The OHL lowered the boom on the Niagara IceDogs on Thursday, citing 
violations of league policies “including the Maltreatment, Bullying and Harassment Protection and Prevention Policy and our Code of Conduct.” . . . According to an OHL news release, it brought in an “independent third-party investigator” after receiving allegations of policy violations. At the team, IceDogs owner, governor and general manager Darren DeDobbelaer was ordered not to speak “with players or others concerning the subject matter.” . . . The investigator discovered that two players, G Joshua Rosenzweig and D Landon Cato, “participated in serious violations” of policies, “including but not limited to Physical Maltreatment and Aiding and Abetting respectively.” . . . As well, DeDobbelaer was found to have violated the league’s confidentiality directive. . . .
As a result of all this, the OHL fined the Ice Dogs $100,000 and stripped them of their first selection in the 2024 OHL draft. . . . DeDobbelaer was suspended from acting as GM for two seasons, to June 1, 2025. . . . Rosenzweig and Cato “have permanently lost the privilege to participate in the OHL.” Both players have one season of junior eligibility remaining. . . .
Cato, who turned 20 on March 31, had one goal and two assists in 21 games this season, his third with the IceDogs. . . . Rosenzweig, who turned 20 on Feb. 27, got into 33 games, going 5-21-4, 5.73, .868. . . .
This same franchise, only under different ownership, was fined $250,000 and lost 2019 and 2021 first-round draft picks in February 2019 after being found to have “violated certain league player recruitment policies.” Those penalties were reduced to $150,000 and one first-round pick about a month later.
In April 2022, Joey Burke, then the governor, GM and minority owner, and Billy Burke, the head coach and also a minority owner, were suspended and they, along with the team, were fined $150,000 after the league investigated a WhatsApp conversation. It was found to violate the OHL’s “harassment and abuse/diversity policy and also runs counter to its Onside program, which emphasizes the importance of demonstrating respect for women through actions and words.”
The Burke’s parents, Bill and Denise, were the majority co-owners at the time. They sold the franchise to DeDobbelaer in July. He also owns the junior A Brantford 99ers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the junior B Brantford Bandits of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. . . . The IceDogs finished 12-47-9, easily the OHL’s poorest record, this season.
WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:
The Winnipeg Ice, who won the Eastern Conference playoff title on Wednesday night, don’t yet know who will provide its opposition in the championship final. But the Ice knows when it will play its next games. . . . The final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup is to open in Winnipeg, at the Wayne Fleming Arena on the U of Manitoba campus, with Games 1 and 2 on Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13. . . .
The Ice, the Eastern Conference’s top seed, completed a sweep of the No. 2 Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday in the Saskatchewan city. . . .
In the Western Conference final, the No. 1 Seattle Thunderbirds broke a 3-3 tie with three straight goals and went on to an 8-4 victory over the host No. 2 Kamloops Blazers last night. . . . The Thunderbirds now hold a 3-1 edge in the series. They’ll play Game 5 in Kent, Wash., on Saturday night.
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.
THURSDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Seattle (1) at Kamloops (2) — F Dylan Guenther scored three times and added 
an assist to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to an 8-4 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Seattle holds a 3-1 lead in the conference final with Game 5 scheduled for Kent, Wash., on Saturday night. If needed, Game 6 would be played in Kamloops on Monday, with Game 7 back in Kent on Tuesday. . . . Last night, the Blazers erased 2-0 and 3-1 deficits, only to have the Thunderbirds score three straight goals to snap a 3-3 tie. . . . F Kyle Crnkovic (3) scored for Seattle at 13:32 of the second period for a 4-3 lead. . . . F Jared Davidson (8) made it 5-3 at 5:36 of the third, and D Bryce Pickford (2) upped it to 6-3 at 8:13. . . . Davidson’s goal was his 21st career playoff score, giving him a share of Seattle’s franchise record with F Scott Eansor (2013-17). . . . Guenther, who leads the WHL playoffs with 14 goals, opened the scoring at 3:09 of the first period, gave his guys a 3-1 lead with 1.7 seconds left in the period, and completed his hat trick at 14:19 of the third period for a 7-4 lead. . . . F Reid Schaefer (4), who also had three assists, and D Kevin Korchinski (1) also scored for Seattle. . . . D Olen Zellweger (11) scored twice for Kamloops, erasing a 3-1 Seattle lead at 1:12 and 11:21 of the second period. . . . F Matthew Seminoff (7), on a first-period PP, and F Dylan Sydor (3) had the Blazers’ other goals. . . . The Blazers thought they had tied it 3-3 at 2:38 of the second period on a PP goal by F Logan Stankoven, only to have it waved off as Zellweger was penalized for goaltender interference. Kamloops This Week (@KTWonBLAZERS) tweeted: “Zellweger called for goalie interference. Overhead replay shows he was pushed into Milic. That is a bad call.” . . . Kamloops was 1-for-6 on the PP; Seattle was 0-for-3. . . . G Thomas Milic kicked out 36 shots to record the victory over Dylan Ernst, who stopped 33 shots. . . . Kamloops remains without D Logan Bairos and D Ryan Michael. . . . The Thunderbirds scratched F Jordan Gustafson. There is speculation that he was injured during celebrations following Seattle’s OT goal to end Game 2. . . . Stankoven finished with two assists and now leads the playoff points derby, with 29, one ahead of Zellweger. Guenther’s 14 goals lead the league by one over F Connor McClennon of the Winnipeg Ice. D Ben Zloty of the Ice as a WHL-leading 20 assists, one more than Stankoven.
