Welcome to a site where we sometimes provide food for thought, and often provide information about the Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation.
The non-profit Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation’s inaugural Wall of Honour inductee dinner is almost upon us. It’s all set for the Centennial Arena in Okotoks, Alta., on Tuesday, July 30. . . . Tickets are available at hockeyscoutsfoundation.com. There also is information there about the evening’s entertainment. The theme is Tales from the Road and, based on that, there will be a couple of Hot Stove sessions. . . . Of course, the spotlight will be on the 45 past and present-day scouts who will be inducted into the Wall of Honour. . . . Here’s a look at five more of them. . . . For more bios, visit the Foundation website and click on Wall of Honour.
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ARCHIE HENDERSON
(Feb. 17, 1957 —)
A Calgarian, he was a 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward as a player, and later turned to coaching before getting into scouting. . . . After coaching stints in the IHL, ECHL and British Hockey League and, one with the WHL’s Victoria Cougars, he began his run as a pro scout with the Washington Capitals in 1993. . . . Also spent four seasons as a pro scout with the Ottawa Senators and then filled the same role with the Detroit Red Wings for four seasons. . . . Went from Detroit to Edmonton where he was the Oilers’ director of pro scouting for three seasons before retiring in 2022. . . . Had an 11-season run as a professional player that included 775 games, including 23 regular-season NHL games split between Washington (7), the Minnesota North Stars (1) and the Hartford Whalers (15).
ROSS MAHONEY
(July 21, 1956 —)
A native of Saskatoon, he spent two seasons (1993-95) as assistant coach with the Regina Pats before joining the Buffalo Sabres’ amateur scouting staff. . . . Also worked with the Vancouver Canucks before beginning lengthy association with the Washington Capitals in July 1997 as director of amateur scouting. After 11 seasons was promoted to assistant GM. . . . Won Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018. . . . Was a teacher for 17 years before going scouting. . . . Terrific baseball player. Helped the Melville Elks win the 1973 Canadian midget championship. The all-star right-fielder led tournament by hitting .636. . . . Inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame (1997) and Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame (1999). Also inducted into the Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame (2024); was co-head coach of Saskatchewan team that won hockey gold at 1995 Canada Winter Games.
BERT MARSHALL
(Nov, 22, 1943 —)
Born in Kamloops, he started scouting with the Colorado Rockies in 1981. . . . Spent two seasons (1979-81) coaching the New York Islanders’ CHL team, the Indianapolis Checkers, then ran scouting for Colorado in its last season (1981-82) and the New Jersey Devils in their first (1982-83). . . . Scouted for the Islanders (1983-96) and was director of amateur scouting for the last two seasons. . . . After a season with the Hartford Whalers, he began 22-year run as amateur scout with the Carolina Hurricanes. . . . Won Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes (2006). . . . A defenceman in the Original Six era, he split 868 regular-season games over 17 seasons among the Detroit Red Wings, Oakland/California Golden Seals, New York Rangers and Islanders. . . . Won Memorial Cup with the Edmonton Oil Kings (1963). . . . Inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame (2003).
WAYNE MEIER
(Feb. 10, 1944 —)
From Edmonton, he started his scouting career with the Portland Winter Hawks in 1976 after the WHL franchise had relocated from Edmonton. He went on to spend a total of 10 seasons with Portland (1976-82, 1985-89) and was the director of player personnel for seven of those seasons. . . . Spent three seasons (1982-85) in the middle of his Portland run scouting for the Detroit Red Wings. . . . Rejoined Detroit in 1989 and spent seven seasons there before moving on to the Florida Panthers (1996-2001) and the Anaheim Ducks (2002-06). . . . Began a 12-season run with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006. . . . Retired in 2018 with three Stanley Cup rings, all with Pittsburgh (2009, 2016, 2017).
AL MURRAY
(March 7, 1957 —)
Born in Winnipeg, he began his scouting career with the Los Angeles Kings after serving as head coach of the U of Regina men’s hockey team during its first three seasons (1985-88) in Canada West. . . . Was the Kings’ western scouting co-ordinator for six seasons, then director of amateur scouting for 13 seasons. . . . Took over as Hockey Canada’s head scout in 2007 and stayed for three seasons. Won two World Junior titles with U20 team and one gold with U18s. . . . Joined the Tampa Bay Lightning as director of amateur scouting in 2010 and filled that role through 2018-19 after which assistant GM was added to his responsibilities. The Lightning named him senior advisor after 2022-23 season. . . . Won two Stanley Cups with the Lightning (2020, 2021).
The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation has added five more Hot Stove participants to the roster for its inaugural Wall of Honour induction dinner — Tales From The Road — in Okotoks, Alta., on July 30.
