D Dan Gibb (Prince George, 2009-13) signed a one-year contract with Gap (France, Ligue Magnus). This season, with the University of Calgary (Canada West), he had two goals and six assists in 19 gams. He was the team captain. . . .
F Alexander Chirva (Moose Jaw, Kootenay, 2013-15) signed a two-year contract extension with Bars Kazan (Russia, Vysshaya Liga). This season, he had two assists in eight games. . . .
F Vitali Karamnov (Everett, 2007-08) signed a one-year contract extension with Dynamo St. Petersburg (Russia, Vysshaya Liga). The team captain, he had seven goals and 21 assists in 38 games. . . .
F Chase Witala (Prince George, 2010-16) signed a one-year contract extension with Starbulls Rosenheim (Germany, Oberliga). He signed with Rosenheim on Jan. 22, and put up six goals and 11 assists in 12 games. . . . This season, prior to signing with Rosenheim, he had three goals and seven assists in 11 games with the Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL); was pointless in five games with the Norfolk Admirals (ECHL); and was pointless in two games with Zilina (Slovakia, Extraliga).
The Swift Current Broncos scored two first-period goals, the second one with 0.6 seconds remaining, en route to a 3-0 victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips on Sunday night. 
The Broncos won the best-of-seven WHL final, for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, 4-2. . . . This was the third championship in Swift Current’s history. The Broncos won it all in 1989, then went on to win the Memorial Cup in Saskatoon, beating the Blades in the final 29 years ago. In 1993, they won their second WHL title, but didn’t fare as well at the Memorial Cup in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. This also was the first time since 1993 that a Saskatchewan-based team has won the WHL championship. . . . This was Everett’s second trip to the WHL final. It first got that far in 2004, which was its first season — yes, it’s first season — in the WHL. That time, it was swept by the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Last night, F Giorgio Estephan (13) gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 6:41 of the first period. . . . F Aleksi Heponiemi, who drew the primary assist on Estephan’s goal, made it 2-0 with his fifth goal at 19:59. . . . F Beck Malenstyn added the empty-netter with 6.4 seconds remaining in the third period. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 31 shots as he recorded his sixth shutout of these playoffs and his second in the last three games of the final. He now shares the WHL record for shutouts in one playoff with Dustin Slade (Vancouver, 2006). . . . Everett got 22 stops from G Carter Hart. . . . Broncos F Glenn Gawdin, the team captain, was named the playoff MVP. He finished with 32 points, including 14 goals. . . . F Brad Morrison of the Lethbridge Hurricanes led all playoff scorers with 37 points. F Morgan Geekie of the Tri-City Americans was No. 1 in goals (17) and Heponiemi was tops in assists (25). . . . Swift Current was 1-5 on the PP; Everett was 0-2. . . . The referees were Chris Crich and Reagan Vetter. . . . The attendance was 2,890.
Two of the men who coached in the WHL final may be on the move shortly.
There is speculation in NHL circles that the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks all have at least some interest in Manny Viveiros, the Broncos’ director of player personnel and head coach. All three NHL teams are, or will be, looking to fill assistant coach vacancies.
Viveiros is the WHL’s reigning coach of the year. His situation is certain to be a big story during the Memorial Cup in Regina.
Meanwhile, sources indicate that Mitch Love, who has been on Everett’s coaching staff since 2011-12, has been interviewed by the Saskatoon Blades, who are looking to replace Dean Brockman, who was fired when their season ended.
The Blades also have shown interest in Serge Lajoie, who spent the past three seasons as head coach of the U of Alberta Golden Bears. This season, Lajoie guided the Golden Bears to the Canadian university championship.
Lajoie is looking now because Ian Herbers has returned to the U of A after being dropped by the Oilers. Herbers had been on sabbatical while with the Oilers.
Lajoie’s son, Marc, a defenceman, was selected by the Tri-City Americans with the 14th overall selection of the WHL’s 2018 bantam draft.
The four teams are set for the 100th running of the Memorial Cup tournament that opens Friday in Regina. Interestingly, none of the four teams won its league’s regular-season title.
The Regina Pats, of course, are the host team. They finished seventh in the WHL’s overall standings. The Moose Jaw Warriors were first overall, then lost out to the Swift Current Broncos in the second round. The Broncos, who were second overall, six points behind the Warriors, won the WHL title at home on Sunday night.
In the OHL, the Hamilton Bulldogs, who were second overall, beat out the No. 1 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds on Sunday, winning Game 6, 5-4, on Sunday. In the 68-game regular season, the Greyhounds finished 13 points ahead of the Bulldogs.
In the QMJHL, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan beat the visiting Blainville-Boisbriand Aramada, 2-1, in Game 6 on Sunday night. In the regular season, the Armada finished first overall, with 107 points, 11 more than the second-place Titan.
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The Memorial Cup schedule (all times local):
Game 1, Friday – Hamilton vs. Regina, 8 p.m.
