Let’s be honest . . . the $64,000 question in WHL circles these days is: Will Brent 
Sutter be back coaching the Red Deer Rebels when another season gets here?
ICYMI, Steve Konowalchuk, the Rebels’ head coach for the past two seasons, resigned on Thursday, citing personal and family reasons.
The answer to that $64,000 question at this point, it seems, might be “Yes . . . no . . . maybe.”
When Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com asked Sutter if he is interested in going back behind the bench, he replied: “Right now, no. With that being said, if we don’t find the right person I would have to rethink it through. Right now my goal is to find someone different.”
So . . . if you happen to be a bettor, do you take Sutter or the field?
Sutter, the Rebels’ owner and president, was the general manager and head coach from 1999-2007. He then spent two seasons as the head coach of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and three as head coach of the Calgary Flames.
Sutter returned as the Rebels’ head coach during the 2012-13 season and stayed there until stepping aside after the 2020-21 season, which is when he hired Konowalchuk.
The Rebels went 86-36-6 in two regular seasons under Konowalchuk. This season, they went 43-19-6 and finished atop the Central Division. They got into the second round of playoffs, where they lost a seven-game series to the Saskatoon Blades. The Rebels won the first three games of that series, then lost the next four.
“It’s disappointing to see Steve resign,” Sutter said. “But I also understand when it comes to personal/family reasons. He’s a great coach, and even more so a great man.”
Konowalchuk had one season left on his contract.
The Rebels also announced that assistant coach Ryan Colville has left after five seasons on the staff.
According to a Rebels news release, Colville “plans to pursue other professional opportunities.”
Sutter said that Colville “is looking for a coaching opportunity closer to home in Cincinnati.”
Meachem’s story is right here.
PLAYOFF NOTES:
Half of the Memorial Cup field is set with the Seattle Thunderbirds having won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as as WHL champions on Friday night in Kent, Wash. The Thunderbirds beat the Winnipeg Ice, 3-1, to win the series, 4-1. . . . The Thunderbirds join the host Kamloops Blazers as the two confirmed teams for the four-team Memorial Cup tournament. It is to open on May 25 with the Blazers facing the QMJHL champion. . . . The Thunderbirds’ first game is set for May 27 against the OHL champion. . . . Seattle went 16-3 in its run to the WHL title; two of those losses were to the Blazers. . . .
In the OHL, the London Knights beat the visiting Peterborough Petes, 4-1, on Friday night, a decision that forced a sixth game. Still, the Petes will take a 3-2 series lead into a Sunday game (4 p.m. ET) in Peterborough. A seventh game, if needed, would be played on Monday in London (4 p.m. ET). . . . Last night, London erased a 1-0 first-period deficit with the game’s last four goals. F Ryan Humphrey (8) broke a 1-1 tie at 4:31 of the second period. . . . Petes F Owen Beck took a match penalty for slew-footing at 19:20 of the third period. That penalty is expected to draw a suspension, perhaps of two games in duration. Beck had 66 points, including 24 goals, in 60 regular-season games, and has 16 points, eight of them goals, in 22 playoff games. . . .
In the QMJHL, the Halifax Mooseheads dumped the Quebec Remparts, 3-2, in Quebec City to stay alive in the best-of-seven championship final. . . . The Remparts hold a 3-2 edge going into Game 6 in Halifax on Sunday (4 p.m. ET). A seventh game, if needed, would be played on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET) in Quebec City. . . . Last night, the Mooseheads got 35 saves from G Mathis Rousseau. . . . F Zachary L’Heureux (10) gave Halifax a 3-1 lead at 6:32 of the second period and it stood up as the winner. . . .
Check out Geoffrey Brandow on Twitter (@GeoffreyBrandow) for even more information after each CHL game. . . .
The Memorial Cup is scheduled to arrive in Kamloops on May 25 with the first game — the QMJHL champion against the host Blazers — set for May 26. . . . The good news is that the smoke that arrived Kamloops in the wee hours of Wednesday had pretty much moved on by Friday morning. Here’s hoping it stays gone.
FRIDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Winnipeg (1) at Seattle (2) — The Seattle Thunderbirds won their second WHL 
championship, beating the Winnipeg Ice, 3-1, in Kent, Wash. . . . The Thunderbirds won the last four games as they took the series, and the Ed Chynoweth Cup, in five games. . . . This was the first time the Thunderbirds won the title on home ice. In 2017, they beat the Pats in a six-game series that ended in Regina. . . . Last season, Seattle lost the final in six games to the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Seattle G Thomas Milic was named the playoff MVP. He stopped 30 shots last night. He led the playoffs in victories (16), GAA (1.95) and save percentage (.933). . . . The championship-winning goal came off the stick of F Nico Myatovic, an 18-year-old from Prince George, who went into the game with three goals in 18 games in these playoffs. He got his fourth goal on a penalty shot at 2:27 of the third period, a score that gave his guys a 2-0 lead. . . . F Sam Popowich (2) had Seattle’s first goal, at 13:45 of the second period. . . . F Evan Friesen (7) got the Ice within a goal at 5:02 of the third period. . . . F Kyle Crnkovic (6) gave Seattle insurance with the empty-netter at 18:54. . . . Seattle was 0-for-1 on the PP; Winnipeg was 0-for-2. . . . The Ice had a late-game PP, too, as Seattle F Lucas Ciona was hit with a boarding minor at 15:40 of the third period. However, the Ice, despite have good possession in the Seattle zone, passed up a number of shooting opportunities and when skaters did pull the trigger they weren’t able to beat Milic. . . . The Ice got another superb game from G Daniel Hauser, who finished with 35 saves. . . . F Jordan Gustafson played in his first game in the series after being injured on April 30. He played a key role on Seattle’s first goal as he and Popowich provided some net-front presence, with Popowich tipping in D Jeremy Hanzel’s point shot. . . . F Dylan Guenther and D Luke Prokop of the Thunderbirds won their second straight WHL title. Both were with the Oil Kings last season. Guenther suffered a knee injury in last season’s final series and wasn’t able to play in the Memorial Cup. . . . F Logan Stankoven of the Kamloops Blazers won the playoff scoring race with 30 points, one more than teammate Olen Zellweger and Winnipeg F Matt Savoie. . . . Guenther had a WHL-leading 16 goals, two more than Ice F Connor McClennon. . . . Winnipeg D Ben Zloty was tops in assists, with 23, three more than Stankoven and Seattle F Brad Lambert.
JUNIOR JOTTINGS:
The Vancouver Giants have acquired D Logan Hammett, 20, from the Brandon Wheat Kings for a fourth-round selection in the WHL’s 2024 draft. Hammett, from Regina, had four goals and 33 assists in 144 regular-season games with Brandon. The Wheat Kings selected him in the fifth round of the 2018 WHL draft. . . .
F Daylan Kuefler of the Kamloops Blazers has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s New York Islanders. Kuefler, 21, is from Red Deer. He has played four seasons with the Blazers, totalling 144 points, 77 of them goals, in 184 regular-season games. This season, he put up 30 goals and 31 assists in 54 games. . . . The Islanders selected him in the sixth round of the NHL’s 2022 draft. . . .
The Brandon Wheat Kings and Swift Current Broncos will have new play-by-play voices next season. . . . Brandon announced on Friday that it and “broadcast partner Q Country 91.5 Radio . . . have parted ways with director of media relations and play-by-play host Chase Johnston.” Johnston was in that position for one season. . . . Craig Beauchemin is leaving the Broncos after four seasons as broadcast and community relations manager. There is speculation that he will surface as the radio voice of another WHL team. . . . The Tri-City Americans also are looking for a new play-by-play voice following the decision by veteran Craig West to leave the organzation last month. . . .