The latest group is led by John Davidson, president of hockey operations, alternate governor and interim general manager of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, and also features Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser, a seven-time World champion who is an assistant general manager with the Toronto Maple Leafs and a practising physician.
Rounding out those taking part in the Hot Stove sessions are Mike Penny, who has scouted for more than 50 years; Brian Skrudland, a former NHL player who turned to scouting; and Al Tuer, who got into scouting in 2000.
Earlier, it was announced that Ken Holland, the Edmonton Oilers’ president of hockey operations and general manager; Craig Button, a former NHL executive who now is TSN’s director of scouting; long-time scout Archie Henderson, who retired in 2022; and former NHL player, coach and general manager Craig MacTavish would be involved in Hot Stove conversations.
The inaugural dinner also will include the induction of 45 past and present scouts into the Wall of Honour, which will feature three video screens and is to be unveiled in its permanent home in the the foyer of the Okotoks Centennial Arena.
Individual tickets and tables of eight will go on sale off the Foundation’s website (hockeyscoutsfoundation.com) on May 1.
JOHN DAVIDSON
A goaltender in his playing days, Davidson played eight-plus seasons in the NHL, split between the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers. The Blues selected him fifth overall in the NHL’s 1973 draft, from the WCHL’s Calgary Centennials, and he became the first goaltender in NHL history to make the jump directly from major junior hockey to the NHL. After his playing career, he turned to broadcasting, a career that included a 30-year stint with the MSG Network as the analyst on Rangers’ telecasts. He was awarded the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for his contributions in 2009.
Davidson is in his second stint in the Blue Jackets’ front office, and also has been president of the Blues and Rangers.
DR. HAYLEY WICKENHEISER
As a player, Dr. Wickenheiser, a native of Shaunavon, Sask., won seven World titles with Canada’s national women’s hockey team. She also played in five Olympic Winter Games, winning four golds and a silver, and twice was named the tournament’s most valuable player. In 2019, she was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hall of Fame.
After retiring in 2017, Dr. Wickenheiser earned a degree in kinesiology from the U of Calgary and then went to medical school there. She has done a residency in the department of family and community medicine at the U of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine. She continues her career in medicine, while working for the Maple Leafs.
A native of Montreal, Penny is one of the true legends in the scouting game. He got his start in 1969 by working for the NHL’s New York Rangers and their junior affiliate, the Kitchener Rangers, at the same time. He moved to the Vancouver Canucks in 1980 — he was responsible for their drafting Pavel Bure 113th overall in 1989 — before signing on with the Maple Leafs as their director of player personnel in 2000. He still is with the Maple Leafs, now as a pro scout.
Skrudland, a native of Peace River, Alta., who holds the NHL record for the fastest playoff overtime goal, retired as a player after the 1999-2000 season. He later spent six seasons with the Florida Panthers, five as director of player development and one as an assistant coach. He won two Stanley Cups as a player, with the 1985-86 Montreal Canadiens and the 1998-99 Dallas Stars.
Tuer, who was born in North Battleford, Sask., has been scouting since 2001, following a lengthy career as a player, coach and general manager. As a scout, he has worked with the Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers. He is in his third season as a pro scout with the Rangers. His late father, Graham, will be inducted into the Foundation’s Wall of Honour on July 30.
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The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation is a non-profit organization comprising NHL scouts from Western Canada and a group of committed individuals from the hockey community. It feels a strong obligation to honour scouts, past and present, and a commitment to give back to charities, communities and individuals who could benefit from the support and financial assistance.
The headline on the Calgary Herald website reads: “The road warriors of sports: NHL scouts have always been appreciated, but never publicly. Until now.”
Dan Barnes, a veteran sports journalist who works out of Edmonton for Postmedia, wrote a lengthy piece about NHL scouts that appeared in newspapers and on websites on Saturday (March 9).
He led the story by explaining how as many as 100 scouts would hang around for a day after the NHL draft and take part in a best-ball golf tournament that was a social event that allowed them to let loose for a few hours after a long, stressful season. It also showed what a close fraternity this bunch is, despite the fact they are in almost constant competition with each other on the scouting trail.
That annual gathering has gone away, however, thanks to the draft having evolved from a 12-round marathon to an event that ends quickly on its second day.
“Old scouts, however, are nonetheless determined to gather the fraternity on an annual basis and continue shining a spotlight on pioneers of their profession,” Barnes writes.
“The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation was formed for that reason and will fete its inaugural Wall of Honour inductees on July 29 in Okotoks, Alta. Forty-five men will be honoured for their dedication and accomplishments, 19 posthumously . . .”
This is a rich read and will take you at least two cups of coffee. But it’s well worth it.
You’ll find quotes and stories from the likes of Kevin Prendergast, Mike Penny, Wayne Meier, Bruce Haralson, Ted Hampson, Archie Henderson, Vaughn Karpan and Scott Bradley, all of whom will be among the inaugural class of inductees at the Wall of Honour celebration in Okotoks.
