal celebration. He was the first Thunderbirds player to leave the ice seeking out the team’s trainer.” . . .

A note from Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) after Seattle’s 4-3 OT victory over the visiting Blazers on Sunday: “Seattle starts the great day in Seattle hockey coming back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits. Jeremy Hanzel — who was 2nd in GWGs for defenders this season — earns first of postseason 6-and-a-half into overtime. Improves to +20 for playoffs and +90 combined.” . . .

A couple of notes from the Thunderbirds: Their Sunday victory improved their record in these playoffs to 10-0 and that’s a franchise record. In 2017, the Thunderbirds had opened with nine victories. . . . F Jared Davidson goes into tonight’s game in Kamloops with 20 career playoff goals. He is tied with F Alexander True for second spot in franchise history, one behind F Scott Eansor. . . .

For the third straight series, the Saskatoon Blades trail a series 2-0, only this Saskatoontime they are playing Game 3 at home. That will be tonight against the Winnipeg Ice, who won the first two games of the Eastern Conference final at home. . . . The Blades, of course, are coming off two seven-game series; they lost the first two games of each of those series on home ice. . . . Saskatoon was back at practice on Monday, after taking a day off on Sunday. . . . Here’s Saskatoon head coach Brennan Sonne, in conversation with Kevin Mitchell of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix: “We practised April 1, April 13, April 15. Those are the last team practices we had, which is a very low number. That was out of necessity because of the schedule and the fatigue factor. We’ve played 16 games in 30 days, and very emotional games — these aren’t just Sunday skates. Getting the day off, and getting a practice day in today, and resetting, is vital for our group.” . . .

The Blazers and Blades both are faced with winning four of five games from the conference regular-season champions? Can it be done? We should have a better indication after tonight’s games.

The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

A note from Scott MacIntosh (@scottmacintosh4), the Halifax Mooseheads’ communications manager: “The Quebec Remparts set a new QMJHL attendance record (Sunday) with 17,911 at Videotron Centre. In a total of 13 playoff home games combined, the Remparts and Mooseheads have hosted 143,549 fans during the postseason.” . . .

Perry Pearn, a former WHL coach, has led Japan’s men’s national team to the Division I Group B title in Tallinn, Estonia. Pearn is in his first season with Japan, which went 5-0 and outscored its opponents 29-10 in the tournament. . . . In the final, Japan built up a 5-0 lead and held on for a 5-3 victory over Ukraine. . . . By winning the tournament, Japan earned promotion to Division I Group A for the first time since 2016. . . . Pearn also is head coach of Japan’s national junior team, which beat Ukraine in the final of the Division I Group B tournament in December to earn promotion to Group A for the first time. . . . Pearn, 71, is from Stettler, Alta. He was the head coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers in 1994-95. . . .

The BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings have signed general manager Mike Hawes and head coach Alex Evin to contract extensions. . . . Hawes, 53, just completed his 18th season with the organization and now is signed for three more seasons. He is preparing for his 13th season as the club’s GM. . . . Evin, 35, has signed for two more seasons. He has been with the Spruce Kings for six seasons — two as associate coach and four as head coach.

THINKING OUT LOUD — I am a fan of neither the Edmonton Oilers nor the Toronto Maple Leafs. But I would love to see them meet up in the Stanley Cup final, if for no other reason than to see what the TV ratings would be in the U.S. . . . Yes, it’s true. G Akira Schmid, the Swiss goaltender who is starring for the New Jersey Devils these days, played in the WHL. Yes, he did. In 2018-19, he started one game for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, gave up seven goals and ended up with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers. . . . My iPod is fully charged and I will be listening to a whole lot of Gordon Lightfoot before my night is done.

——

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.

Hanzel shoots T-Birds into 2-0 lead; series heads to Kamloops for two . . . Ice, Blades to resume hostilities on Tuesday . . . Hodge was one of a kind

WHL

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

The four teams left standing in the WHL playoffs will get some rest today before returning to action on Tuesday night.

In the Eastern Conference, the No. 1 Winnipeg Ice won Games 1 and 2 on home ice so take a 2-0 edge into Tuesday’s Game 3 against the No. 2 Blades in Saskatoon. They’ll play a fourth game in Saskatoon on Wednesday night.

A note from Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) after Winnipeg’s 6-2 victory on Saturday: “The loss puts Saskatoon into an 0-2 hole for the 3rd straight series. They are believed to be the first team to have comeback twice in the same postseason to win series from that deficit. The 2000 Kootenay Ice won three series losing Game #1.”

In the Western Conference, the No. 1 Seattle Thunderbirds hold a 2-0 edge on the No. 2 Kamloops Blazers after a 4-3 OT victory on Sunday. The series will resume with Game 3 in Kamloops on Tuesday night, and they’ll play Game 4 there on Thursday. . . .

The Seattle roster includes 10 players who have been drafted by NHL teams, while the Blazers boast nine. As well, the Thunderbirds have six players who were in the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship; the Blazers have three.

The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

SUNDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Kamloops (2) at Seattle (1) — The Seattle Thunderbirds twice overcame two-Seattlegoal deficits en route to a 4-3 OT victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . D Jeremy Hanzel (2) won it at 6:21 of the extra period when his point shot got through Kamloops G Dylan Ernst. . . . The Thunderbirds had opened the conference final with a 5-1 victory on Saturday. . . . They are scheduled to play Games 3 and 4 in Kamloops on Tuesday and Thursday nights. . . . The Blazers opened a 2-0 lead with goals 1:39 apart. F Caedan Bankier (7) got them started with 39.2 seconds left in the first period. . . . D Olen Zellweger (9) made it 2-0, on a PP, at 0:59 of the second period. . . . F Lucas Ciona (5) got Seattle’s first goal, on a PP, at 7:33, but F Matthew Seminoff (5) got that one back, on another PP, at 12:53. . . . F Colton Dach (3) got the Thunderbirds back to within a goal at 15:55. . . . F Brad Lambert (3) pulled Seattle even at 2:04 of the third period. . . . On the winning goal, Lambert won a 2-on-2 battle in the corner to the right of Ernst, and fed the puck to D Sawyer Mynio, who sent it across to Hanzel at the other point. His shot beat Ernst for the winner. . . . Kamloops was 2-for-6 on the PP, but came up dry on an opportunity late in the third period. . . . Seattle was 1-for-5. . . . G Thomas Milic stopped 39 shots for Seattle, four more than Ernst. . . . F Logan Stankoven was in on all three Kamloops goals, his three assists giving him a total of 25 points in these playoffs. He leads the points derby with two more than Zellweger. . . . Since being acquired from the Everett Silvertips at the trade deadline, Zellweger has put up 76 points, including 31 goals, in 42 games with Kamloops. . . . Lambert, with 16 assists, is tied for the WHL lead with D Ben Zloty of the Winnipeg Ice. . . . The Blazers scratched D Logan Bairos, who suffered an undisclosed injury on Saturday night, and brought in D Ryan Michael, who last played on March 22.

Headline at The Onion (@TheOnion): Study Finds Majority Of Cavities Formed From Repeatedly Running Tongue Over Tooth That Feels Weird.

Back in the day, when Charlie Hodge was on the scouting trail, there was nothing better than sitting in the media/scout room prior to a WHL game listening to him spin tales, bellyache (always with a smile on his face) and eat Nanaimo bars.

Here’s Dave Stubbs of nhl.com, following Hodge’s death on April 16, 2016 . . .

