Tag: Harry Belafonte

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

It’s expensive on WHL highways . . . Cougars in middle of $90,000 road trip . . . Broncos sign Aubin; Raiders return three

On the sixth day of our annual Christmas countdown, here is the great Harry Belafonte, who was my late father’s favourite, with Mary’s Boy Child. It’s right here.

MacBeth

F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, Swift Current, 2001-06) has been released by the Odense Bulldogs (Denmark, Metal Ligaen) by mutual agreement. He had four goals and three assists in 19 games.

ThisThat

The Prince George Cougars posted a 5-3 victory over the visiting Victoria Royals on Dec. 2.

Three days later, the Cougars left on a road trip. They won’t play at home again until Jan. PrinceGeorge11 when the Kelowna Rockets will pay a visit.

In between, the Cougars will play 11 games, seven in the U.S. where the exchange rate will take a big bite out of any team’s budget.

Here’s a day-by-day look at the Cougars travels (or is it travails?) . . .

Dec. 5 — Load bus and leave for Portland.

Dec. 6 — Off day in Portland.

Dec. 7 — Game in Portland.

Dec. 8 — Game in Portland.

Dec. 9 — Off day.

Dec. 10 — Off day.

Dec. 11 — Game in Kent, Wash.

Dec. 12 — Off day.

Dec. 13 — Off day.

Dec. 14 — Game in Victoria.

Dec. 15 — Off day.

Dec. 16 — Game in Vancouver.

Christmas break.

Dec. 27 — Off day.

Dec. 28 — Game in Kent, Wash.

Dec. 29 — Game in Everett.

Dec. 30 — Game in Kamloops; head home after game.

Dec. 31 — Off day.

Jan. 1 — Off day.

Jan. 2 — Off day.

Jan. 3 — Load bus and drive to Kelowna.

Jan. 4 — Game in Kelowna.

Jan. 5 — Off day in Kelowna.

Jan. 6 — Off day in Kelowna.

Jan. 7 — Load bus and head for Kennewick, Wash.

Jan. 8 — Game in Kennewick.

Jan. 9 — Game in Spokane; head home after game.

By my count, by the time the Cougars arrive home on Jan. 10, they will have spent about 25 days on the road, with at least nine of those days having been spent in the U.S.

I asked the general manager of one WHL team what it costs to keep a team on the road, and his response was between $3,000 and $4,000 per day, depending on how many are in the travelling party and where you are. He also added that it’s even more expensive in the U.S. “at a $1.35 exchange rate.”

Another GM told me that the cost per day is $3,000 to $3,500 for rooms and meals, with the bus expenses on top of that.

Understanding that all of these are ballpark figures . . .

Let’s say that it costs the Cougars $3,500 per day when they’re on the road, and that includes the return ferry trip to Victoria.

If they total 15 days in Canada, that’s $52,500.

Nine days in the U.S., with a $1.35 exchange rate, would cost $41,425.

Add it all up and playing 11 games on the road will have cost the Cougars more than $90,000.

This is a franchise that has played 17 of a scheduled 34 home games and has an announced average attendance of 2,668 fans, which is 19th in the 22-team league.

You can bet that Mark Lamb, who is in his first season as the Cougars’ general manager, is having some sleepless nights these days, and it isn’t because he can’t wait for Christmas to get here.

——

Late in October, John Pateman, one of the Cougars’ six co-owners, took time to chat with Hartley Miller of 94.3 The Goat for the latter’s Cat Scan podcast. Pateman, who is the team president, talked about the money factor:

“When we got into this, we would hope to not lose money. We managed to lose quite a bit and we’ll lose quite a bit this (season). Until we can have a bit of a playoff run, I think we will continue to lose money. . . . we would obviously like to break even but I think we have to hit the second round of the playoffs to do that.”

The Cougars lost the first five games of the afore-mentioned road trip. They are 11-19-3 and in fifth place in the five-team B.C. Division. While a playoff run does seem unlikely this season, they are only two points out of the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot.

Asked by Miller if the owners are in it for the long run, Pateman chuckled and replied: “I don’t think we have a choice . . . we’re in. It is what it is.”

D Bobby Russell of the Spokane Chiefs will miss his club’s first two games after the Christmas break as he sits out a two-game suspension that was handed down on Monday. . . . Russell took a cross-checking major and game misconduct during Sunday’s 6-5 victory over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . He will miss two home games — Dec. 28 against the Everett Silvertips and Dec. 29 against the Tri-City Americans.

The Swift Current Broncos have signed D Devin Aubin, 15, to a WHL contract. Aubin, from Falher, Alta., has two goals and one assist in 23 games with the midget AAA Grande Prairie Storm. . . . The Spokane Chiefs selected him in the fourth round of the WHL’s 2018 bantam draft. . . . The Broncos acquired Aubin, F Carter Chorney and F Kye Buchanan from the Chiefs on Dec. 4, giving up D Noah King, G Matthew Davis and a conditional fifth-round 2021 bantam pick in the exchange.

The Prince Albert Raiders have returned D Braydon Clark, 16, D Nolan Allan, 15, and F Tyson Laventure, 15, to their club teams. . . . Clark, from the the Valley West Giants of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League, is pointless in six games with the Raiders this season. He was a third-round selection in the 2017 WHL bantam draft. . . . Allan, from the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers, has one assist in seven games. He was the third overall pick in the 2018 bantam draft. . . . Laventure, from the Edmonton-OHL prep team, is pointless in three games. He was a third-rounder in 2018. . . . They helped the Raiders get through a stretch where they had four players away with international duties, and also had a couple of injuries.

If you feel so inclined, please click on the DONATE button over there on the right. Thanks in advance, and Merry Christmas.

Tweetoftheday