Retired scout Wayne Meier has three Stanley Cup rings from his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Photo: Gregg Drinnan)
“At the end of his 30-year career, Henderson did the math,” Barnes writes. “He was 65 and estimated he had been at 6,000 games and spent 19 calendar years away from home.”
Henderson told Barnes: “I was away from my wife and my family, my kids, my parents for 19 years of my life. And how many people can sit back and say they would be willing to give up that many nights?”
These were and are a special breed and Barnes shines a nice, bright light on their profession.
The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation has revealed the first four Hot Stove participants for Tales From The Road, the gala evening it has scheduled for Okotoks, Alta., on Monday, July 29.
The Foundation’s inaugural banquet will be highlighted by the induction of 45 past and present scouts into its Wall of Honour, which will be located in the Okotoks Centennial Arena.
Dennis Beyak, who ended his lengthy and superb play-by-play career at the 2024 World Junior Championship in Sweden, will be the evening’s host. He was a smash hit in filling that role at the Foundation’s startup banquet on Sept. 30.
With the evening dedicated to honouring scouts, the Foundation has chosen the theme Tales From The Road, and the entertainment is to include Hot Stove sessions.
Among those participating will be Ken Holland, the Edmonton Oilers’ president of hockey operations and general manager; Craig Button, a former NHL general manager who now is TSN’s director of scouting; long-time scout Archie Henderson, who retired in 2022; and former NHL player, coach and general manager Craig MacTavish.
KEN HOLLAND
Holland, from Vernon, B.C., was a member of the Detroit Red Wings’ scouting staff for nine seasons, the last seven as director of amateur scouting, before being named assistant GM. He took over as general manager prior to the 1997-98 season and filled that role through the 2018-19 season after which he joined the Oilers as president of hockey operations and GM. His resume includes four Stanley Cup titles with Detroit, an Olympic gold medal, and a World Cup gold medal. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2020.
A goaltender during his playing days, Holland spent two seasons with the WCHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers.
CRAIG BUTTON
As TSN’s director of scouting, Button is a familiar figure on TV as he is a regular on hockey telecasts and highlight shows. Before landing at TSN, he scouted for the Minnesota North Stars and then the Dallas Stars, with whom he won a Stanley Cup in 1999. He joined the Calgary Flames in 2000 as vice-president and general manager, a stint that lasted for three seasons. He also has scouted for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
ARCHIE HENDERSON
Henderson, a Calgarian, is one of the scouting fraternity’s great storytellers. He got into 23 regular-season NHL games as a 6-foot-6 heavyweight. After trying the coaching game, he got into scouting and spent more than 20 seasons on the road — with the Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton. Henderson retired in 2022 after a three-season run as Edmonton’s director of pro scouting. As a junior player with the Lethbridge Broncos, he once had a scrap with Bob Poley of the Regina Pats. Poley went on to play 15 seasons as an offensive lineman in the CFL.
MacTavish, from London, Ont., spent 17 seasons playing in the NHL, making stops with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues. Along the way, he won four Stanley Cups. He also was the last player in NHL history to play without a helmet. He went on to coach with the Rangers, Oilers and Blues, and also made coaching stops in the KHL and Swiss NL. His resume also includes two seasons as the Oilers’ general manager and five as senior vice-president of hockey operations.
Also that evening the Foundation will reveal the first recipient of its Ace Award, which is to be presented in honour of the late Garnet (Ace) Bailey, who was aboard the plane that terrorists crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. Glen Sather, a Hockey Hall of Famer and long-time friend of Bailey’s, will make the presentation.
Further details about the banquet, including ticket availability and more Hot Stove participants, will be announced in the near future.
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The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation is a non-profit organization comprising NHL scouts from Western Canada and a group of committed individuals from the hockey community. It feels a strong obligation to honour scouts, past and present, and a commitment to give back to charities, communities and individuals who could benefit from the support and financial assistance.
The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation will induct 45 members of the scouting fraternity into its Wall of Honour this summer.
The banquet is scheduled to be held in Okotoks, Alta., on Monday, July 29.
Comprising three Matrix screens, the WCPHSF Wall of Honour video presentation will be on permanent display at the Centennial Arena in Okotoks.
The first inductees feature five pioneers of the scouting fraternity, including Danny Summers, who returned from the Second World War to play for the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers before getting into scouting, and Murray (Torchy) Schell, who spent summers as an assistant equipment manager with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders while he was scouting.
Also being inducted will be 17 scouts from the Early Era (1968-80), including Elmer Benning, who put more than 1 million miles on one car while on the scouting trail; Pat (Paddy) Ginnell, who was a legendary junior coach before turning to scouting; and Del Wilson, a long-time scout who also was a founding father of the major junior WHL.