“You’ll find Hodge’s name on the Stanley Cup six times with the Canadiens and once more with the 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins as a scout. It appears four different ways on the trophy’s sterling bands: C Hodge, CH Hodge, Charles Hodge and Charlie Hodge.

“He was signing ‘Charlie’ at a 2008 collectibles show, as he did only for memorabilia.”

At that 2008 collectibles show, Hodge told Stubbs that “I sign checks a different way and legal documents a way different than that. If anybody copies what I sign today then tries to forge something legal, I can say, ‘No, this is not my signature.’

“It’s not that I don’t trust anybody,” he added, laughing. “It’s just that I don’t trust anybody.”

Quartet

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.

Ice goes up 2-0 as scene shifts to ‘Toontown . . . T-Birds open with victory . . . Pistons wear MJHL’s crown

You likely are aware of the terrific work that has been done by Bernadine and Toby Boulet to promote organ donation after their son, Logan, an organ donor, was killed in the crash involving the Humboldt Broncos’ bus. What you may not be aware of is work being done by the likes of Carol Brons to promote safe driving by those who drive the big rigs on our nation’s highways. Brons’ daughter, Dayna, was the Broncos’ athletic therapist; she died as a result of the crash. . . . Carol and her husband, Lyle, are members of Safer Roads Canada and were involved in the production of a couple of videos aimed at truck safety. . . .

Kevin Mitchell of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix writes: “Safer Roads Canada formed as a non-profit in the aftermath of the Broncos’ bus crash, with the involvement of some Broncos families and other people who had lost loved ones on the highways.

“Carol says it’s been ‘frustrating’ to try to effect change; transportation is federally regulated but a provincial responsibility, and governments move slowly.

“ ‘This is a way of making a difference a little faster,’ she says of the videos.”

This really is an important subject. Mitchell’s story is right here.

WHL

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

The No. 1 Winnipeg Ice and No. 2 Saskatoon Blades will enjoy a couple of days off before resuming their Eastern Conference final in the Bridge City on Tuesday. The Ice takes a 2-0 series lead into Game 3, with Game 4 scheduled for Saskatoon on Wednesday. . . . The Ice won the first two games at home — 3-0 on Friday and 6-2 on Saturday. . . . The Blades now have played 16 games in these playoffs, while the Ice has been in 11. So you can guess who needs the time off the most. . . .

Meanwhile, the Western Conference final opened last night in Kent, Wash., with the No. 1 Seattle Thunderbirds skating to a 5-1 victory over the No. 2 Kamloops Blazers. . . . Seattle now is 9-0 in the playoffs; Kamloops is 8-1. . . . They will play Game 2 in Kent tonight, then head for Kamloops and games on Tuesday and Thursday. . . .

Note that the starting time for today’s game has changed. With the NHL’s Seattle Kraken to meet the host Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of a first-round series tonight, Game 2 between the Blazers and Thunderbirds now will begin at 4:05 p.m. PT — it had been scheduled to start at 5:05. . . .

When Saturday’s games were over, F Logan Stankoven of Kamloops, F Matt Savoie of Winnipeg and Blazers D Olen Zellweger were leading the playoff scoring race, each with 22 points. . . . Seattle’s Dylan Guenther has a WHL-leading 11 goals and Winnipeg D Ben Zloty leads in assists (16). . . . Winnipeg’s Daniel Hauser has the lead in goaltending victories (10), with Seattle’s Thomas Milic leading in GAA (1.11) and save percentage (.953).

The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . With the help of a former WHL franchise owner she shot past $3,600 on Saturday. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

SATURDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Saskatoon (2) at Winnipeg (1) — F Connor McClennon scored three times and WinnipegIceadded an assist as the Winnipeg Ice beat the Saskatoon Blades, 6-2. . . . The Ice, having won Friday’s opener, 3-0, leads the series, 2-0, with Games 3 and 4 in Saskatoon on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . McClennon, who has 10 goals, completed his hat trick at 1:08 of the third period, giving the Ice a 5-0 lead. . . . He had scored the game’s first two goals, at 6:09 and 17:31, the latter via the PP, of the first period. . . . F Zach Benson (3) and F Owen Pederson (3) added second-period goals. . . . F Justin Lies (2) and F Jayden Wiens (8), on a PP, scored for the Blades in the third period. . . . Ice F Matt Savoie (10) closed the scoring with an empty-netter at 16:27. . . . Benson and Savoie added two assists each. . . . McClennon recorded his first hat trick of these playoffs; he had two in the regular season. . . . Winnipeg was 1-for-3 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-for-5. . . . G Daniel Hauser stopped 27 shots for the Ice. . . . G Austin Elliott turned aside 27 shots for the Blades. . . . Saskatoon continues to play without injured defencemen Blake Gustafson and Ben Saunderson. The Blades also scratched F Jordan Keller and inserted F Misha Volotovski.

——

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Kamloops (2) at Seattle (1) — The Seattle Thunderbirds drew first blood with a Seattle5-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers in Kent, Wash. . . . They’ll play Game 2 today in Kent, then head for Kamloops and games on Tuesday and Thursday. . . . Seattle held period leads of 1-0 and 2-1, then put it away with three goals in the second half of the third period. . . . F Jared Davidson (6) scored at 17:00 of the first period and F Nico Myatovic (2) got the 2-0 goal at 13:44 of the second. . . . D Olen Zellweger (8) got the Blazers’ goal at 16:11. . . . Seattle’s third-period goals came from F Dylan Guenther (11), Davidson (7) and F Gracyn Sawchyn (2), on a PP. . . . Davidson also had an assist, for a three-point night. . . . Seattle was 1-for-3 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-for-2. . . . G Thomas Milic stopped 24 shots for the Thunderbirds, while G Dylan Ernst, at the other end, blocked 30. . . . Milic is 9-0, 1.11, .953 in the playoffs. In 34 appearances over the past two seasons, he is 23-11, 1.98, .931. . . . Kamloops lost D Logan Bairos to an undisclosed injury and he isn’t likely to play in Game 2, which means Ryan Michael will play. . . . The Thunderbirds are 9-0 in the playoffs. They also opened the 2017 playoffs with nine victories before dropping a 4-3 OT decision to the visiting Kelowna Rockets.

GiveUp

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

F Dante Hannoun, who played five seasons in the WHL, is playing for Italy in the six-team IIHF World Men’s Hockey Championship (Division 1 Group A) that opened Friday and is to run through Ma 5 in Great Britain (Nottingham). . . . He was pointless as Italy opened with a 6-2 victory over Romania on Saturday. . . . Hannoun, 24, is from Delta, B.C. He played four-plus seasons with the Victoria Royals before finishing his WHL career by playing 28 games with the Prince Albert Raiders in 2018-19. On May 13, 2019, Hannoun scored at 18:25 of OT to give the Raiders a 3-2 victory over the visiting Vancouver Giants in Game 7 of the WHL’s championship final. He has played the past two seasons with the Val Pusteria Wolves of Bruneck, Italy, who play in the Austrian-based ICE Hockey League. . . .

In the MJHL, the Steinbach Pistons won their third Turnbull Cup, beating the visiting Virden Oil Capitals, 3-0. The Pistons won the series, 4-1. . . . G Dominik Wasik recorded a 24-save shutout. . . . Paul Dyck, the Pistons’ general manager and head, is from Steinbach. Dyck, 52, played two seasons (1989-91) with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, and now is completing his 11th season with the Pistons. . . . Steinbach will be in the Centennial Cup for the first time since 2018. The tournament is to be played in Portage la Prairie, Man., from May 11-21. . . .

