D Martin GernĂĄt (Edmonton, 2011-13) has signed a one-year contract extension with TĆinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, he had eight goals and 12 assists in 48 games. . . .
F Brandon Kozun (Calgary, 2006-10) has signed a one-year contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia, KHL). This season, with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Russia, KHL), he had 19 goals and 22 assists in 52 games. He led his team in goals, and was tied for the team lead in points. . . .
F Malte Strömwall (Tri-City, 2011-13) has signed a one-year contract with Sochi (Russia, KHL). This season, with KooKoo Kouvola (Finland, Liiga), he had 30 goals and 27 assists in 52 games. He led the league in goals and points. . . .
G Patrik BartoĆĄĂĄk (Red Deer, 2011-14) has signed a two-year contract with TĆinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, with VĂtkovice Ostrava (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he was 26-21-0, 2.17, .935, with one shutout and one assist in 47 games. He led the league in save percentage. . . .
D VojtÄch BudĂk (Prince Albert, 2015-18) has signed a one-year plus option contract with PlzeĆ (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had two assists in 34 games. On loan to Jihlava (Czech Republic, 1. Liga), he had one goal and one assist in three games. . . .
D Paul Postma (Swift Current, Calgary, 2004-09) has signed a one-year contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia, KHL). This season, with Ak Bars Kazan (Russia, KHL), he had eight goals and 20 assists in 57 games.
Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner, appeared on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday to appear before a committee of Members of Parliament who are studying sports-related concussions. . . . âSure, Bettman has been on the job more than 26 years,â writes Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star. âHeâs been an honoured member of the hockey hall since he was inducted last fall. But Wednesday confirmed they didnât put him there because he benevolently served the good of the sport, its players and its future. They gave him the blue blazer and the ring because he profitably grew the business of his employers. And the business of his employers is clearly still served best by concussion denial.â . . . Feschukâs column is right here.
The WHL announced its individual award winners, all-stars teams and more on Wednesday in Red Deer. You will find all of that information on the WHLâs website at whl.ca.
The annual bantam draft is scheduled to begin bright and early today (Thursday) in Red Deer. You wonât find much draft coverage here because itâs something that I just donât spend a lot of time following.
F Trey Fix-Wolansky of the Edmonton Oil Kings will finish his season with the Cleveland 
Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the NHLâs Columbus Blue Jackets. . . . Fix-Wolansky, an Edmonton native, will turn 20 on May 26. The Blue Jackets selected him in the seventh round of the NHLâs 2018 draft and have signed him to a three-year entry-level contract. . . . This season, his third with the Oil Kings, he had 37 goals and 65 assists in 65 regular-season games. In 206 career regular-season games, he has 245 points, including 93 goals. . . . He wasnât in Clevelandâs roster last night as it dropped a 5-2 decision to the Marlies in Toronto in Game 1 of a playoff series.
Giffen Nyren, the former WHL defenceman who is facing charges after a youngster was taken from his mother on Sunday at a Kelowna beach, appeared in court on Wednesday and was ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment. . . . Nyren, 30, is facing one count of assault and one count of willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer. . . . He remains in custody and is to be back in court on May 15. Nyrenâs mother was in court when he made his appearance yesterday. . . . Doyle Potenteau of Global TV has more right here.
Taking Note has been told that veteran coach Barry Wolff will be joining the BCHLâs Merritt Centennials as their general manager and head coach. . . . After spending five seasons (2013-18) with the BCHLâs Coquitlam Express, one as head coach and four as general manager/head coach, Wolff spent this season as GM/head coach with the MJHLâs Swan Valley Stampeders. They lost Game 7 of the championship final to the Portage Terriers. . . . Wolff has had previous BCHL stints with the Quesnel Millionaires, Langley Hornets and Langley Chiefs. He also has coached the junior B Fernie Ghostriders, the MJHLâs OCN Blizzard and the AJHLâs Drumheller Dragons. . . . In Merritt, Wolff will replace Joe Martin, who left to take over as GM/head coach of the BCHLâs Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
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Aaron Schulze of northeastnow.com reported Wednesday that the Tisdale Trojans of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League have decided not to renew the contract of Darrell Mann, their general manager and head coach. . . . Mann had been with the Trojans, in one position or another, for 16 years. . . . Schulze wrote that team president Greg McShannock âconfirmed to northeastNOW that Mannâs contract was up for renewal and the team decided to move in a different direction.â . . . Mann spent 10 seasons with the Trojans before singing on as head coach of the SJHLâs Melfort Mustangs. He returned to the Trojans for 2013-14. This season, the Trojans finished second in the regular season, at 32-7-5, before losing a best-of-five semi-final series, 3-1, to the Saskatoon Blazers. . . . The Trojans then won the Western Regional as host team and went on to finish third at the Telus Cup. . . . Schulzeâs story is right here.
Marty Murray, the general manager and head coach of the Minot Minotauros, has been honoured as the NAHLâs GM of the year. Murray, 44, is from Deloraine, Man., and played four seasons (1991-95) with the Brandon Wheat Kings before going on to a pro career that included 261 regular-season NHL games. . . . The Minotauros went 36-21-3 to finish second in the Central Division this season, and are presently involved in a second-round playoff series. They finished ninth in the NAHL in attendance, drawing more than 1,400 fans per game.
TAKING NOTE 