There also will be 20 scouts from the Modern Era (1981-present) inducted, including Vaughn Karpan, who has been a key figure with the Vegas Golden Knights; Al Murray, one of the architects of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s success; and Barry Trapp, who retired in August 2023 after more than 60 years in the game.
Rounding out the inaugural class will be Lorne Frey and the late Graham Tuer, both of whom had lengthy scouting careers in junior hockey.
Garnet (Ace) Bailey also will be honoured. Bailey scouted for the Edmonton Oilers and then the Los Angeles Kings. He was en route to the Kings’ training camp aboard United Airlines flight 175 when it crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.
“Our selection committee did an excellent job of recognizing these candidates for the Wall of Honour,” Foundation president Erin Ginnell said. “These scouts are not only builders of the game that put thousands of players into the NHL and pro ranks, but also represented their teams and the game with class, professionalism and determination to succeed. “A lot of these honorees were real mentors to people like myself when I first started; they were always there with help travelling, directions, and generally just made you feel a part of the fraternity.”
The complete list of inductees (* – denotes deceased):
EARLY ERA (1968-1980): *-Elmer Benning, *-Bart Bradley, *-Lorne Davis, *-Gerry Ehman, *-Barry Fraser, *-Pat Ginnell, Ted Hampson, *-Charlie Hodge, Earl Ingarfield Sr, *-Lou Jankowski, Marshall Johnston, Bill Lesuk, *-Ian McKenzie, *-Gerry Melnyk, Bob Owen, *-Clare Rothermel, *-Del Wilson.
MODERN ERA (1981-present): Scott Bradley, Craig Button, John Chapman, George Fargher, Tony Feltrin, Bruce Franklin, Bruce Haralson, Archie Henderson, Les Jackson, Vaughn Karpan, Ross Mahoney, Bert Marshall, Wayne Meier, Al Murray, Gerry O’Flaherty, Kevin Prendergast, Blair Reid, Glen Sanders, Peter Sullivan, Barry Trapp.
JUNIOR: Lorne Frey, *-Graham Tuer.
As well, five scouts from Western Canada were honoured at the Sept. 30 startup banquet in Okotoks with the WCPHSF’s Recognition and Dedication Service Award. Those five are Ron Delorme, Glen Dirk, Garth Malarchuk, Don Paarup and Mike Penny.
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“Our committee’s selections were primarily based on years of combined service as a scout and/or an association to the scouting process,” Garth Malarchuk, the Chairman of the Foundation’s board of directors, said. “I think everyone who has been associated with the scouting fraternity will agree that this is a pretty impressive group of individuals that we will be honouring. “Trust me, our committee could easily have added another 15-20 deserving individuals to this list, but we had to cut it off somewhere.” Moving forward, we certainly don’t want to miss anyone and the plan is to keep adding individuals to our Foundation’s Wall of Honour on an annual basis.”
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The startup banquet on Sept. 30 was a rip-roaring success, highlighted by a roast of Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean, along with silent and live sweater auctions. If you weren’t fortunate enough to attend, you are able to find a highly entertaining video of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman roasting MacLean at hockeyscoutsfoundation.com.
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Planning is well underway for the inaugural induction banquet on July 29 in Okotoks. Banquet details, including information on tickets, will be announced in the near future.
— Victoria Cougars Hockey Project (@victoriacougars) July 1, 2022
Archie Henderson, a legendary figure from the WHL’s past, will retire from his role as the Edmonton Oilers’ director of pro scouting after the NHL draft that is to be held in Montreal on Thursday and Friday. Henderson, 65, has been with the Oilers through three seasons. He had been with Detroit but moved to Edmonton when Ken Holland left the Red Wings to join the Oilers as their general manager. . . . The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Henderson played 23 NHL games after being a 10th-round selection by the Washington Capitals in the 1977 draft. . . . A native of Calgary, he played three seasons (1974-77) in the WHL — 86 games with the Lethbridge Broncos and 78 with the Victoria Cougars. In those 164 games, he totalled 26 goals, 29 assists and 700 — yes, 700! — penalty minutes. . . .