In the BCHL, the Penticton Vees won their 26th consecutive playoff game on Saturday, beating the visiting Salmon Arm Silverbacks, 6-2, in Game 2 of their conference final. . . . In the other conference final, the Alberni Valley Bulldogs got past the Chilliwack Chiefs, 2-1, to assume a 2-0 series lead. . . . Both series will resume on Tuesday night in Chilliwack and Salmon Arm.

THE COACHING GAME:

Tyler Stanton is the new general manager and head coach of the junior B Peninsula Panthers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. Stanton, who will turn 27 on Thursday, is a former VIJHL player, having skated with the Westshore Wolves and Saanich Braves. From a Panthers news release: Stanton “has been coaching at the U18 level for the past seven years with JDF Minor Hockey, winning two Island championships and a silver medal at BC provincials this past season. The Club also won the Richmond International Tournament this past season.” . . . Pete Zubersky, who had been the general manager, stepped in as head coach after Chris Driebergen was fired in January. He had been in his first season with the Panthers. Zubersky is the organization’s governor.

——

——

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.

Shark

Ice opens by blanking Blades . . . Seattle, Kamloops start tonight . . . Brooks wins another AJHL title

WHL

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

The Eastern Conference final opened in Winnipeg last night with the Ice skating to a 3-0 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. They’ll play Game 2 today in Winnipeg, then head for Saskatoon and games on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Saskatoon has had eight home games in these playoffs and drawn seven of the top 10 crowds. The other three were for games that featured the Blades against the host Regina Pats. . . . The announced attendance last night in Winnipeg was 1,613, which was lower than the Ice’s average of 1,650 for 34 regular-season games. . . .

And the Western Conference final gets started tonight with the No. 2 Kamloops Blazers visiting the No. 1 Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash. . . . This will be the second straight season in which the conference final has featured these two franchises; Seattle won in seven games a year ago.

You are free to wonder how whether rust — or perhaps nerves — will be a factor in Game 1 tonight. Each of these teams is 8-0 this spring, but Seattle hasn’t played since April 19, while the Blazers have been off since April 20. The Thunderbirds swept aside the No. 8 Kelowna Rockets and No. 4 Prince George Cougars. The Blazers took care of the No. 7 Vancouver Giants and the No. 3 Portland Winterhawks.

Seattle and Kamloops met twice in the last week of the regular season — the Thunderbirds won, 6-3, in Kent on March 21; the Blazers won, 6-5, in Kamloops the next night. Kamloops also won, 3-2, in a shootout in Kent on March 7. . . . Earlier, Seattle won, 2-1 in OT, in Kamloops on Nov. 9.

If you want a whole lot more on this series, there is an in-depth preview available on the WHL website.

They’ll play Game 2 in Kent on Sunday, and then head to Kamloops for games on Tuesday and Thursday. Interestingly, should this series go seven games, they’ll play Games 6 and 7 on back-to-back nights — May 8 in Kamloops and May 9 in Kent.

The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . Things are rolling right along, too, as she now has surpassed $3,400 thanks to help from people like the former WHL coach who checked in on Friday. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

FRIDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Saskatoon (2) at Winnipeg (1) —  The Winnipeg Ice scored two first-period WinnipegIcegoals 1:26 apart en route to a 3-0 victory over the Saskatoon Blades in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final. . . . They’ll play Game 2 today in Winnipeg, starting at 4 p.m. . . . D Ben Zloty (1) opened the scoring at 14:39 of the first period. He went into the game with no goals and a WHL-leading 15 assists. . . . The Ice went ahead 2-0 at 16:05 when F Zach Ostapchuk (8) scored a shorthanded penalty-shot goal, putting the puck off a post and in. He has goals in eight of the 10 games in which he has played in these playoffs. . . . D Carson Lambos (1) upped the lead to 3-0 at 7:45 of the second period. . . . Saskatoon was 0-for-4 on the PP; Winnipeg was 0-for-1. . . . G Daniel Hauser recorded the shutout with 16 saves. He is 9-1, 2.56, .907 in the playoffs, after going 37-4-1, 2.28, .917 in the regular season. . . . The Blades got 25 stops from G Ethan Chadwick. . . . Were the Blades, coming off two seven-game series, showing signs of fatigue in the latter part of the game? The Ice outshot them 8-4 in the second period and 10-4 in the third. . . . Saskatoon F Justin Lies was back in action after having served a three-game suspension. . . . The Blades continue to be without D Blake Gustafson, who was injured in the previous series. . . . With D Ben Saunderson also injured, Saskatoon had D Morgan Tastad make his playoff debut. The 6-foot-4 Tastad, a 17-year-old from Loreburn, Sask., played in one regular-season game. He was a ninth-round pick by the Blades in the WHL’s 2021 draft.

Slingshot

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The WHL will be well-represented on the officiating front at the IIHF World men’s hockey championship in Tampere, Finland, and Riga, Latvia. Referees Adam Bloski and Mike Langin, along with linesmen Brett Mackey and Tarrington Wyonzek, will be working games in what is the biggest tournament of the season in some countries. Each of the foursome will be working his first world championship. . . . The tournament is scheduled to open on May 12 and run through May 28. . . .

The BCHL’s Penticton Vees ran their playoff winning streak to 25 on Friday night with a 5-1 victory over the visiting Salmon Arm Silverbacks. This was Game 1 of the Interior Conference final. The Vees lost their first playoff game a year ago, then won 16 in a row as they skated to the championship. This spring, they now are 9-0. . . . In the Coastal Conference, the host Alberni Valley Bulldogs opened with a 9-5 victory over the Chilliwack Chiefs. . . . Game 2 in both series will be played tonight in the same venues. . . .

In the AJHL, the Brooks Bandits beat the visiting Spruce Grove Saints, 3-2 in OT, on Friday night to win the championship in five games. F Brendan Poshak’s third goal of the playoffs won it at 5:10 of extra time to give the Bandits their seventh AJHL title. . . . Brooks will represent the AJHL in the Centennial Cup tournament in Portage la Prairie, Man., and the Bandits go in as the two-time defending champions. The tournament runs from May 11 through May 21.

THE COACHING GAME:

Brien Gemmell is the new head coach of the junior B White Rock Whalers of the Pacific Junior Hockey League. Gemmell has been coaching for more than 30 years, most recently in the Cloverdale, B.C., minor hockey ranks. This season, his U18 Tier 1 team won bronze at the provincial championship. . . . Gemmell takes over from Jason Rogers, who, according to the team, “is stepping down from his role as head coach.” Rogers is to remain with the organization as senior advisor. He had been the team’s head coach since its first season (2018-19).

THINKING OUT LOUD: The first round of the NFL draft on Thursday had 11.29 million TV viewers in the U.S. Yes, the NFL is No. 1 and it isn’t even close. As Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) pointed out, “That’s more than the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, Stanley Cup final, World Series Games 2 & 3, Wimbledon, French Open, Australian Open, U.S. Open, PGA Championship and British Open.” . . . In case you missed it, this was Rick Bowness, the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets after a season-ending 4-1 loss to the host Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday: “I’m so disappointed and disgusted right now. There has to be pride. You have to be able to push back when things aren’t going your way. We had no pushback. Their better players were so much better than ours tonight. They deserved to win.” So who goes before a new season arrives . . . the head coach or some players? . . . F Matthew Phillips, who was a thrill to watch when he played with the WHL’s Victoria Royals, scored 36 goals for the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers this season and 15 of them were game-winners. On Friday night, he scored in OT to give the Wranglers a 4-3 victory over the Abbotsford Canucks. The Wranglers lead the best-of-five series, 2-0. The NHL’s Calgary Flames lost 30 one-goal games this season and missed the playoffs, but somehow Phillips wasn’t able to play for them.