You may recall that F Spencer Smith of the BCHL’s Penticton Vees was taken to hospital in Port Alberni late in the first period of Wednesday’s playoff game. According to the Vees, Smith, 20, “went into medical distress after a high hit. . . . He went to the Port Alberni hospital for further evaluation where he was cleared and later released Wednesday evening.” . . . The Vees won the game, 4-1, to sweep the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and win their second straight championship.
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.
——
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.
third period as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Winnipeg Ice, 4-2, in Kent, Wash. . . . The Thunderbirds, having won three straight games, lead the best-of-seven series, 3-1. . . . Game 5 is scheduled for Kent on Friday night. . . . If needed, Game 6 would be played in Winnipeg on Sunday with Game 7, if needed, there on Monday. . . . Guenther ended up with the game-winner in what was a terrific game. He one-timed a pass from F Reid Schaeber from the top of the right circle for his WHL-leading 16th goal. . . . F Nico Myatovic (3) iced it with an empty-netter at 19:52. . . . Ice F Carson Latimer (4) had opened the scoring at 16:25 of the first period, using his speed to get to a loose puck about 10 feet in front of G Thomas Milic from where he lifted it over him. Latimer has goals in three straight games. . . . D Kevin Korchinski (3) pulled Seattle even when he scored off a quick wrist shot from the top of the right circle with 16.3 seconds left in the first period. . . . Seattle F Gracyn Sawchyn (3) gave his side its first lead at 4:31 of the second period when he banged home a rebound off the end boards while on a PP. . . . F Evan Friesen (6) got the Ice into a 2-2 tie by tucking home a loose puck at 8:33. . . . The Ice felt it had a 3-2 lead at 10:54 when Latimer was able to beat Milic from in close by knocking in the puck out of midair. The call on the ice was a goal but it was disallowed after a lengthy video review, because, according to an entry on the online scoresheet, the puck was “directed in by a player’s glove.” . . . Both goaltenders, Milic and Winnipeg’s Daniel Hauser, were nothing short of superb. Milic finished with 31 saves, two fewer than Hauser. . . . Seattle was 1-for-5 on the PP; Winnipeg was 0-for-3.
Wednesday night, beating the host Alberni Valley Bulldogs, 4-1, to sweep the best-of-seven series. . . . The Vees went 16-1 in winning last season’s Fred Page Cup, and they replicated that this time around. . . . F Brett Moravec scored twice for the winners, giving him 10 goals. . . . The game was halted with 4:02 left in the first period following an injury to Penticton F Spencer Smith following a high hit. From St. Catharines, Ont., Smith is to turn 21 on Saturday. The first intermission was held at that point. . . . During that intermission, the BCHL tweeted: “Smith is alert and was helped off the ice. We hope for a speedy recovery.” . . . The Vees tweeted in the second intermission: “Spencer Smith is doing well at Port Alberni’s hospital. His spirits are high.”