On Nov. 19, 1974, Henderson was involved in one of the most memorable scraps in WHL history. The Broncos were in Regina to play the Pats, who had a guy named Bob Poley in their lineup. At the time, the 6-foot-4, 244-pound Poley was a defensive end with the junior Regina Rams, but was still four years from starting his CFL career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. On this day, he was four days past his 19th birthday, while Henderson was two years younger. . . . Regina was leading 5-2 at 14:20 of the second period when Henderson and Poley came together. . . . Gyle Konotopetz, then of the Regina Leader-Post, wrote that Henderson “picked a fight” with Poley, who had never fought while wearing skates. “When Henderson dropped his gloves, Poley was caught off-guard,” Konotopetz wrote. “But, after taking a couple of punches, Poley tackled Henderson as if he were playing defensive end for the Rams and returned a few of his own punches.” . . . Later, Henderson said: “The second time I hit him I thought I knocked him out, but then he just nailed me. Where’d they get him anyway? Boy, is he strong.” . . . Yes, the fans booed Henderson, who said: “I think the fans are a little unreal here. He can’t even skate. At least I can play hockey.” . . . Earl Ingarfield, then the Broncos’ head coach, said Regina coach Bob Turner had put Foley on the ice “for a reason. That took the sting out of us. . . . It’s a good thing (Henderson) fell. (Poley) would have beaten the (bleep) out of Archie.” . . . Turner felt Poley, who hadn’t gotten even one shift as the Pats had lost their previous three games, had given his club “the shot in the arm we needed.” . . . The Pats went on to win the game, 9-3, to move within one point of the second-place Broncos in the Eastern Division. The starting goaltenders were a couple of guys who would go on to become rather well-known— Ed Staniowski of the Pats and Lorne Molleken of the Broncos.
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By now, perhaps you’re wondering how it was that Bob Poley ended up wearing a Regina Pats’ uniform.
Well, in 1974-75, the legendary Norm Fong, who would go on to a lengthy career as the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ equipment manager, was the Pats’ trainer/equipment manager; one person did both jobs back in the day. Fong also played some Friday night hockey, as did Poley and Roger Aldag, another aspiring football player.
Bob Turner, the Pats’ coach, was in the market for some size and toughness. One night he asked Fong if any of “those Rams kids . . . do any of them skate?”
So . . . Fong spoke with both of them.
“Roger didn’t want to have anything to do with it,” Fong recalled, “but Poley jumped at the chance.”
Poley dressed for his first game on Nov. 15, 1974 — a 6-6 tie with the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings — but didn’t see even one shift.
That led to the encounter with Lethbridge’s Archie Henderson on Nov. 19. Then, on March 11, the New Westminster Bruins went into Regina and came out with a 5-5 tie. The Bruins wound up in a post-game altercation with a Regina broadcaster after that one and coach Ernie (Punch) McLean ended up with a five-game suspension.
“It almost has reached the point where you have to go out and recruit some big stupid guy who can beat up everybody else,” Turner said after that one.
Ten days later, the Pats were in New Westminster. The Bruins won, 6-1, on March 21. The Pats beat the Cougars, 4-2, in Victoria the next night, then returned to New Westminster for a rematch on March 23 in McLean’s first game back from his suspension.
“We were playing in New West and Kerry Fraser was the ref,” Fong recalled. “They always pulled that crap where they’d have one of their guys shoot a puck in your end and then they’d come get the puck and challenge everybody. Poley shot a puck into the New West end and went and got it . . . and nobody touched him.”
Poley didn’t get a lot of ice time; in fact, his first shift came late in the game.
“With just over four minutes remaining in the game,” wrote Lyndon Little of the Vancouver Sun, “Turner sent 6-foot-5, 235-pound Bob Poley lurching off the bench to line up against Harold Phillipoff, one of the biggest of the Bruins. A former member of the Regina Rams . . . Poley — known affectionately as the Hulk from Hudson’s Bay — was along on the road trip, Turner candidly admits, to straighten out the Bruins.”
Turner told Little: ““I sent him out there to kick the bleep out of Phillipoff. I didn’t like the way he was picking on Mike McCann.”
“But,” Little wrote, “with the fans pleading for what they felt would be a classic matchup, McLean prudently replaced Phillipoff. And so the jockeying continued for the remainder of the game. Whenever Poley came on, Phillipoff would withdraw, despite the fact the Regina player was pointedly challenging the New Westminster bench.”
McLean explained his thought process: “I’m not going to risk having one of my best players break his hand on that guy’s skull. If I tried a crazy stunt like that I’d be suspended for life.”
At the time, Philipoff had 26 goals and 31 assists. Poley played 25 games with zero points and five penalty minutes to show for it. Then, in 11 playoff games, he had 10 PiMs.
But wait . . . there’s more . . .
“At the end of the game, they were lipping off and Poley went over to their bench,” Fong said. “All our guys are crapping themselves on their way to the dressing room and Poley’s out there . . . the whole New West team is in their bench and he’s chasing them into their locker room. Kerry Fraser comes over and says, ‘Bob (Turner), you’ve got to come out here and get this . . . monster off the ice. He’s chasing those guys into their dressing room.’ But nobody would fight him.”
Ahh, yes, those were the days, weren’t they?
On the day the CHL held its 2023 import draft, there were reports in the Russian media that G Ivan Fedotov of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers had been detained in Russia.