——

——

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.

Doctor

Ice, Blades to open tonight . . . T-Birds, Blazers on tap Saturday . . . Warriors’ Firkus gets NHL deal

WHL

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

After a couple of nights off, the WHL playoffs are back on centre stage tonight as the Saskatoon Blades are in Winnipeg to meet the Ice.

WinnipegIceThese were the top two Eastern Conference teams in the regular season. The Ice finished with the WHL’s best record, going 57-10-1; the Blades, at 48-15-5, had the conference’s second-best record.

The Ice are 8-2 in the playoffs, having swept the Medicine Hat Tigers and then taken out the Moose Warriors in six games.

The Blades are writing an amazing story. They are 8-6 after winning a pair of Saskatoonseven-game series. In both series, against the Regina Pat and Red Deer Rebels, the Blades dropped the first two games on home ice, then came back to win Game 7 at home. Of course, they actually lost three in a row to Red Deer before becoming the third team in WHL history to do that and then win the series.

The Ice won four of six regular-season meetings with the Blades, who went 2-3-1. The Ice won all three meetings in Winnipeg. In their latest meeting, the host Blades put up a 3-2 victory on Feb. 4.

JUST NOTES: Game 2 will be played in Winnipeg on Saturday, with Games 3 and 4 in Saskatoon on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Saskatoon F Justin Lies is eligible to return after having sat out the last three games while serving a WHL-issued suspension. . . . The Western Conference final, featuring the No. 1 Seattle Thunderbirds and No. 2 Kamloops Blazers, is to open on Saturday in Kent, Wash. They’ll play Game 2 there on Sunday, and then head to Kamloops for games on Tuesday and Thursday. Should this series go seven games, they’ll play Games 6 and 7 on back-to-back nights — May 8 in Kamloops and May 9 in Kent. . . . Each team is 8-0 this spring, the result of that being that Seattle hasn’t played since April 19, and Kamloops last played on April 20.

The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . Things are rolling right along, too, as she now has surpassed $3,300 thanks to help from people like the former WHL general manager who has more than one Memorial Cup ring. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

Twain

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The Seattle Kraken has signed F Jagger Firkus of the Moose Jaw Warriors to a three-year entry-level contract. Firkus, who will turn 19 on Saturday, had 40 goals and 44 assists in 66 games with the Warriors this season. In 10 playoff games, he added 10 goals and 11 assists. . . . Seattle selected him in the second round of the NHL’s 2022 draft. . . .

G Dante Giannuzzi of the Portland Winterhawks has signed an ATO with the Manitoba Moose, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. Giannuzzi, who is from Winnipeg, played out his junior eligibility this season. In 109 appearances over five seasons with Portland, he went 59-32-12, 3.07, .896. . . . This season, he was 23-13-3, 3.37, .894. . . .

The New York Rangers have assigned F Ryder Korczak of the Moose Jaw Warriors to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Korczak, 20, had 28 goals and 41 assists in 48 games with the Warriors this season, then added three goals and eight assists in 10 playoff games. He was a third-round selection by the Rangers in the NHL’s 2021 draft.

Headline at The Beaverton (@TheBeaverton): Calgary tackles housing crisis by spending $867 million on new home for the Flames.

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Headline at Deadspin (@Deadspin) after the New York Jets acquired QB Aaron Rodgers: Anti-vaxxer introduced as QB for franchise of Johnson & Johnson heir.

THE COACHING GAME:

The BCHL’s Merritt Centennials are looking for a new general manager and head coach after choosing not to renew Curtis Toneff’s contract. Toneff had been an assistant coach with the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos when he joined the Centennials on Dec. 22, 2021. . . . The Centennials, who were 1-20-1 when Toneff was hired midway in the 2021-22 season, finished that season at 3-47-4. This season, they went 12-37-5. . . .

The junior B Nanaimo Buccaneers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League have signed Vin Jackson as an assistant coach for the 2023-24 season. . . . Jackson, 20, used up his junior eligibility as a player this season, finishing up with the VIJHL’s Campbell River Storm. This season, he also played with the Princeton Posse and Fernie Ghostriders, both of the junior B Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. . . . With the Buccaneers, he will work alongside GM/head coach Lee Stone. Jackson will be a full-time assistant as he relocates from his home in Creston, B.C., to Nanaimo.

——

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.

Blimp

Blades complete improbable comeback . . . Legend of Spencer (Mr. Game 7) Shugrue grows . . . Winterhawks pondering Memorial Cup bid

It sounds like we can expect the Portland Winterhawks to bid on a Memorial PortlandCup in the near future, perhaps even as early as 2026. . . . Joshua Critzer, who covers the Winterhawks for pnwhockeytalk.com, spent some time chatting with Michael Kramer, one of the franchise’s co-owners. . . . The OHL’s Saginaw Spirit will be the host team for the 2024 tournament, the first time it will have been held in an American city since 1998 when the Spokane Chiefs were the host team. . . . Asked his stance on bidding on a future tournament, Kramer told Critzer: “One hundred percent I do, absolutely. I’m thrilled to hear that Saginaw got it. I was talking with those guys while they were bidding for it. I personally spent a lot of time with the CHL talking about why it is important and why United States-based teams can host. We would absolutely love to host the Memorial Cup. Given the right circumstances, we are going all for it. The first opportunity we will have is three years. I don’t know if we will be able to get it done for that or not, but I’m definitely, definitely focused on hosting.” . . . The complete interview — it’s lengthy and worthwhile — is right here.

WHL

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

The WHL playoff schedule will pause to catch its breath now, with no games until Friday night. That is when the Eastern Conference final, featuring the regular-season champion Winnipeg Ice and Saskatoon Blades is to open. It will begin with games in Winnipeg on Friday and Saturday, then shift to Saskatoon for games on Tuesday and May 3. . . .

The Blades advanced on Tuesday night with a Game 7 victory, beating the visiting Red Deer Rebels, 5-2. . . .

The Blades became the third team in WHL history to win a series after losing the first three games. . . . In 1996, the Spokane Chiefs beat the Portland Winterhawks in Game 7, winning 4-3 when F Darren Sinclair scored 58 seconds into OT. . . . In 2013, the Kelowna Rockets beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2 in OT, in Game 7, winning on a goal at 5:10 by F Tyson Baillie. Steve Konowalchuk, now Red Deer’s second-year head coach, was in his second season as Seattle’s head coach at that time. . . .

But not only did the Blades lose the first three games to Red Deer, but they surrendered the first two goals in Game 4 before coming back for a 4-2 victory. . . .

Meanwhile, the Western Conference finalists — the No. 1 Seattle Thunderbirds and No. 2 Kamloops Blazers — no doubt are anxious for Saturday to get here. That’s when they will open their series in Kent, Wash. Game 2 is to be played there on Sunday, with Games 3 and 4 in Kamloops on Tuesday and May 4. . . . Each team was 2-1-1 in the season series. And each team is 8-0 in these playoffs. . . .

You will note that the top two seeds in each conference are the only teams still standing. They also are the only four of the WHL’s 22 teams that enjoyed 100-point seasons.