Game 2, Saturday – Swift Current vs. Acadie-Bathurst, 2 p.m.
Game 3, Sunday – Regina vs. Acadie-Bathurst, 5 p.m.
Game 4, Monday, May 21 – Swift Current vs. Hamilton, 6 p.m.
Game 5, Tuesday, May 22 – Acadie-Bathurst vs. Hamilton, 8 p.m.
Game 6, Wednesday, May 23 – Regina vs. Swift Current, 8 p.m.
Tiebreaker (if necessary) – Thursday, May 24, 6 p.m.
Semifinal – Friday, May 25, 8 p.m.
Final — Sunday, May 27, 5 p.m.
The legendary Clare Drake, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November, died on Sunday morning. He was 89. Drake was a long-time coach of the U of Alberta Golden Bears, and his coaching tree is as large as anyone who has ever been involved in hockey. . . . Jim Matheson, the hall-of-fame hockey writer, has more right here.
a franchise record for most victories in one season. The Warriors lead the overall standings, by two points over Swift Current. Moose Jaw has two games in hand. . . . Saskatoon (31-29-3) has lost two straight. It holds down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Prince Albert, which has a game in hand. . . . F Ryan Peckford gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 1:52 of the opening period. . . . The Blades tied it at 6:55 when F Braylon Shmyr scored his 33rd goal. . . . Burke scored the next two goals, at 4:59 and 14:52 of the second period, to give the Warriors a 3-1 lead. He’s got 31 goals. . . . F Josh Paterson (27) pulled the home side to within a goal at 12:10. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs got the empty-netter for Moose Jaw, his WHL-leading 59th goal of the season, at 19:04. . . . F Justin Almeida had two assists for Moose Jaw. . . . The Warriors were 0-3 on the PP; the Blades were 0-4. . . . G Adam Evanoff stopped 33 shots for the Warriors, one more than Saskatoon’s Nolan Maier. . . . D Dawson Davidson again was among Saskatoon’s scratches. . . . D Kale Clague was among Moose Jaw’s scratches. . . . Moose Jaw D Jett Woo completed a three-game suspension by missing this one. . . . The Warriors will go on to play in Lethbridge on Tuesday and Cranbrook, B.C., on Wednesday as they play four games in five nights. . . . Announced attendance: 3,662.
both on the road. It is fourth in the East Division, one point behind Regina. Brandon is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, six points up on Saskatoon. . . . Calgary (19-34-7) had won its previous two games. . . . F Conner Chaulk (14) gave the home team a 1-0 lead at 4:14 of the first period. . . . The Wheat Kings took a 2-1 lead on second-period goals from F Cole Reinhardt (16), at 5:30, and D Schael Higson (4), on a PP, at 13:32. . . . F Jakob Stukel (30) tied it, on a PP, at 15:40. . . . Brandon went out front 3-2 at 19:00 as F Luka Burzan (11) scored. . . . Lewis, who hadn’t played since Feb. 19, upped the lead to 4-2 with a shorthanded goal at 9:14. . . . F Jake Kryski (14) pulled the Hitmen back to within a goal at 18:02. . . . The Wheat Kings then got two empty-netters, from Lewis (34) and F Ben McCartney (2). . . . F Stelio Mattheos had two assists for Brandon, with Burzan getting one. . . . Kryski and Chaulk each had an assist for Calgary. . . . Each team was 1-4 on the PP. . . . The Wheat Kings got a big game from G Logan Thompson, who stopped 45 shots as he celebrated his 21st birthday. . . . G Matthew Armitage, in his first start since Feb. 3, stopped 33 shots for Calgary. . . . The Wheat Kings played three games in fewer than 48 hours, going 2-1-0. . . . Announced attendance: 7,376.
U.S. Division, one point behind Portland. . . . Everett (41-18-5) had points in each of its previous 11 games (9-0-2). It leads the Western Conference, by five points over Kelowna. . . . The Silvertips completed a run of seven games in 10 days at 5-1-1. . . . The Chiefs were went 3-0-0 in playing three games in fewer than 48 hours, the first two at home. . . . Everett also played three games in fewer than 48 hours, going 2-1-0. . . . F Bryce Kindopp (19) gave the Silvertips a 1-0 lead at 16:26 of the first period. . . . F Riley Woods (21) tied it at 7:42 of the second period, and F Riley McKay (3) put the visitors ahead at 13:44. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto (19) upped the lead to 3-1 at 15:59. . . . D Filip Kral (6) added insurance at 1:34 of the third period, with D Matt Leduc (1) making it 5-1 at 15:34. . . . F Sean Richards (20) got Everett’s second goal, at 16:29. . . . D Ty Smith had two assists for Spokane. . . . Everett was 0-1 on the PP; Spokane was 0-2. . . . G Donovan Buskey stopped 29 shots for the Chiefs. . . . The Silvertips got 24 saves from G Dustin Wolf. . . . Announced attendance: 6,087.
TAKING NOTE 