According to Joshua Manning of euroweeklynews.com, Fedotov “has been detained over suspicions of ‘dodging the Russian Army.’ ” He apparently was taken to a military registration and enlistment office.
Fedotov, 25, played this season in the KHL with CSKA Moscow. The team won the Gagarin Cup as KHL champions.
In April, Fedotov said he would be playing with the Flyers next season.
Of course, news like this makes one wonder if there might be more Russian players in this same situation. That also likely is why some players, like Flyers D Ivan Provorov, who played with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, chose not to return to Russia this offseason.
Two Russian players and one from Belarus were among 64 selected by teams in the CHL’s 2022 import draft on Friday.
Wait a minute, you’re saying. Didn’t the CHL announce in April that Russians and Belarusians were ineligible for the draft, thanks to the invasion of Ukraine?
Well, as the CHL news release wrapping up the draft pointed out: “All non-(20-year-old), import players that were previously drafted in the CHL import draft but were deleted by a CHL team before the 2022 cut-down date were eligible to be re-drafted by another CHL club in the 2022 import draft.”
The Brandon Wheat Kings used their first-round selection on Russian D Andrei Malyavin, 18, who played last season with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. He had two goals and 11 assists in 44 games.
JUST NOTES: Nine of the CHL’s 60 teams didn’t participate in the 31st import draft. All told, six goaltenders, 18 defencemen and 40 forwards were selected. . . . Of the 64 players taken, 23 were from Czech Republic. . . . Of the WHL’s 22 teams, only the Moose Jaw Warriors, Prince Albert Raiders and Winnipeg Ice sat out. . . . The WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers held the first overall selection and took Slovakian F Adam Sýkora, who will turn 18 on Sept. 7. He had 10 goals and seven assists in 46 games with HK Nitra of the Slovakian League last season. He also had two goals and an assist in six games with the Slovakian national team at the IIHF World Championship. Sýkora’s father, Roman, had one assist in eight games with the Tri-City Americans in 1997-98 before going on to play two seasons with the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters. . . F Nikita Zozulia, 17, was the lone Ukrainian player to be selected, going to the OHL’s Flint Firebirds in the first round. He played last season with the U-16 Anaheim Jr. Ice Dogs. . . . BTW, 47 of the CHL’s 60 teams didn’t take part in the draft’s second round. Of the WHL teams, only the Vancouver Giants, Regina Pats, Kamloops Blazers and Everett made second-round selections.
An osprey couple mind the nest along the South Thompson River on Friday morning. I got close enough to overhear them. He was talking about how the temperature might get to 30 C, and she told him to quit his whining and to remember that one year ago, on June 30, it got to 46.6. That shut him up. BTW, this photo is for K.C., who likes the wildlife photos I sometimes post here.
The WHL rights to F Brad Lambert, a high-profile Finnish player who might be a first-round pick in the 2022 NHL draft, have been traded by the Saskatoon Blades to the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . In return, the Blades received fourth- and sixth-round selections in the WHL’s 2023 draft, a conditional first-round selection in 2023 and a conditional second-rounder in 2024. The 2023 fourth-rounder originated with the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Saskatoon had selected Lambert, whose father, Ross, is a former Blades player, in the 2020 CHL import draft. Brad also is a nephew to former WHL player/coach Lane Lambert, now the head coach of the NHL’s New York Islanders. . . . With the 2022 CHL import draft having been held Friday, days before the NHL draft, the Blades had to make a decision on whether to keep Lambert’s rights or give them up in order to make a selection. With that pick they took Czech D Tomas Ziska, 17, who had one goal and 13 assists in 31 games with a junior team this season. . . . Their other import slot belongs to sophomore Belarusian F Egor Sidorov, 18. . . . NHL Central Scouting had Lambert rated No. 10 among European skaters going into the NHL’s 2022 draft. . . . “This was definitely a unique situation all-around,” said Saskatoon general manager Colin Priestner in a statement, “given he’s a high-profile player with family connections to Saskatoon, but we’ve had his rights for over two full years and we felt the odds of him ever playing junior hockey in Canada were quite low and this way we get three good assets guaranteed up front plus two more really high picks if he ever plays in Seattle. We felt after two years of communications we’d exhausted all our options in recruiting him since he’s been playing pro hockey in Finland since he was 16-years-old.” . . . According to the Blades, they will get the conditional draft picks should Lambert sign with Seattle. . . . That likely will be a tall task for the Thunderbirds, who are looking to fill vacancies created by two of their leading scorers — Henrik Rybinski and Lukas Svejkovsky. Because Lambert, who will turn 19 on Dec. 19, will be drafted off a European roster, he will be eligible to play in the NHL, AHL or with Seattle next season.