The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . Things are rolling right along, too, as she surpassed $3,200 on Tuesday. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

TUESDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Red Deer (3) at Saskatoon (2) — The Saskatoon Blades broke a 2-2 tie with two Saskatoonthird-period goals 40 seconds apart and went on to a 5-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Blades, who had lost the first three games of the series, the first two at home, won the series, 4-3. . . . Saskatoon now is 5-0 in elimination games this spring. . . . The Eastern Conference final will open in Winnipeg on Friday night. The Ice, which won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as regular-season champions, ousted the Moose Jaw Warriors on Monday night, winning Game 6, 8-2, on the road. . . . The Ice was 4-2-0 in the regular-season series; the Blades were 2-3-1. . . . If you are looking for a Game 7 hero look no further than Blades D Spencer Shugrue. The 19-year-old from Vancouver went into these playoffs with three goals in 125 regular-season games. He scored his first playoff goal in a Game 7 victory over the Regina Pats. Last night, he scored twice, breaking a 1-1 tie at 5:41 of the second period and snapping a 2-2 deadlock at 4:29 of the third period. . . . D Hunter Mayo (2) gave Red Deer a 1-0 lead at 12:10 of the first  period, only to have F Conner Roulette (2) get Saskatoon even at 14:45. . . . Shugrue (2) gave the Blades a 2-1 lead at 5:41 of the second period, and F Ryker Singer (1) pulled the Rebels even at 7:35. . . . Shugrue (3) put the Blades in front for good at 4:29 of the third, and Roulette (3) added insurance at 5:09. . . . F Vaughn Watterodt (4) got the empty-netter at 19:32. . . . The announced attendance was 9,489. . . . Saskatoon was 0-for-3 on the PP (7-for-26 in the series); Red Deer was 0-for-2 (2-for-20). . . . The Blades got 23 stops from G Austin Elliott. . . . G Kyle Kelsey stopped 23 for the Rebels. . . . With the score 2-2, Red Deer had what it thought was a second-period PP goal disallowed because of contact with Elliott. . . . The Rebels had F Kalan Lind back after he missed two games with an undisclosed injury. . . . Saskatoon F Justin Lies sat out as he completed a three-game suspension for a high hit on Lind in Game 4. . . . Red Deer F Jhett Larson didn’t play as he served a one-game suspension, while Rebels F Frantisek Formanek returned from a one-game suspension. . . . Saskatoon D Blake Gustafson, who was the subject of the hit that earned Formanek that suspension from Game 5, missed a second straight game.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

D Marek Alscher of the Portland Winterhawks will finish his season with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Alscher, who turned 19 on April 7, is from Czechia. He was selected by the Florida Panthers in the third round of the NHL’s 2022 draft. . . . This season, his second with Portland, he had eight goals and 16 assists in 60 games. . . .

The SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves have signed Kyle Schneider to a three-year extension through the 2025-26 season. An assistant coach there for the past two seasons, he now is assistant general manager and assistant coach. Schneider played three seasons with the Ice Wolves (2017-20). . . .

In the OHL, the host North Bay Battalion beat the Barrie Colts, 3-1, in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal. The No. 2 Centennials will meet the No. 4 Peterborough Petes in the conference final. That series is to open in North Bay on Friday. . . . The Western Conference final will feature the No. 2 London Knights and No. 3 Sarnia Sting. Game 1 is scheduled for Friday in London. . . . Terry Doyle (@Terry_Doyle) reports that this is the “first time since the 1999 playoffs the conference finals do not include a regular-season top seed from either conference.” . . .

There was a Game 7 in the BCHL last night, too. The Alberni Valley Bulldogs used two early first-period goals as the springboard to a 3-1 victory over the host Surrey Eagles. . . . The No. 3 Bulldogs will meet the No. 5 Chilliwack Chiefs in Coastal Conference final. . . . The BCHL’s Interior Conference semifinal has the No. 4 Salmon Arm Silverbacks meeting the No. 1 Penticton Vees.

——

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.

Phone

Ice back in Eastern final after ousting Warriors . . . Rebels, Blades to decide winner tonight . . . Ottawa 67’s upset in OHL playoffs

As you can see by the above tweet, Ferris Backmeyer, a six-year-old sweetheart from Kamloops, has a new best friend in the person of Regina Pats star Connor Bedard. . . . Ferris is in need of a kidney transplant and there are hopes that will happen in the next few weeks, perhaps in late June, at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She was to have had the transplant via a live donor this week but something happened to disrupt the chain a few weeks ago and surgery was postponed. Of late, Ferris has had to deal with a few medical issues that also may have slowed things. . . . Ferris, who has been on peritoneal or hemo dialysis almost all of her young life, actually underwent a kidney transplant two years ago, but there was an issue and the ‘new’ kidney had to be removed. . . . What all of this means is that there are a lot of crossed fingers and toes and a lot of prayers up for Ferris in Kamloops.

WHL

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

The Winnipeg Ice will make its second straight appearance in the Eastern Conference final having ousted the Moose Jaw Warriors on Monday night. The Ice put up an 8-2 victory in Moose Jaw to win that semifinal, 4-2. . . . Winnipeg now awaits the winner of Game 7 between the Red Deer Rebels and Saskatoon Blades. That game is scheduled for Saskatoon tonight. According to Colin Priestner, the Blades’ president and general manager, 6,600 seats were sold in the first 38 minutes of sales. Have to think there will be more than 8,000 fans in the house tonight. . . .

One year ago, the Ice lost the Eastern Conference final in five games to the Edmonton Oil Kings, who won the last three games en route to winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions. . . .

The Blades, meanwhile, will be trying to get a piece of WHL history. As I wrote here on Sunday night, the Blades will be attempting to become the third team in WHL history to win a series after losing the first three games. . . . Interestingly, the only two teams to have managed this feat needed OT in Game 7. . . . In 1996, the Spokane Chiefs beat the Portland Winterhawks in Game 7, winning 4-3 when F Darren Sinclair scored 58 seconds into OT. . . . In 2013, the Kelowna Rockets beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2 in OT, in Game 7, winning on a goal at 5:10 by F Tyson Baillie. . . . Saskatoon had an opportunity to do it in a 1990 Eastern Conference semifinal but lost Game 7, 4-3 in OT, to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on a goal by F Neil Hawryluk at 2:31 of extra time. . . .

Keep in mind that the Rebels won the first three games of this series and held a 2-0 first-period lead in Game 4 at home before the Blades roared back. . . .

The Rebels will be without F Jhett Larson tonight as he serves a one-game suspension after picking up an instigator penalty in the last five minutes of Game 6 on Sunday. The Rebels also were fined $500 for having a player instigate in the final five minutes of a game. . . . At the same time, F Frantisek Formanek will return to Red Deer’s lineup after having served a one-game suspension that was assessed under supplemental discipline. He took a boarding minor for a hit on Saskatoon D Blake Gustafson, who didn’t play in Game 6. . . . The Blades will be without F Justin Lies, as he completes a three-game suspension for a headshot on Rebels F Karan Lind in Game 4. Lind has yet to return to Red Deer’s lineup.

