Tag: Seattle Thunderbirds

Wilson takes more than 50 years of scouting into Wall of Honour

The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation is to hold its second annual Wall of Honour induction dinner in Okotoks, Alta., on July 29. On that evening, we will honour 29 scouts — three Pioneers of Scouting, seven from the Early Era (1968-80), 17 from the Modern Era (1981-Present) and two from the world of major junior hockey. . . . Tickets are available on the Foundation’s website (tickets.hockeyscoutsfoundation.com). . . . Now we would like to introduce you to Keith Wilson, one of our 2025 inductees. . . .

KEITH WILSON

(March 5, 1943 — )

Born in Daventry, England, he migrated in 1948. . . . Recalls travelling with Swift Current Broncos scout John Vogel in 1972. . . . Has been WHL scout for every season since then. . . . Worked with Swift Current/Lethbridge Broncos (1972-79), Billings Bighorns/Nanaimo Islanders (1979-83), Medicine Hat Tigers (1983-88), Seattle Thunderbirds (1988-94), Tri-City Americans (1994-95), Prince Albert Raiders (1995-2001), Spokane Chiefs (2001-02), Swift Current again (2002-18) and Edmonton Oil Kings (2018-). . . . That’s 53 consecutive seasons through 2024-25. . . . Was head scout and director of player personnel with the Raiders. . . . Won two WHL championships and Memorial Cups (1987, 1988) with Medicine Hat, one WHL title with Swift Current (2018) and one with Edmonton (2022). . . . Thanks Les Calder, Russ Farwell, Dennis Beyak, Rick Valette, Tim Speltz, Jamie Porter and Kirt Hill “for showing faith in my scouting ability.”

Veteran scout retires from Blazers . . . Hitmen get draft picks in trades . . . Wilson returns as Smoke Eaters’ radio voice

Ken Fox, one of the Kamloops Blazers’ three head scouts, has retired after Kamloopsspending more than 30 seasons in the WHL. Fox had been with the Blazers since the summer of 2008. . . . From Holdfast, Sask., Fox left the Swift Current Broncos — he had been their assistant scouting director — to join the Blazers. His time in the WHL also included four seasons with the Vancouver Giants and nine with the Red Deer Rebels. . . . His life, Fox told Keeping Score, now “will be different after 35 years.” . . . Fox’s retirement leaves the Blazers with Scott Blakeney and Jason Pashelka as their head scouts. . . .

The WHL’s Calgary Hitmen made a couple of deals on Tuesday, sending F Brandon Whynott, 19, to the Tri-City Americans and D Trey Patterson, 20, to the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Calgary received a fifth-round selection in the 2024 WHL draft from Tri-City and a sixth-rounder in 2026 from Seattle. . . . Whynott, a second-round pick by the Hitmen in the 2019 draft, is from Langley, B.C. In 141 games with the Hitmen, he had 12 goals and 35 assists. . . . Patterson, from Calgary, was acquired from the Red Deer Rebels, had one goal and 14 assists in 68 games last season. In 147 career games, he has two goals and 21 assists. . . .

The Prince Albert Raiders are going to retire the No. 16 in honour of F Dan Hodgson with the Moose Jaw Warriors in town on Nov. 25. Hodgson spent three seasons (1982-85) with the Raiders, putting up 493 points, including 188 goals, in 204 regular-season games. . . . He was saluted as the CHL’s player of the year for 1984-85, after he scored 70 goals and added 112 assists in 64 games. . . . He led the Raiders to their first WHL title that season as team captain, and also helped them to the Memorial Cup championship. . . . There is a complete news release right here. . . .

The Regina Pats have hired Tristan Frei as their manager of hockey operations, Reginareplacing Landon Watson who, according to the team, “has accepted a position with a National Hockey League club.” . . . Watson, 28, had been with the Pats through seven seasons, starting as an intern in January 2016. He also worked as a video analyst and director of hockey analytics. He had been director of hockey operations for two years. . . . Frei, 27, spent the past two seasons playing with the EIHL’s Guildford Flames. From Regina, he played with the Regina Pats Canadians (2010-13) and the U of Regina Cougars (2016-21). . . .

Drew Wilson, once the radio voice of the Prince Albert Raiders, is the new-old play-by-play man for the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters. Wilson is a news and sports anchor at Bounce Radio in Trail. . . . He also was the Smoke Eaters’ play-by-play voice 20 years ago before moving to Prince Albert. “It’s the exact job I did before moving to PA in 2004,” he told Taking Note. “I guess you can go home.”