Hey, K.C., here’s another one for you. A loon stops by the South Thompson River for a visit that ended up being short-lived because of the appearance of a couple of noisy boats.
Meanwhile, three teams from the WHL’s U.S. Divisions selected players in Friday’s import draft after losing 19-year-olds to pro contracts back home. . . . The Everett Silvertips took Czech F Dominik Rymon, 18, and Swiss G Tim Metzger, 17, after F Niko Huuhtanen signed with Jukurit of Liiga. He put up 37 goals and 40 assists in 65 games as a freshman with Everett last season after being the second-overall selection in the 2021 import draft. . . . The Silvertips still have Czech F Michal Gut on their roster, but, as a 20-year-old, he would be a two-spotter should he return. Still, he put up 18 goals and 53 assists in 53 games last season. . . .
As mentioned here the other day, Czech F Petr Moravec has left the Tri-City Americans to sign a junior contract at home with Mountfield. He had 16 goals and 19 assists in 68 games as a freshman in Tri-City last season. . . . The Americans had the fourth-overall pick and took Czech F Adam Mechura, 19. . . . Czech G Tomas Suchanek, who is heading into his second season, is the Americans’ other import. . . .
The Spokane Chiefs dropped F Yannick Proske and D Timafey Kovgoreniya prior to the draft, while retaining the rights to Czech D David Jiricek, who is the fourth-ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting going into the NHL draft that is scheduled for July 7 and 8. The Chiefs selected Jiricek, now 18, in the 2020 import draft, but he has stayed at home to play for HC Plzen and the Czechia national team. . . . Proske, 19, had 12 goals and 18 assists in 58 games with the Chiefs last season and is returning to the German DEL’s Iserlohn Roosters, who chose not let him return to Spokane. . . . On Friday, the Chiefs took Italian F Tommaso De Luca, who will turn 18 on Dec. 19, then passed in the second round.
— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) July 1, 2022
A former WHLer who knows his way around the movie/television scene and who once owned a chunk of an NHL team checks in. . . . What? You don’t know the name? You never SAW him play? Google is your friend. . . .
It’s officially the first day of Summer!! Also, to my friends and relatives up north, Happy Canada day… pic.twitter.com/19TWiUDMKV
If you are under a certain age, let me assure you this apple pie was served at the surface temperature of the planet Mercury. pic.twitter.com/r1qjcepXkS
Headline at The Beaverton (@TheBeaverton): Anti-vaxxer demands you produce a single study showing mRNA vaccines are safe — no not that one.
THE COACHING GAME: The SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks have signed Levi Stuart as an assistant coach. Stuart, 26, spent the previous three seasons with his hometown team — the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials. In Nipawin, he’ll work alongside general manager and head coach Tad Kozun, who signed a two-year deal on March 29. Before joining Merritt, Stuart worked with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants as a video coach. . . .
The junior B Sicamous Eagles of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League have signed Connor McLuckie as an assistant coach. From Cranbrook, he played in the KIJHL with the Fernie Ghostriders and Golden Rockets in 2011-12, then had his playing career ended by injuries in 2012. He spent the past three seasons on the coaching staff of the East Kootenay Tier 1 Avalanche, last season as head coach. . . .
The QMJHL’s Val-d’Or Foreurs have signed head coach Maxime Desruisseaux to a contract extension, the length of which wasn’t revealed. Desruisseaux is preparing for his second season as the club’s head coach. . . .
Jeremy Colliton is the new head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. He takes over from Trent Cull, who now is an assistant coach with the parent club. . . . Colliton spent most of the past four seasons as the head coach of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. He was fired last season. . . . Colliton, 37, played four seasons (2001-05) with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders.
If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:
F Colton Kroeker (Regina, Lethbridge, Kootenay, 2014-18) has signed a one-year contract with the Dundee Stars (Scotland, UK Elite). Last season, in 28 games with Mount Royal U (USports, Canada West), he had six goals and 16 assists. . . .
F Ben Maxwell (Kootenay, 2003-08) has signed a one-year contract with Langnau (Switzerland, National League). Last season, with Spartak Moscow (Russia, KHL), he had 11 goals and 12 assists in 59 games.
Darren Ritchie is the new general manager of the Brandon Wheat Kings, a team for which he has played, coached and scouted. Ritchie, from Winnipeg, played four full seasons (1991-95) for the Wheat Kings, putting up 152 goals and 126 assists in 232 regular-season games. . . . He spent 10 seasons (2006-16) as an assistant coach, and has been the team’s director of scouting for the past three seasons. . . . Ritchie, 45, takes over from Grant Armstrong, whose contract wasn’t renewed after he spent three seasons as GM. Armstrong now is on the scouting staff of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. . . . Ritchie now will be working to sign a new head coach — David Anning’s contract wasn’t renewed after last season — and a director of scouting. . . . The Wheat Kings’ news release is right here.