The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . Things are rolling right along, too, as she surpassed $3,000 on Saturday. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

MONDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Winnipeg (1) at Moose Jaw (4) — The Winnipeg Ice built up a 6-0 lead before WinnipegIcethe second period was eight minutes old en route to an 8-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . That allowed the Ice, who finished atop the WHL’s regular-season standings, to win the Eastern Conference semifinal, 4-2. They will open at home against the winner of tonight’s Game 7 between the Red Deer Rebels and host Saskatoon Blades. . . . Last night, the Ice scored two first-period goals 51 seconds apart and took it from there. F Zack Ostapchuk (7) scored at 10:49 and F Vladislav Shilo (3) counted at 11:40. . . . Winnipeg really took control on four straight second-period goals — from F Connor McClennon (7, 8), D Graham Sward (2) and F Conor Geekie (5). . . . Geekie (6) and F Evan Friesen (3) had the Ice’s other goals. . . . D Denton Mateychuk (3) and F Jagger Firkus (10) had PP goals for the Warriors. . . . Firkus is tied for the playoff lead in goals and points (21). . . . Shilo and Sward each had two assists and Geekie had one for three-point nights. . . . Moose Jaw was 2-for-2 on the PP; Winnipeg was 0-for-1. . . . G Daniel Hauser stopped 25 shots in earning the victory.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

F Lukas Sawchyn, selected sixth overall overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL’s 2022 U.S. prospect draft, has opted for the USHL’s Chicago Steel. Sawchyn, 16, put up 78 points, including 28 goals, in 57 games with the 16U AAA team at Shattuck St. Mary’s this season. His 18-year-old old brother, Gracyn, is in his first season with the Thunderbirds. He was selected No. 1 overall by the Red Deer Rebels in the WHL’s 2020 U.S. prospect draft and later was traded to Seattle. . . .

Might the Salmon Arm Silverbacks be able to throw a scare into the Penticton Vees in the BCHL’s Interior Conference final? The Vees, who have won 24 straight playoff games going back to last season, are 8-0 as they play host to Game 1 on Friday. The Silverbacks are 8-1, that lone loss coming in OT. . . . The Vernon Vipers opened a second-round series with a 4-3 OT victory over Salmon Arm, only to have the Silverbacks win the next four games. . . . The BCHL’s other semifinal will feature the Chilliwack Chiefs against either the Alberni Valley Bulldogs or Surrey Eagles. They’ll play Game 7 tonight in Surrey. . . .

The Ottawa 67’s, the OHL’s top team in the 2022-23 regular season, were eliminated from the playoffs on Monday as they lost, 5-4, to the host Peterborough Petes, who won the series in six games. Ottawa had finished 33 points ahead of the Petes. . . . The Petes will face either the North Bay Battalion or Barrie Colts in one semifinal. Barrie, playing at home, won 4-2 on Monday to tie the series, 3-3. They will play Game 7 in North Bay tonight. . . . On the other side of the draw, the London Knights and Sarnia Sting will meet. Game 1 is scheduled for Friday in London. . . .

The OHL’s Guelph Storm has signed general manager George Burnett to a contract extension that will run through the 2025-26 season. Burnett started his second stint with the Storm, this time as GM/head coach, prior to the 2017-18 season. He stepped aside as head coach in order to focus on the GM’s role before this season got started. . . . At the time, co-owner Scott Walker, a former NHLer, took over as head coach. However, he had to leave the position for health reasons in October, so associate coach Chad Wiseman now is the head coach. . . .

The QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic fired general manager/head coach Serge Beausoleil on Monday. He had been with one team longer than any other head coach in the league, having been there since 2011-12. . . . Danny Dupont now is the interim general manager while ownership decides on the franchise’s direction. . . . In 12 seasons in Rimouski, Beausoleil won 487 regular-season games. This season, the Oceanic finished 33-26-9, good for ninth place in the 18-team league. Rimouski won a first-round series, 4-1, over the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, then was swept by the Quebec Remparts. . . .

The QMJHL playoffs are down to the Final Four, with the Quebec Remparts meeting the Gatineau Olympiques, and the Halifax Mooseheads facing the Sherbrooke Phoenix. These were the league’s top four regular-season teams — Quebec and Halifax were first and second in the Eastern Conference, finishing just two points apart, while Sherbrooke and Gatineau tied atop the Western Conference.

Noah

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.

Food

Sidorov sparks Blades’ victory . . . Rebels head to ‘Toontown for Game 7 . . . Ice at Warriors in Game 6 tonight

There is a link to a GoFundMe page on the link below. Please give it some consideration . . .

WHL

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

The Saskatoon Blades will be playing in a Game 7 on home ice for a second straight series, both times after losing the first two games at home. . . . The Blades dropped Games 1 and 2 to the visiting Regina Pats in a first-round series, before coming back to win Game 7, 4-1, in Saskatoon on April 10. . . . And now, after having lost the first two games to the visiting Red Deer Rebels, the Blades have forced a seventh game, thanks to a 5-3 road victory on Sunday afternoon. . . . They’ll play Game 7 in Saskatoon on Tuesday night. . . .

Not only were the Blades trailing 3-0 in this Eastern Conference semifinal, but they fell behind 2-0 at 13:05 of the first period of Game 4 in Red Deer before storming back to win, 4-2. . . .

On Tuesday night, the Blades will be attempting to become the third team in WHL history to win a series after losing the first three games. . . . Interestingly, the only two teams to have managed this feat needed OT in Game 7. . . . In 1996, the Spokane Chiefs beat the Portland Winterhawks in Game 7, winning 4-3 when F Darren Sinclair scored 58 seconds into OT. . . . In 2013, the Kelowna Rockets beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2 in OT, in Game 7, winning on a goal at 5:10 by F Tyson Baillie. . . . Saskatoon had an opportunity to do it in a 1990 Eastern Conference semifinal but lost Game 7, 4-3 in OT, to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on a goal by D Neil Hawryluk at 2:31 of extra time. . . .

A tweet from Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) from Saturday’s game in Winnipeg in which the Ice beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-2: “After ceding first two goals, Conor Geekie puts Winnipeg on his back by scoring the next two nine minutes apart in the 2nd and completing a hat trick into an empty net. 3rd trick in last 23 games, 4th of season. Scored grand total of five in other 19.” . . . The Ice holds a 3-2 lead in that Eastern Conference semifinal with Game 6 scheduled for tonight in Moose Jaw.

Meanwhile, the No. 1 Seattle Thunderbirds and No. 2 Kamloops Blazers await the arrival of Saturday night and Game 1 of the Western Conference final in Kent, Wash. . . . The Thunderbirds last played on Wednesday when they completed a sweep of the No. 4 Prince George Cougars, while the Blazers finished a sweep of the No. 3 Portland Winterhawks on Thursday. . . . The Thunderbirds and Blazers both are 8-0 in these playoffs, so something is going to give on Saturday. . . . They’ll play the second game in Kent on Sunday.