THINKING OUT LOUD — Example No. 34,591 of why you shouldn’t pay any attention to the three stars at hockey games: F Leon Draisaitl scored the Edmonton Oilers’ four goals in a 6-4 loss to the host Vegas Golden Knights, but wasn’t one of the three stars as selected, apparently, by the Vegas media. Instead, the all-knowing media members went with, in order, hometown players F Ivan Barbashev, F Chandler Stephenson and F Mark Stone. . . . Janice Hough (@leftcoastbabe) is wondering: “Has Tucker Carlson signed on to work for Donald Trump’s re-election campaign yet?”
JUNIOR JOTTINGS:
The BCHL, which announced this week that it is leaving Hockey Canada at the end of this month, met with on-ice officials via Zoom on Thursday night. As someone who was on the call told Taking Note: “It seems that it’s a real pissing match. The BCHL is very disappointed that Hockey Canada won’t allow its officials to work in Hockey Canada leagues after Sept. 30. . . . Insurance will not be an issue as the BCHL will have their own that they claim will be as good as or better than Hockey Canada’s. . . . Not sure about the refs, but linespeople will be getting $150/game, up from $80.” . . . You can bet that we’ll be hearing more, a whole lot more, about all of this in the days and weeks to come. Yes, it’s going to be an interesting ride. . . .
In the QMJHL, the Halifax Mooseheads evened their series with the Sherbrooke Phoenix with a 5-2 victory on Thursday. They’ll play Game 5 in Halifax on Saturday afternoon, with Game 6 in Sherbrooke on Sunday night. The winner will meet the Quebec Remparts in the championship final. . . .
In the OHL, the two remaining series, both of which are tied 2-2, will resume tonight. . . . The Sarnia Sting, who lost the first two games in London and then won twice at home, are back on the road to face the Knights tonight, with Game 6 back in Sarnia on Sunday afternoon. . . . Meanwhile, the Peterborough Petes will visit the North Bay Battalion tonight and then they’ll head back to Peterborough for Game 6 on Sunday night. . . .
Former WHL G Kyle Dumba has joined the NAHL’s Aberdeen Wings as goaltender coach. Dumba, the brother of Matt Dumba, a former WHL defenceman who has spent nine seasons with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, has his own coaching business based in Minneapolis/St. Paul. . . . Kyle, 25, is from Calgary. He split 42 regular-season WHL games over five seasons (2013-18) with the Calgary Hitmen, Kamloops Blazers, Everett Silvertips and Regina Pats.
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
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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.
the Winnipeg Ice a 3-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . That series is tied, 2-2, as the teams return to Winnipeg for Game 5 on Saturday night. . . . They are scheduled to play a sixth game in Moose Jaw on Monday night. . . . F Vladislav Shilo (2) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 8:22 of the first period. . . . The Warriors tied it at 12:57 as F Martin Rysavy (5) scored. . . . The Ice went back in front, 2-1, 50 seconds in to the second period on a goal from F Matt Savoie (8). . . . F Jagger Firkus (8) got the Warriors back even at 1:22 of the third period. . . . Ostapchuk scored his sixth goal of the playoffs at 11:56 of OT. . . . Winnipeg D Ben Zloty drew three assists. He has 13 points, all assists, in eight games. . . . The Ice was 1-for-2 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-for-1. . . . G Daniel Hauser earned the victory with 29 saves, nine fewer than Moose Jaw’s Connor Ungar. . . . The Warriors welcomed back F Robert Baco after he completed a three-game suspension for a goaltender interference major he took in Lethbridge on April 5. . . . The Ice was without F Evan Friesen, who completed a two-game suspension for a headshot on Moose Jaw D Matthew Gallant in Game 2. Gallant, who likely is in concussion protocol, hasn’t played since the hit. . . . 