Herman2

THE COACHING GAME:

The Swift Current Broncos have hired Taras McEwen, 32, as an assistant coach. He joins the Broncos after spending six seasons with the Winnipeg Ice (hey, remember them?), first as a scout and then last season as an assistant coach. . . . During his time with the Ice, he also worked as the general manager of the Winnipeg Blues, one of two MJHL teams that is owned by the Winnipeg Ice’s former owners, and took over as head coach for 2020-21. . . . Taras’s father, Brad, is a former GM/head coach of the Broncos. . . .

The Edmonton Oil Kings have added Kyle Chipchura to their staff as a development coach. Chipchura, 37, was coaching with the Northern Alberta Xtreme’s program for the past two seasons. . . . From Westlock, Alta., Chipchura played four seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders before going on to a 15-year pro career. . . . From a news release: “Chipchura joins Ladislav Smid as a development coach with the organization. Smid, who is entering his second season with the club, will oversee the development of Oil Kings prospects, while Chipchura will work with the team during practices and home games.” . . .

The SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers announced on Monday that Mat Hehr, their general manager and head coach, has left the organization “to pursue a new opportunity in coaching.” He had been with the Terriers for seven years. . . . It turns out that Hehr is joining the Northern Alberta Xtreme. Calvin Daniels of Yorkton This Week wrote that Hehr told him that the Xtreme ownership has a vision to grow the program and also to own an AJHL franchise. . . . Hehr, 34, signed on with the Terriers as an assistant coach in 2016 and was named GM/head coach during the 2017-18 season.

Einstein

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.

Cement

Backmeyers close to wrapping up best chapter yet . . . BC Hockey keeps door open for BCHL teams . . . Rebels, Silvertips acquire 2003-born skaters

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Lindsey Backmeyer and her daughter, six-year-old Ferris, are enjoying the newest chapter in their lives. (Photo: Lindsey Backmeyer/Facebook)

You have to have at least some understanding of what the Backmeyer family has been through over most of the past six years to understand what they are going through right now.

Oh, things continue to go swimmingly as Ferris, 6, continues to make progress from a kidney transplant at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto four weeks ago.

FerrisLogoHowever, Lindsey, Ferris’s mother, just can’t shake that feeling that things have been going too well. With all that she, husband Pat and the three girls have dealt with they now find themselves in a whole different world.

The emotion was raw as Lindsey explained what she is going through. She admitted to being confused because things have been going so smoothly. She just isn’t used to this. Will she be able to get used to it?

“So many feelings,” Lindsey wrote on Facebook. “All the excitement over the reality that we are here. The fear of it all falling apart. It’s just been such a drastic change so fast, so unreal and truly unbelievable. With this gift comes tremendous responsibility.

“I’m anxious (and am) genuinely shocked with every set of labs. Waiting for the (other) shoe to drop. But so far nope! No complications??? I’m confused. It’s just so incredibly foreign to us for things to be smooth for this long. It’s an odd struggle to have to manage.

“Anyone who knows transplant knows that rejection meds given on time is super important. Our med schedule and life schedule (still some really late nights) are so messed up that we set alarms to give 8 a.m. meds. I don’t sleep well at all. Waking hourly most nights because I’m worried I’m gonna sleep through the alarm! Anyone who knows me knows that’s a real possibility!!”

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Ferris Backmeyer has been enjoying Toronto’s playgrounds as she keeps making progress from a kidney transplant. (Photo: Lindsey Backmeyer/Facebook)

But, as she added, “Those are small potatoes for worries though these days.”

There are, as she notes, “so many reasons to be smiling these days.”

As mentioned, things are going great with Ferris, and her big sisters — Tavia, 11, and Ksenia, 9 — have returned from the trip they made to California with Lindsey’s mother. So the family is back together and preparing for the next chapter.

Now it’s a matter of having all of Ferris’s tests in order and getting the OK to head west.

“Today,” Lindsey wrote on Thursday, “we had labs and ultrasound! We knew that if results were good, we’d get the green flag to transfer back to (BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver) next week! Labs were awesome! Ultrasound looked better!

“Unless something major develops between now and then, we are leaving Toronto next Thursday! Whoop whoop! Only disappointing thing is that we’ve been told that (Ronald McDonald House) in Vancouver is full until Aug. 15 . . . ughhhh. I’m not gonna dwell on it. Hoping we can get in sooner than that.