Dorothy-040719The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . Things are rolling right along, too, as she surpassed $3,000 on Saturday. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

SUNDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Saskatoon (2) at Red Deer (3) — F Egor Sidorov scored twice and added an Saskatoonassist as the Saskatoon Blades beat the Red Deer Rebels, 5-3. . . . The Eastern Conference semifinal is tied, 3-3, with Game 7 scheduled for Sasdatoon on Tuesday night. . . . The Blades now are 4-0 in elimination games. . . . Sidorov, who has nine goals in the playoffs, gave his guys a 1-0 lead just 34 seconds into the game, then drew the secondary assist on a goal by F Trevor Wong (5), at 16:24, for a 2-0 lead. . . . F Jace Isley (2) got Red Deer to within a goal at 5:09 of the second period, but Sidorov got that one back via a PP at 9:53. . . . F Jake Chiasson (4) gave Saskatoon a 4-1 lead at 17:37. . . . F Kai Uchacz (9) scored at 19:31 and the Rebels went to the third period trailing by two. . . . Isley (3) cut the deficit to one goal at 12:13 of the third. . . . F Jayden Wiens (7) got the empty-netter for the Blades at 18:08. . . . Saskatoon was 1-for-6 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-for-4. . . . In his first start since Game 3, Saskatoon G Austin Elliott stopped 35 shots. . . . Red Deer gave G Chase Coward his first start of these playoffs and he responded with 18 saves. . . . There were some shenanigans at 19:12 of the third period that resulted in 49 penalty minutes being doled out. F Jhett Larson of the Rebels picked up 37 of them — an instigating minor, two fighting majors, and a double game misconduct, the second one for getting into a second fight during the same stoppage. Chances are he will be hearing from the Dept. of Discipline. . . . By game’s end, the Rebels had taken 78 of the 112 penalty minutes that were handed out. . . . The Blades were without suspended F Justin Lies, who will complete a three-game suspension by also missing Game 7. He was suspended for a headshot on Red Deer F Kalan Lind, who hasn’t played since taking that hit in Game 4. . . . The Rebels were without suspended F Frantisek Formanek, who drew a one-game sentence under supplemental discipline after taking a boarding penalty in Game 5 for a hit on Saskatoon D Blade Gustafson, who didn’t play in Game 6.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

Cullen Revel is the new head coach of the junior B Richmond Sockeyes of the Pacific Junior Hockey League. He spent nine years coaching in Taiwan, including with the Chinese Taipei Ice Hockey Federation. He also has coach at the U18 level in North Vancouver. . . . Revel replaces Bayne Koen, who held the position from May 1, 2020, through the end of the 2022-23 season.

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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

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Or, for more information, visit right here.

Keys

Blades, Rebels ready for Game 6 . . . Ice takes 3-2 series lead to Moose Jaw . . . Cougars’ Heidt joins Team Canada

The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk is scheduled for June 4, and Dorothy is taking part once again. She will celebrate 10 years as a kidney-transplant recipient in September, so the annual Kidney Walk is a big deal for her. In fact, she is participating for a 10th straight year. Yes, that means she is fund-raising, with all donations going to the Kidney Foundation. . . . Things are rolling right along, too, as she surpassed $3,000 on Saturday. . . . If you are interested in helping, you are able to do so on her home page, which is right here.

WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

The host Red Deer Rebels take a 3-2 lead into Game 6 of an Eastern Conference semifinal this afternoon (Sunday). The Blades, who have won the last two games, are hoping to force a Game 7 back in Saskatoon on Tuesday night.

“The Blades,” blogger Darren Steinke wrote after the Blades won, 6-3, on Friday night in Saskatoon, “are trying to become the third team in WHL history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series to win it 4-3.

“Dating back to the WHL’s start in 1966-67, only two teams have rallied to win a best-of-seven series having trailed the set 3-0. The Spokane Chiefs, who were guided by Mike Babcock as head coach, trailed the Portland Winterhawks 3-0 before rallying to take a first-round series 4-3 in 1996. The Kelowna Rockets fell behind the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-0 in 2013 before rallying to claim that first-round series 4-3.” . . .

The WHL office updated its discipline page sometime Saturday evening and the Rebels and Blades each will be without a player due to suspension in Game 6. . . . Red Deer F Frantisek Formanek was given a one-game suspension “under supplemental discipline” for something that happened in Game 5 on Friday night. . . . Saskatoon F Justin Lies had his suspension finalized at three games for the headshot on Red Deer F Kalan Lind in Game 4. That means Lies will miss the remainder of the series should it go seven games. . . . According to Troy Gillard, the Rebels’ radio voice, Formanek’s suspension is related to a boarding penalty he picked up at 7:21 of the first period in Game 5.

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SATURDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Moose Jaw (4) at Winnipeg (1) — The Winnipeg Ice erased a 2-0 first-period WinnipegIcedeficit and went on to beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-2. . . . The Ice holds a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal, with Game 6 in Moose Jaw on Monday night. . . . If they need a seventh game, it would be played in Winnipeg on Wednesday. . . . Last night, the Warriors jumped out to a 2-0 first-period leads on goals from F Jagger Firkus (9), at 13:35, and F Brayden Yager (6), at 15:03. . . . Winnipeg equalized in the second period on two goals from F Conor Geekie (3), at 2:27 and 11:32. . . . F Matt Savoie (9) broke the tie at 15:06 of the third period. . . . Geekie had a chance at the hat trick when he was awarded a penalty shot with his side ahead 3-2 and 4:21 left to play in the third period. But he wasn’t able to beat Moose Jaw G Connor Ungar. . . . Geekie did get a third goal, this one into an empty net, at 17:50. . . . F Zach Benson (2) added another empty-netter, at 19:01. . . . Each team was 0-for-1 on the PP. . . . The Ice got 26 saves from G Daniel Hauser, while Ungar turned aside 33 shots. . . . F Evan Friesen returned to Winnipeg’s lineup after serving a two-game suspension for a headshot on Moose Jaw D Matthew Gallant in Game 2. . . . Gallant hasn’t played since absorbing that hit.

Vegan

You may recall that Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, fined the Dallas Mavericks US$740,000 the other day because of an obvious tank job in the final game of their regular season. . . . Meanwhile, Jack Finarelli (aka The Sports Curmudgeon) points out that Yao Ming, the former NBA star who runs the Chinese Basketball Association, had to deal with something similar after a game that featured the Shanghai Sharks and Jiangsu Dragons. . . .

Finarelli writes: “There would be a benefit to both teams if the Dragons lost. In the second half of the game, the Dragons committed five consecutive turnovers in the final two minutes to assure a victory for the Sharks.” . . .

While this kind of thing is called “tanking” in the NBA (or the NHL, for that matter), Yao Ming referred to it as “game-fixing.”

According to Finarelli, Yao fined each team “the equivalent of $727,000, banned the Sharks’ general manager and coach for five years each; and banned the Dragons’ general manager and coach for three years each.

“Silver is never going to use the term ‘game-fixing’ lest the gambling interests that provide lots of funding for the league get very antsy,” Finarelli added. “People hate to lose money gambling, but they will hate it a whole lot more if they find out — or even suspect — that the game was ‘fixed,’ and they were not ‘in on the fix.’ But this is an issue that sports leagues must deal with when they dip their beak into the fountain of cash that can come from the myriad gambling sites out there today.”

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The Battlefords North Stars beat the Bombers, 7-4, in Flin Flon on Saturday night to sweep the SJHL’s championship series. . . . The North Stars lost their first game of these playoffs, dropping a 3-2 decision to the visiting Weyburn Red Wings, then rolled to 12 straight victories. . . . The North Stars were the SJHL’s top regular-season club, finishing with a record of 48-5-3. . . .

F Riley Heidt of the Prince George Cougars has joined Team Canada at the IIHF U18 World Championship that is being played in Porrentruy and Basel, Switzerland. . . . Canada is 1-1 after losing 8-0 to Sweden on Thursday and beating Germany 7-0 on Friday. . . . Canada is to play Slovakia today (4 a.m. PT) and Czechia on Tuesday. . . . Heidt, who turned 18 on March 25, is from Saskatoon. He finished tied for fourth in the WHL’s regular-season points derby, with 97 points, including 72 assists.

Pyramid

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.

Dam

Late assist gives Zellweger share of record . . . Blades send series back to Red Deer . . . Ice, Warriors to clash tonight

When we went to bed on Thursday night, D Olen Zellweger of the Kamloops Blazers was coming off a six-point night and was one point out of the WHL Kamloopsplayoff scoring lead. . . . That all changed at some point on Friday when he was awarded a fourth assist from the Blazers’ 10-4 series-clinching victory over the Winterhawks in Portland.