period deficit en route to a 4-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Rebels still hold a 3-1 series lead as the series goes back to Saskatoon for Game 5 on Friday night. . . . F Kai Uchacz, without a point in the first three games of this series. scored twice to give the Rebels a 2-0 first-period lead. A 50-goal man in the regular season, he has six goals in these playoffs. . . . D Aidan De La Gorgendiere (1) got the Saskatoon comeback started, on a PP, at 12:09 of the second period. . . . F Jayden Wiens (5) tied it at 4:12 of the third period and F Brandon Lisowsky (3) gave Saskatoon the lead 43 seconds later. . . . D Tanner Molendyk (1) added insurance at 8:15. . . . The Blades got 34 saves from G Ethan Chadwick. . . . Saskatoon F Justin Lies was tossed with a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Red Deer F Kalan Lind at 3:24 of the first period. Lind was down for several minutes before being removed on a stretcher. Lind was taken to Red Deer Regional Hospital where he underwent an examination before being released.
Western Conference final with an 8-2 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Thunderbirds swept their second straight series. They will meet either the Kamloops Blazers or Portland Winterhawks in the conference final. . . . The Thunderbirds outscored the Cougars, 25-5, in the four games. In eight playoffs games — they swept the Kelowna Rockets in the first round — the Thunderbirds have outscored the opposition, 39-8. Seattle has yet to allow more than two goals in a game in these playoffs. . . . Last night, four of Seattle’s first five goals came from skaters who scored for the first time in the eight-game run — F Sam Popowich, D Jeremy Hanzel, D Bryce Pickford and D Luke Prokop. . . . In all, the Thunderbirds got goals from eight different players, with F Colton Dach (2), F Mekei Sanders (2), F Reid Schaefer (3) and F Jared Davidson (5) also scoring. . . . Dach had two assists and was the only Seattle skater with three points. . . . Seattle F Brad Lambert, who put up six points in Game 3, had two assists in this one. He finished the four games with two goals and 12 helpers. . . . The Cougars had F Riley Heidt back from a one-game suspension, and he had two assists. . . . Prince George was without F Jaxsen Wiebe, who drew one of those TBD suspensions for a match penalty he incurred in Game 3. . . . F Zach Funk (5) and F Chase Wheatcroft (5) had the Cougars’ goals. . . . The Thunderbirds got 22 saves from G Thomas Milic, who now is 8-0, 1.13, .953. . . .
period turned out to be the winner as the Kamloops Blazers beat the Portland Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . Kamloops leads the series, 3-0, and can finish it tonight in Portland. . . . The Blazers are 7-0 in these playoffs. . . . F Jakub Demek (3) gave Kamloops a 1-0 lead at 9:48 of the first period. . . . F Jack O’Brien (3) pulled Portland even, on a PP, at 11:23. . . . F Logan Stankoven (8) gave the visitors a 2-1 lead, on a PP, at 4:35 of the second period, with Minten getting his second goal of the playoffs at 1:56 of the third period. . . . D Luca Cagnoni (1) got Portland to within a goal at 14:02 of the third period, but the Winterhawks weren’t able to equalize. . . . Kamloops was 2-for-3 on the PP; Portland was 1-for-4. . . . G Dylan Ernst stopped 23 shots for Kamloops, 10 fewer than Portland’s Jan Spunar. . . . Stankoven also had an assist, and now has 18 points in seven games. . . . He and F Jagger Firkus of the Moose Jaw Warriors are two points behind F Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats, who put up a WHL-leading 20 points in a seven-game loss to the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Blazers drew a $250 fine from the WHL on Monday for a warmup violation prior to Game 1 on Friday in Kamloops. It was their second such fine in these playoffs; they also were fined $250 for a warmup violation prior to a first-round game against the host Vancouver Giants on April 4.
TAKING NOTE 