“I advocated hard for a suitable accommodation for us. But as of yet am unsure where we will be staying. Just throwing it out there that this sorts itself out. That we belong at (Ronald McDonald House) BC, that going home is not really home if we are moving to Vancouver and staying somewhere else. That all the good luck we’ve had recently continues and it doesn’t end up being as bad as it feels.”

In the meantime, the Backmeyers will try to make the best of what they hope will be their last weekend in Toronto.

“We had originally planned to try to escape the city for the weekend,” Lindsey wrote, “but have instead decided to stick around and cram in the last of the ‘Toronto’ things we wanted to do. One more week and hopefully we are wrapping up this chapter . . . the best one yet!”

Dejamoo

No one follows goings-on in the BCHL any closer than does Brian Wiebe who operates the BCHL Network (bchlnetwork.ca) and tweets at @Brian_Wiebe.

The piece he wrote on Tuesday after BC Hockey replaced junior B hockey with Junior A Tier 1 and Junior A Tier 2 is the best that I have seen on the subject.

You are able to read it right here, and you should if you are following all that is happening with this file.

It is evident that, from a BC Hockey perspective, all of this is a work in progress.

BCHockeyAs Cam Hope, BC Hockey’s CEO put it in Wiebe’s story: “It’s in progress right now, but I can give you the broad parameters of some of the things. Around officiating, I think all the leagues are committed to going to a four-person system. We have to watch the landscape a little bit this year, some officials have left and gone non-sanctioned with the BCHL.

“The things you might expect — standards (like) coaching certifications, some standards around player experience having to do with committed dressing rooms, facilities and most importantly around practices — practice quality, practice volume, (and) travel. (It’s) the usual check checklist for any league, but the details of it are something that we’re all working on together.

“We want to be mindful of the fact that this is pretty quick for some of these franchises, and some are far ahead of others. It’s a work in progress, but yeah, it’s a pretty long list, but it’s little by little we’re going to get there.”

The one thing that I found most interesting in Wiebe’s piece is that Hope has left the door open for any of the BCHL’s 17 teams to return to BC Hockey.

“There are some communities around B.C. that felt Junior A was maybe just a little bit out of reach,” Hope said. “There are some communities in northern B.C. with good arenas and great fan support that did not have a league to play in at a Junior A or Junior B level. And there are some clubs now that are playing non-sanctioned junior hockey this year in the BCHL and elsewhere that may want to have a place to return to sanctioned hockey.

“Getting the ecosystem set the way that we’re setting it this year I think solved all of those problems if and when they start to arrive. When I say problems, they’re good problems and that’s communities that want to come in and join what we’re trying to do here.”

There is a whole lot more to Wiebe’s piece, so give it a read and you’ll have a good understanding of just what is happening.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The Red Deer Rebels have acquired F Carson Latimer, 20, from the Wenatchee Wild for a couple of WHL draft picks, a fifth in 2024 and a conditional third in 2025. . . . According to Wild, the third-rounder is conditional upon Latimer’s reporting to Red Deer. He was a fourth-round pick by the Ottawa Senators in the NHL’s 2021 draft. . . . Latimer, from White Rock, B.C., was a third-round selection by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the 2018 draft. He has put up 97 points, including 38 goals, in 143 regular-season games split among the Oil Kings, Prince Albert Raiders and Winnipeg Ice. . . . Last season, with the Ice, had had 14 goals and 26 assists in 53 games. . . . After the trade, Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge) tweeted: “According to my spreadsheet, the 2024 5th and 2025 3rd that Wenatchee got from Red Deer for Latimer are now Wenatchee’s highest picks in both those drafts.” . . .

The Everett Silvertips have acquired 2003-born F Teague Patton from the Victoria Royals for a fourth-round selection in the WHL’s 2026 draft. . . . Patton, from Kelowna, had 16 goals and 33 assists in 68 games with the Royals last season. . . . He played in 78 games over three seasons (2019-22) with the Medicine Hat Tigers, putting up 25 points, including 12 goals. . . . After moving Patton, the Royals, according to play-by-play man Marlon Martens, still have six 20-year-olds on their roster — F Matthew Hodson, G Braden Holt, F Grady Lane, D Gannon Laroque, F Justin Lies and D Luke Rybinski. The Royals acquired Lane from the Spokane Chiefs on June 27, and got Lies from the Saskatoon Blades on June 2. . . .