The assist in question came on the Blazers’ fourth goal, at 2:29 of the second period, that provided the visitors with a 4-2 lead. It was scored by F Matthew Seminoff, with the primary assist going to F Cedar Bankier.

The added point upped Zellweger’s night’s work to seven points and means that he actually tied the WHL record for most points by a defenceman in a playoff game. Darryl Sydor, a former Blazers skater who now is one of the franchise’s five owners, had seven points, including six assists, in an 11-5 victory over the visiting Tri-City Americans on March 22, 1991.

The WHL record for most points in a playoff game is eight. It is shared by F Dave Chartier of the Brandon Wheat Kings and Portland F Alfie Turcotte. Chartier had five goals and three assists in a 13-4 victory over the visiting Regina Pats on March 27, 1981; Turcotte put up four goals and four assists in a 13-4 victory over the host Seattle Breakers on March 26, 1983.

The added point also moved Zellweger into a tie with F Logan Stankoven of the Blazers for the WHL’s playoff scoring lead, each with 21 points, one more than F Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats, whose season ended on April 10. Stankoven has 10 goals and 11 assists; Zellweger has seven goals and 14 assists.

Stankoven is tied for the lead in goals with Bedard and F Dylan Guenther of the Seattle Thunderbirds. Zellweger is tied for the lead in assists with Seattle F Brad Lambert.

The Thunderbirds, the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed, and the No. 2 Blazers, will open the best-of-seven conference final in Kent, Wash., with games on April 29 and 30.

Both teams will go into Game 1 with 8-0 records in these playoffs.

WHL
A few Twitter tidbits left over from Thursday’s lone WHL playoff game . . .

From Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “I remember being there the last time the Winterhawks gave up 10 in a playoff game at home in the 1989 league final against a Swift Current juggernaut (also a 10-4 score). Hawks haven’t been beaten this soundly much over the years, but the Blazers just had a huge talent advantage.”

Sepich, again: “Portland’s captain in that 1989 loss to Swift Current was Shaun Clouston, who just happens to now be the Blazers’ head coach.”

From Chad Klassen (@klassen87): “According to the WHL, the Blazers are undefeated through two rounds for the first time since 1984 when they went 10-0 (best-of-9 series) on their way to the WHL championship.”

Klassen, again: “The Blazers meet Seattle in a Western Conference final rematch that will be fantastic. With both teams 8-0, it’s the first time since 2009 (Brandon vs. Calgary in East final) that undefeated conference finalists meet.” . . . Calgary swept Brandon in that 2009 Eastern Conference final.

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WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:

While the Seattle Thunderbirds enjoyed yet another day off while going to a baseball game, the Red Deer Rebels and Saskatoon Blades played in Friday night’s lone WHL playoff game. . . . The Blades, playing at home, put up a 6-3 victory and now trail their Eastern Conference semifinal, 3-2, with Game 6 to be played in Red Deer on Sunday afternoon. If they need a seventh game, it would be played in Red Deer on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the other Eastern Conference semifinal will resume tonight in Winnipeg with the No. 1 Ice and No. 4 Moose Jaw Warriors tied, 2-2. After Game 5, they’ll return to Moose Jaw for Game 6 on Monday. If needed, a seventh game would be played in Winnipeg on Wednesday.

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FRIDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Red Deer (3) at Saskatoon (2) — The Saskatoon Blades sent their Eastern SaskatoonConference semifinal back to Red Deer with a 6-3 victory over the Rebels. . . . Red Deer still holds a 3-2 series lead, with Game 6 scheduled for Sunday afternoon. . . . A seventh game, if needed, would be played in Saskatoon on Tuesday night. . . . Last night, the Blades scored the game’s last three goals after the teams had traded goals and found themselves in a 3-3 second-period tie. . . . D Tanner Molendyk (2) gave the Blades a 1-0 lead at 5:39 of the first period, only to have F Kai Uchacz (7) tie it at 11:08. . . . The Blades went back out front as F Egor Sidorov (6) scored, on a PP, at 11:59. . . . And the Rebels tied it when Uchacz (8) scored again, at 16:58. . . . Sidorov (7) struck on another PP at 18:03 and the Blades led 3-2 at the intermission. . . . F Ollie Josephson (2) got Red Deer back into a tie at 1:28 of the second period. . . . But it was all Blades after that, with D Aiden De La Gorgendiere (2), who also had two assists, counting on a PP at 19:35, F Jayden Wiens (6) scoring at 5:41 of the third period, and Molendyk (3) adding another at 12:34. . . . The Blades got three assists from F Trevor Wong, who has 17 points, 13 of them helpers, in 12 games. . . . Saskatoon was 3-for-6 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-for-3. . . . G Ethan Chadwick earned the victory with 14 saves. . . . The Blades were without F Justin Lies who was hit with one of those TBD suspensions after taking a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Red Deer F Kalan Lind in Game 3 on Wednesday. Lind, who left the ice on a stretcher that night, also was scratched. One would have to believe he is in concussion protocol.

Ex

At some point in the past week, I heard former NHL D P.K. Subban, who is rather good in a studio role during these NHL playoffs, talking about hockey being football on ice with all the collisions and nastiness. . . . Except that I would suggest there are far more headshots in hockey than in football. And, of course, two football players aren’t allowed to stand and punch each other in the face. . . . And if your head is above ground, you know that there are a number of people who played hockey and came to struggle with brain injuries later in life. . . . And yet there was Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner, denying all in a conversation with A Martinez of National Public Radio just the other day.

“We listen to the medical opinions on CTE and I don’t believe there has been any documented study that suggests that elements of our game result in CTE,” Bettman said. “There have been isolated cases of players who have played the game that have CTE, but it doesn’t necessarily come from playing in the NHL.”

Ken Campbell of Hockey Unfiltered points out that the NFL admitted in 2016 that there is a link between head trauma and CTE. The NHL, though? Not so much.

“What you’re trying to do,” Bettman said, “is equate football to hockey, and the two are not comparable when it comes to head contact.”

As Campbell writes: “But now it’s getting laughable. His statements on the link between the kind of head trauma that can occur in the NHL and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) are getting as ridiculous as those of the tobacco lobby when it comes to cigarettes and the National Rifle Association when it comes to guns. And he’s clearly putting himself on the wrong side of history.”

Hey, P.K. Subban, back to you.

THE COACHING GAME:

Derrick Martin is the new general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks. Martin, 38, has spent the past two seasons on the coaching staff at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Edmonton. Prior to that he was an assistant coach with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints for four seasons. . . . Martin takes over from Clayton Jardine, who spent four seasons as the Kodiaks’ head coach. Jardine signed on as general manager and head coach with the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers on April 10.

THINKING OUT LOUD — We all are well aware that we can’t get away from the gambling commercials on TV and the ads all over the place in the playing facilities. Hey, just watch those stupid changing board ads during an NHL game. In other words, the pro leagues are racking in the dough. So let’s not act surprised when the NFL has to discipline a bunch of people for violating their betting rules and regulations. . . . And you can bet that there will move of this down the road. . . . I’m sorry, Hyundai, but I still don’t know what the heck WAH is. . . . There isn’t anything more predictable in sports than fan reactions during NHL playoffs. Both sides are upset with the biased officiating and it seems that the broadcast crew is biased both ways, too. And it repeats itself year after year after year.

License

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.

KFC