The NHL’s Seattle Kraken doesn’t have any players on its roster just yet, but it 
does have a six-game exhibition schedule, including three games in WHL arenas. . . . The Kraken will play its first-ever NHL game in Spokane on Sept. 26 against the Vancouver Canucks. It then will play the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 1 in Everett, and the Calgary Flames in Kent, Wash., the home of the Seattle Thunderbirds, on Oct. 2. . . . The Kraken will play three road exhibition games — in Edmonton on Sept. 28, in Calgary on Sept. 29 and in Vancouver on Oct. 5. . . . The Kraken will take part in an expansion draft on July 21.
Hockey Canada announced early in July 2020 that the 2020 World U-17 Hockey Challenge had been cancelled. It was to have been held in Charlottetown and Summerside, P.E.I., from Oct. 31 through Nov. 7. . . . At the same time, it was decided that the 2021 tournament would be held in Charlottetown and Summerside. Now, although there doesn’t appear to have been an official announcement from Hockey Canada, it seems that tournament also has been cancelled.
Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, reiterated on Friday during a news conference in Coquitlam, B.C., that unvaccinated travellers won’t be allowed into Canada for “quite a while.” . . . Here’s what he said: “We need to continue to ensure that the safety of Canadians, of all the sacrifices that so many people have made over the past many, many months, are not for nothing. If you are wondering when unvaccinated tourists can come to Canada, I can tell you right now that’s not going to happen for quite a while.” . . . WHL players and team personnel aren’t tourists, but does this mean that the league will require those people to be fully vaccinated before reporting to training camps? After all, those camps will open in a little over two months.
Brian Munz is back in the WHL. On Thursday, the Winnipeg Ice announced that 
Mitch Peacock, its manager, broadcast and communications, had left the organization. On Friday, the Ice announced that Munz would replace Peacock, thus becoming the team’s play-by-play voice. Among Munz’s responsibilities will be media relations . . . Munz is a former radio voice of the Prince Albert Raiders. He also has done play-by-play for the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets and the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. . . . Munz had joined Golf Manitoba in April as director of communications. He had been with TSN 1290 AM in Winnipeg, but lost his job when Bell Media shuttered the station in February.
F Danis Zaripov re-signed with the Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL on Friday. He spent one season (1998-99) with the Swift Current Broncos and now is Ak Bars Kazan’s captain. . . . You have to like how the team announced his signing . . .
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.
JUST NOTES: Zack Hartwick has signed on as the Brandon Wheat Kings’ new athletic therapist. He had been with the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder. . . . Joel Bouchard has joined the AHL’s San Diego Gulls as their head coach. The Gulls are affiliated with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. Bouchard, 47, had been the head coach of the Laval Rocket, the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, for three seasons. In San Diego, he replaces Kevin Dineen, whose contract wasn’t renewed after two seasons. . . . Rick Dillabough wasn’t off work for long. Dillabough left the Wheat Kings last month after being with them for 30 years, most recently as director of business operations, sales and sponsorships. On Friday, the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba announced that Dillabough was joining the organization as manager of operations and sponsorship lead.
TAKING NOTE 