F Sam Honzek of the Vancouver Giants has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames, who selected him with the 16th pick of the NHL’s 2023 draft. . . . Honzek, from Slovakia, had 23 goals and 33 assists in 43 games as a freshman with the Giants last season. He also played for Slovakia in the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. . . . Honzek, who will turn 19 on Nov. 12, will be back with the Giants for the 2023-24 season, unless, of course, he cracks the Flames’ roster. . . . Interestingly, he went by Samuel last season, but judging by the Flames’ announcement on Tuesday, he now is going by Sam. . . .

The Lethbridge Hurricanes and 106.7 ROCK have agreed to a four-year contract extension that will have the radio station as the home to game broadcasts through the 2026-27 season. . . . They have been broadcast partners for the past nine seasons, starting with 2014-15. . . .

The Seattle Thunderbirds will retire F Patrick Marleau’s No. 12 on Nov. 3 prior to a game against the Spokane Chiefs. Marleau, from Aneroid, Sask., played two seasons (1995-97) with the Thunderbirds, totalling 199 points, including 83 goals, in 143 regular-season games. He is the NHL’s all-time leader in regular-season games played (1,779) after skating with the San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins. . . . Marleau will be the second Seattle player to have his number retired. The Thunderbirds honoured F Glen Goodall (No. 10) in 1990. . . .

The junior B Keystone Junior Hockey League has added a seventh franchise by granting one to the Waywayseecappo First Nation, which is located near Russell, Man. . . . The team will begin play in 2023-24 and will play as the Waywayseecappo Wild.

Guns

THE COACHING GAME:

The WHL’s Wenatchee Wild has rounded out its coaching staff with the hiring of Andrew Sarauer as an assistant coach. Sarauer, a 38-year-old from Saskatoon, has retired as a player after spending 15 seasons in the ECHL, AHL and Europe. . . . He played with the BCHL’s Victoria Salsa and Langley Hornets before spending four seasons at Northern Michigan U. . . . In Wenatchee, he will be working with head coach Kevin Constantine and associate head coach Chris Clark. . . . Sarauer played nine seasons with Fehérvár AV19 in Hungary. Constantine was the head coach there for the last two of those seasons.

TooSoon

——

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.

Ignorance

Will K.C. bring sunshine to Wild? . . . Patience pays off for Herauf . . . Giants confirm that they need head coach

Ferris071223
Ferris Backmeyer’s older sisters, Ksenia (left) and Tavia, were able to take her for a stroll on Wednesday. (Photo: Lindsey Backmeyer/Facebook)

Things continue to go swimmingly for Ferris Backmeyer, the six-year-old from Kamloops who underwent a kidney transplant overnight June 29 at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. . . . In fact, Ferris and her older sisters — Ksenia and Tavia — were able to go for a bit of a stroll on Wednesday. . . . As for what’s next, her mother, Lindsey, reports that the catheter that was installed because of a urine leak is to come out this morning (Friday). If that goes well through the weekend, Ferris will be discharged to Ronald McDonald House on Monday. And if things continue on the right track next week, the Backmeyers could be looking at a transfer to Vancouver and B.C. Children’s Hospital shortly after that. . . . CFJC-TV has a piece on Ferris with an interview with Lindsey right here.

Thursday was another busy day on the WHL coaching front, what with two new head coaches introduced — one of those was a huge surprise — and a veteran head coach leaving for the AHL. . . . At the end of the day, only one WHL franchise was left without a head coach . . . although Marty Murray, the Brandon Wheat Kings’ general manager who took over as head coach early last season, has yet to say whether he’ll return to the bench.

——

Kevin Constantine is back in the WHL for a third go-round, this time as head coach of the Wenatchee Wild (nee Winnipeg Ice/Kootenay Ice/Edmonton Ice). . . . Constantine, 64, agreed to a four-year contract with the Wild. He spent the past two seasons as the head coach of the Hungarian team Fehérvár AV19 that plays in the Austrian-based ICE Hockey League. . . . He has been coaching in Europe for the past six seasons. . . . Before heading overseas, Constantine did two four-season stints (2003-07, 2013-17) as head coach of the Everett Silvertips. . . . He was named the WHL’s coach of the year for 2003-04. That was the Silvertips’ first season and they reached the WHL final. . . . His coaching resume includes seven years as an NHL head coach, split among the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils. . . . Constantine takes over the Wild from James Patrick, the team’s head coach for the previous six seasons while it was in Cranbrook and Winnipeg. . . . Chris Clark, the head coach of the Wild while it was in the BCHL, will work as associate head coach, with a full-time assistant coach yet to be hired. . . . Leigh Mendelson is the goaltender coach and director of recruiting. . . . The Wild’s news release is right here.