tie with three goals in 45 seconds en route to a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Ice in Kent, Wash. . . . The Thunderbirds lead the best-of-seven series, 2-1, with Game 4 in Kent tonight. Game is to be played there on Friday night. . . . Game 3 began with an exchange of goals in the first 87 seconds, with Seattle F Kyle Crnkovic (5) scoring at 0:25 and Winnipeg F Carson Latimer (3) equalizing at 1:27. . . . D Jeremy Hanzel (4) gave Seattle a 2-1 lead, on a PP, at 13:24 of the first period. . . . F Brad Lambert (6) upped it to 3-1 at 13:47, and F Jared Davidson (11) made it 4-1 at 14:09. . . . The WHL record for fast three goals
AHL’s Manitoba Moose, scored twice to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 4-2 victory over the Winnipeg Ice in Game 2. . . . The series is tied, 1-1, with the teams heading to Kent, Wash., for games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. . . . The Ice won the opener, 3-2, on Friday night. . . . Lambert, a 19-year-old native of Lahti, Finland, was a first-round selection by the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL’s 2022 draft. He began this season with the Moose, then left to play for Finland at the 2023 World Junior Championship. After the tournament, the Jets assigned him to Seattle, which had acquired his rights from the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Lambert put up 17 goals and 21 assists in 26 regular-season games with Seattle. In the playoffs, he has 23 points, including 18 assists, in 14 games. . . . F Zach Benson, who turned 18 on Friday, gave the Ice a 1-0 lead at 4:11 of the first period. . . . D Jeremy Hanzel (3) got Seattle even at 1:24 of the second period. . . . The remainder of the scoring occurred in the third period. . . . Lambert (4) gave Seattle the lead at 5:02 and F Reid Schaefer (8) made it 3-1 just eight seconds later. Schaefer has goals in five straight games. . . . Benson (6) got his guys back to within a goal at 8:27, but Lambert (5) added insurance at 17:14. . . . Seattle got three assists from F Dylan Guenther, who now has 25 points, including 11 assists, in 16 playoff games. . . . Seattle was 0-for-3 on the PP; Winnipeg was 0-for-5. . . . Seattle held a 39-31 edge in shots, although Winnipeg led 14-8 in the third period when the Thunderbirds scored three times. . . . G Thomas Milic stopped 29 shots for Seattle, six fewer than Winnipeg’s Daniel Hauser. . . . Seattle remains without F Jordan Gustafson, while Winnipeg is without D Wyatt Wilson. . . . The announced attendance in the Canada Life Centre, home of the Jets, was 5,691. . . . Kelly Moore of Winnipeg radio station CJOB has a game story with some quotes 
end, the national governing body is giving indications that it isn’t about to bend any of its rules.
goals early in the third period as they beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-2, in Kent, Wash. . . . Seattle leads the best-of-seven conference final, 3-2, with Game 6 in Kamloops on Monday. If they need a seventh game, it would be played on Tuesday in Kent. . . . F Jared Davidson (9) gave Seattle a 1-0 lead at 6:25 of the second period. . . . F Matthew Seminoff (8) sacred at 16:00 and the teams were all even going to the third. . . . Seminoff (9) broke the tie 43 seconds into the third period. . . . F Ryan Hofer then scored his seventh and eighth goals, the latter while shorthanded, at 1:06 and 5:31, and just like that Kamloops held a 4-1 lead. . . . F Reid Schaefer (5) got Seattle to within two, on a PP, at 5:48. . . . Davidson’s goal set a franchise record for career playoff goals. He has 22, one more than F Scott Eansor (2013-17). . . . D Olen Zellweger and F Logan Stankoven, the Blazers’ offensive stars, each had one assist. . . . Seattle was 1-for-4 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-for-2. . . . Kamloops got another big night from G Dylan Ernst, with 36 saves, 10 more than Seattle’s Thomas Milic. . . . D Logan Bairos was back in Kamloops’ lineup, while D Ryan Michael remains sidelined. . . . The Thunderbirds remain without F Jordan Gustafson.
major junior, 17 junior A and 43 junior B. As of this moment, those teams all play under Hockey Canada’s umbrella. However, the BCHL — with 17 teams in B.C. and one in Washington state — has said it plans on leaving Hockey Canada when this month is up. . . . What will that mean for junior hockey in B.C.? Well, Cam Hope, the former Victoria Royals’ general manager who now is the CEO of BC Hockey, has told Steve Ewen of Postmedia that it may result in a new junior A league starting up. In fact, Hope told Ewen that such a move was “probable,” adding that no one is in a rush to get it done because “I’d much rather make sure we do it right than do it fast.” . . . Presumably, a new junior A league could include a number of junior B teams moving on up, along with any organizations that might decide to leave the BCHL. Ewen reported that “several sources” had told him the vote to leave Hockey Canada was 14-2 with two abstentions.