Chad Harden’s 2019 Calgary Stampede is over and he could be looking at a lifetime ban. That was the verdict Friday after Harden was involved in an incident during Heat 7 of Thursday’s Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races in which one horse was killed and three others suffered minor injuries. . . . Harden was disqualified from the final three days of the 2019 Stampede and fined $10,000 for his role in what happened. He also must pay $10,000 to Evan Salmond, the driver whose horse was killed. . . . Harden, who scouts for the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, won’t be invited to compete in future Stampedes, but he is able to appeal by Sept. 1. . . . Harden went into Thursday night in third place in the aggregate standings and with a real chance to be competing for the big money on Sunday. But he was hit with 30 seconds in penalties after the heat and fell to 33rd. Later, of course, he was disqualified. . . . Sammy Hudes and Alanna Smith of the Calgary Herald have more right here.
At the same time, other chuckwagon drivers are of the opinion that, considering Harden’s record, there was some over-reaction here and that the punishment was too harsh. Hudes has that story right here.
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JUST NOTES:
The NHL’s Edmonton Oilers have hired Tyler Wright as their director of amateur scouting and Archie Henderson as director of pro scouting. Both had been working for the Detroit Red Wings. Ken Holland, the Oilers’ new general manager, joined Edmonton from the Red Wings. . . . Wright played four seasons (1989-93) with the Swift Current Broncos. He had been Detroit’s director of amateur scouting for six seasons. . . . Henderson played three seasons in the WHL (Lethbridge Broncos, Victoria Cougars, 1974-77). . . .
According to a Facebook post by former NL radio sports director Rick (The Bear) Wile in Kamloops, former Blazers’ general manager Stu MacGregor “has parted ways” with the NHL’s Dallas Stars. . . . MacGregor signed on as the Blazers’ GM on Oct. 13, 2015. He lasted until May 20, 2018, when he was reassigned to the Stars’ scouting staff. Dallas owner Tom Gaglardi is the Blazers’ majority owner. . . . MacGregor and ex-Blazers head coach Don Hay are spending this weekend at the Kamloops Coaches Conference.
played some Friday night hockey, as did Poley and Roger Aldag, another aspiring football player.
and Belarusians were ineligible for the draft, thanks to the invasion of Ukraine?
Blades to the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . In return, the Blades received fourth- and sixth-round selections in the WHL’s 2023 draft, a conditional first-round selection in 2023 and a conditional second-rounder in 2024. The 2023 fourth-rounder originated with the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Saskatoon had selected Lambert, whose father, Ross, is a former Blades player, in the 2020 CHL import draft. Brad also is a nephew to former WHL player/coach Lane Lambert, now the head coach of the NHL’s New York Islanders. . . . With the 2022 CHL import draft having been held Friday, days before the NHL draft, the Blades had to make a decision on whether to 
keep Lambert’s rights or give them up in order to make a selection. With that pick they took Czech D Tomas Ziska, 17, who had one goal and 13 assists in 31 games with a junior team this season. . . . Their other import slot belongs to sophomore Belarusian F Egor Sidorov, 18. . . . NHL Central Scouting had Lambert rated No. 10 among European skaters going into the NHL’s 2022 draft. . . . “This was definitely a unique situation all-around,” said Saskatoon general manager Colin Priestner in a statement, “given he’s a high-profile player with family connections to Saskatoon, but we’ve had his rights for over two full years and we felt the odds of him ever playing junior hockey in Canada were quite low and this way we get three good assets guaranteed up front plus two more really high picks if he ever plays in Seattle. We felt after two years of communications we’d exhausted all our options in recruiting him since he’s been playing pro hockey in Finland since he was 16-years-old.” . . . According to the Blades, they will get the conditional draft picks should Lambert sign with Seattle. . . . That likely will be a tall task for the Thunderbirds, who are looking to fill vacancies created by two of their leading scorers — Henrik Rybinski and Lukas Svejkovsky. Because Lambert, who will turn 19 on Dec. 19, will be drafted off a European roster, he will be eligible to play in the NHL, AHL or with Seattle next season.
which he has played, coached and scouted. Ritchie, from Winnipeg, played four full seasons (1991-95) for the Wheat Kings, putting up 152 goals and 126 assists in 232 regular-season games. . . . He spent 10 seasons (2006-16) as an assistant coach, and has been the team’s director of scouting for the past three seasons. . . . Ritchie, 45, takes over from Grant Armstrong, whose contract wasn’t renewed after he spent three seasons as GM. Armstrong now is on the scouting staff of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. . . . Ritchie now will be working to sign a new head coach — David Anning’s contract wasn’t renewed after last season — and a director of scouting. . . . The Wheat Kings’ news release is 
TAKING NOTE 