——

After eight seasons as an assistant coach with his hometown team, Brad Herauf has been named head coach of the Regina Pats. He takes over from John Paddock, who announced his retirement on Monday. . . . Alan Millar, the Pats’ new general manager, is more than a little familiar with Herauf. Before leaving for a two-year run with Hockey Canada, Millar was in the Moose Jaw Warriors’ front office. . . . Herauf actually took over as Regina’s interim head coach for a bit late in the 2021-22 season with Paddock away as he dealt with some health concerns. . . . Herauf, 40, was on the coaching staff of the Regina Pat Canadians, a U18 AAA team, before joining the Pats. . . . While introducing Herauf as head coach, the Pats also announced that Ken Schneider will be returning as assistant coach and that goaltender coach Daniel Wapple also will be back. Schneider is preparing for his third season in that role. Wapple joined the team during last season. . . . The Pats are looking for another full-time assistant to fill the opening created by Herauf’s promotion. . . . Tyler Shire of the Regina Leader-Post has a story right here.

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The Vancouver Giants confirmed on Thursday what Steve Ewen of Postmedia reported on Wednesday — head coach Michael Dyck is leaving to join the Toronto Marlies as an assistant coach. The Marlies are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. . . . The Giants now are the only one of the WHL’s 22 teams without a head coach. . . . Dyck, 54, had been the Giants’ head coach for five seasons. . . . In his first season there (2018-19), the Giants reached the WHL final where they lost Game 7, 3-2 in OT, to the host Prince Albert Raiders. . . . “The Giants are a first-class organization,” Dyck told Ewen, “and a lot of that has to do with the stability (majority owner Ron Toigo) has set up here. The ownership group, the management group, the players . . . it’s been just an amazing experience. And then living in a city like Vancouver. It couldn’t have been any better.” . . . Ewen’s story is right here.

Triathlon

Headline at The Beaverton (@TheBeaverton) — Climate wondering how much it has to change before humans notice.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The Everett Silvertips posted an item on Twitter on Thursday afternoon that featured a photo of a goaltender and this message: “Thank you, Tim!” . . . That would seem to indicate that the Silvertips have released Swiss G Tim Metzger, 18. The 6-foot-6, 205-pounder was picked up in the CHL’s 2002 import draft. He made 17 appearances with Everett last season, going 4-5-0, 3.35, .888. . . . Earlier this week, the Silvertips signed Finnish F Julius Miettinen, 17, who was selected in this year’s import draft. Their roster also includes Czechia F Dominik Rymon, 19, who had two goals and nine assists in 18 games last season. . . .

The BCHL’s Coquitlam Express has signed 2005-born F Grady Lenton, who played last season with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets. On June 7, the Rockets dealt Lenton, a first-round WHL draft pick in 2024 and a second-rounder in 2027 to the Seattle Thunderbirds for F Tij Iginla. . . . Last season, Lenton had four goals and four assists in 59 regular-season games with the Rockets. . . .

Chris Price is the new head coach of the junior B Chilliwack Jets of the Pacific Junior Hockey League. . . . Last season, he was on the coaching staff of the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs. Earlier, he spent three seasons as head coach and assistant general manager with the PJHL’s Aldergrove Kodiaks. . . . At the same time, majority owner Clayton Robinson, last season’s head coach, now is the Jets’ full-time president and general manager.

DietCoke

THINKING OUT LOUD: If you haven even the slightest interest in Canadian history — and even if you don’t — and if you are on Twitter, make sure to follow Craig Baird (@CraigBaird). I guarantee that you will learn things every day about this country’s past. The work this guy does is amazing. . . . ICYMI, the Edmonton Elks lost their 20th straight home game on Thursday, dropping an ugly 37-29 decision to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in front of a whole lot of empty seats. The Elks now share the professional sporting record for most consecutive home losses with the 1953 St. Louis Browns, who moved to Baltimore once that season was over. The Elks will have two weeks to stew over this one. Will Chris Jones still be running things in Edmonton when the B.C. Lions come calling on July 29? He has so many titles there that he likely would have to fire himself and that isn’t going to happen. . . . With head coach Michael Dyck having left the Vancouver Giants, as you will have read here earlier, do you think majority owner Ron Toigo’s first call was to James Patrick, the former head coach of the Winnipeg Ice?