goals, three of them in the first 11 minutes, en route to a 5-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Ice now holds a 3-0 lead in the conference final and gets its first chance to wrap it up tonight in Saskatoon. . . . F Matt Savoie (11), on a PP at 2:46, F Zach Benson (4), at 9:48, and F Evan Friesen (4), at 10:33, had those first-period goals. . . . F Connor McClennon (11) made it 4-0, on another PP, at 1:13 of the second period. . . . F Justin Lies (3) got the Blades on the scoreboard at 5:40. . . . That was as close as the Blades were to get. . . . Ice F Owen Pederson (4) closed out the scoring with a PP goal at 19:26 of the third period. . . . Winnipeg was 3-for-6 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-for-2. . . . The Ice held a 34-18 edge in shots, including 10-4 in the third period. . . . Winnipeg got three assists from D Ben Zloty, and Savoie added two helpers to his goal. . . . Zloty has a WHL-leading 19 assists. . . . G Daniel Hauser earned the victory with 17 saves. His career record, including regular season games, now is 97-10-3. . . . The Blades continue to be without injured defencemen Blake Gustafson and Ben Saunderson, and they also scratched F Egor Sidorov from this one with an undisclosed injury. . . . Winnipeg remains without D Wyatt Wilson, who was injured in Game 5 of the first round.
goals 1:26 apart en route to a 3-0 victory over the Saskatoon Blades in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final. . . . They’ll play Game 2 today in Winnipeg, starting at 4 p.m. . . . D Ben Zloty (1) opened the scoring at 14:39 of the first period. He went into the game with no goals and a WHL-leading 15 assists. . . . The Ice went ahead 2-0 at 16:05 when F Zach Ostapchuk (8) scored a shorthanded penalty-shot goal, putting the puck off a post and in. He has goals in eight of the 10 games in which he has played in these playoffs. . . . D Carson Lambos (1) upped the lead to 3-0 at 7:45 of the second period. . . . Saskatoon was 0-for-4 on the PP; Winnipeg was 0-for-1. . . . G Daniel Hauser recorded the shutout with 16 saves. He is 9-1, 2.56, .907 in the playoffs, after going 37-4-1, 2.28, .917 in the regular season. . . . The Blades got 25 stops from G Ethan Chadwick. . . . Were the Blades, coming off two seven-game series, showing signs of fatigue in the latter part of the game? The Ice outshot them 8-4 in the second period and 10-4 in the third. . . . Saskatoon F Justin Lies was back in action after having served a three-game suspension. . . . The Blades continue to be without D Blake Gustafson, who was injured in the previous series. . . . With D Ben Saunderson also injured, Saskatoon had D Morgan Tastad make his playoff debut. The 6-foot-4 Tastad, a 17-year-old from Loreburn, Sask., played in one regular-season game. He was a ninth-round pick by the Blades in the WHL’s 2021 draft.
the second period was eight minutes old en route to an 8-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . That allowed the Ice, who finished atop the WHL’s regular-season standings, to win the Eastern Conference semifinal, 4-2. They will open at home against the winner of tonight’s Game 7 between the Red Deer Rebels and host Saskatoon Blades. . . . Last night, the Ice scored two first-period goals 51 seconds apart and took it from there. F Zack Ostapchuk (7) scored at 10:49 and F Vladislav Shilo (3) counted at 11:40. . . . Winnipeg really took control on four straight second-period goals — from F Connor McClennon (7, 8), D Graham Sward (2) and F Conor Geekie (5). . . . Geekie (6) and F Evan Friesen (3) had the Ice’s other goals. . . . D Denton Mateychuk (3) and F Jagger Firkus (10) had PP goals for the Warriors. . . . Firkus is tied for the playoff lead in goals and points (21). . . . Shilo and Sward each had two assists and Geekie had one for three-point nights. . . . Moose Jaw was 2-for-2 on the PP; Winnipeg was 0-for-1. . . . G Daniel Hauser stopped 25 shots in earning the victory.
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. . . .
TAKING NOTE 