Kidney

——

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.

Tortilla

Ferris went for a walk. How was your Tuesday? . . . Ball hockey gold for three WHLers . . . SJHL commish gets multi-year deal

Ferris1070523
A smiling Ferris Backmeyer continues to recover from a kidney transplant at a Toronto hospital. (Photo: Lindsey Backmeyer/Facebook)

Ferris went for a walk on Tuesday. Yes, she did!

Ferris Backmeyer, the six-year-old from Kamloops who underwent a kidney transplant last week, continues her recovery at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

As her mother, Lindsey, wrote on Facebook on Wednesday: “Post op day 5 . . . she’s actually slaying all of this. Being sooo incredibly brave.”

That doesn’t mean things have been easy to this point, but everything seems to be pointing in the right direction.

“It’s not been easy at all,” Lindsey wrote, “but it also hasn’t been the hardest thing we’ve ever done. Not so far anyways.”

FerrisWalk2070523
Ferris climbed out of bed and enjoyed a stroll down a hospital hallway on Tuesday. (Photo: Lindsey Backmeyer/Facebook)

If you’ve been following along, you know that there were some issues over the weekend. An ultrasound detected a bladder leak. According to Lindsey, that is “a somewhat common complication post-transplant . . . likely a clog in the catheter created back pressure and the leak happened. Catheters in post-op tiny humans are super tricky to manage. The tubing kinks so easily. Clots off so easily. She has a large amount of urine still leaking out of her drain.”

The really good news is that through it all the new kidney is motoring right along. Her creatine readings are good and Lindsey said that Ferris is having “solid labs” and “progressing really nicely otherwise!”

They freed her hands from IV hookups “so she is way less frustrated and can play. In fact, she played until 4:30 a.m. last night!! . . . She made it out for her first walk yesterday and made it look easy.”

Ferris also is eating well enough that Lindsey reported “they’ve stopped all daytime feeds . . . working towards getting all the extra fluid off without upsetting her kidney. She’s 2kg heavier than she was on surgery day and there’s nooooo way it was a 2kg kidney!!”

Adding weight is a really big deal with Ferris because that has been an issue for a lot of her young life and has impeded her route to a transplant in the past.

All-in-all, a tired Lindsey wrote, she “really couldn’t be happier with how things have gone. I feel like looking back we won’t even remember the hard times that much because the payoff is going to be soooo big!

“I’m certain if we make it home to Kamloops with this kidney, people are gonna be floored when they see her! She will be a totally different kid in the best ways possible!!”

A city awaits . . .

Polka

Craig West and the Tri-City Americans announced in April that he was stepping aside as their play-by-play voice. West, 68 this month, says he hasn’t retired, but that he simply is moving along down life’s highway. . . . West, who started in the WHL by calling Spokane Chiefs’ game, ended up doing 2,584 games. . . . Jeff Morrow, the former sports editor of the Tri-City Herald, spent some time with West and also touched base with a few hockey people and friends. It all resulted in a terrific look at West and his career . . . to this point. And that piece is right here.

F Conner Roulette of the Spokane Chiefs was named the tournament MVP after helping Team Canada to a gold medal at the International Street and Ball Hockey Foundation’s U20 Ball Hockey World Championship in Liberec, Czechia. . . . Roulette, Team Canada’s captain, had three goals as Canada beat Slovakia, 10-3, in the final. . . . Canada’s roster also included F Dawson Pasternak of the Brandon Wheat Kings, who had three goals and three assists in the final, and F Evan Friesen of the Wenatchee Wild.

Birds

James Patrick, who was the head coach of the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice for the past six seasons, thinks he’ll be taking a season away, with the franchise having relocated to Wenatchee, Wash., where it will play as the Wild. . . . Patrick, whose contract expired with the end of the 2022-23 season, told Mike Sawatzky of the Winnipeg Free Press that he had planned to coach at least one more season in Winnipeg. Sawatzky wrote that Patrick “had heard speculation about the possibility of a franchise move but only found out about the sale following an announcement by the league.” In other words, the Ice’s owners didn’t inform him of the move. Hmmm. . . . Sawatzky’s story is right here.

THE COACHING GAME:

Josh Dixon, an associate coach with the WHL’s Prince George Cougars for the past two seasons, has left the WHL team to take over as head coach of the U of Guelph Gryphons. . . . In Guelph, Dixon takes over from Shawn Camp, who ran the program for 16 seasons. . . . Camp retired following the 2022-23 season. . . .

Benoit Desrosiers has agreed to a three-year contract as the new head coach of the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques. Desrosiers, 34, has worked as an assistant coach with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, Sherbrooke Phoenix and Quebec Remparts in past seasons. He spent 2022-23 as an assistant coach with the Memorial Cup-champion Remparts. . . . In Gatineau, he replaces Louis Robitaille, who spent three years in the position. . . .

The AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats have hired Brad Rihela as their head coach. He had been with the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs, as assistant GM and associate head coach, for the previous five seasons. . . . In Lloydminster, Rihela takes over from Nigel Dube, who remains with the organization as general manager. Dube had been the head coach since Nov. 12, 2018. . . . The Bobcats also announced that Jeff Woywitka has been named associate head coach and skill development coach. He had joined the team after last season’s Christmas break. . . .

The BCHL’s Coquitlam Express has hired Brett Sonne as an assistant coach. Sonne, from Maple Ridge, B.C., played four seasons (2005-09) with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. For the past two seasons he has been an assistant coach with the junior B Ridge Meadows Flames of the Pacific Junior Hockey League. . . . Sonne’s brother, Brennan, is the head coach of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. . . .

The AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints are in the market for a head coach after six seasons with Bram Stephen at the helm. The Saints announced Stephen’s departure on Wednesday, although no reason was provided. . . . “I will look fondly on my time in Spruce Grove as I look forward to the next opportunities in my career,” Stephen said in a news release. . . . He guided the Saints to the AJHL championship in 2018.

Think

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

Kyle McIntyre has signed a multi-year deal to continue as commissioner of the SJHL. He is heading into his second season leading the 12-team league. . . . From a news release: In 2022-23, “the SJHL improved overall broadcast standards for both the fans and saw significant improvements in followers on all the league’s social media channels. Attendance levels over the season averaged 674 fans per game with over 222,498 fans for the season. In playoffs the average attendance was 1,137 per game and the league saw over 38,641 fans attend playoffs games. The league also saw a record number of NCAA and USport player commitments.” . . .

D Blake Heward, who cleared WHL 20-year-old waivers, has signed on with the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins. Heward had four goals and 21 assists in 103 regular-season WHL games, split between the Edmonton Oil Kings and Calgary Hitmen. . . .

F Kyle Bochek, who played last season with the Vancouver Giants, has cleared WHL waivers and is a free agent. Bochek, 20, had one goal and three assists in 48 games with the Giants last season. In 2021-22, he had three assists in 30 games. . . . 

F Jared Davidson, who played the past five seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds, has signed a one-year contract with the Laval Rocket, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. Davidson, who will turn 21 on Friday, had 38 goals and 44 assists in 60 games with the WHL-champion Thunderbirds last season. He was a fifth-round selection by the Canadiens in the NHL’s 2022 draft.

Merge

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.

Cat

Ferris encounters some speed bumps . . . Blades, Broncos swing deal . . . T-Birds lose director of player personnel to NHL

Ferris070223
A chipper Ferris Backmeyer, 6, continues her recovery from a kidney transplant in a Toronto hospital. (Photo: Lindsey Backmeyer/Facebook)

It seems that there almost always will be speed bumps in the recovery process after a kidney transplant.

Ferris Backmeyer encountered a couple on Saturday at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, where the six-year-old from Kamloops underwent a transplant overnight Thursday.

With all that her family has been through over the past few years, they knew that this could happen. Still, that didn’t make things any easier.

“I knew there were gonna be bumps but tonight has been way too hard for my FerrisLogomama heart!!” Lindsey wrote on Facebook early, early Saturday morning. “(Friday) night was a bit tough in that I wasn’t able to sleep at her bedside and she woke frequently asking for me. So I didn’t get even a minutes sleep. Pat and I traded out and I slept during the day.”

And then Saturday started out “pretty good” but . . .

“She required (norepinephrine) overnight but weaned off of it when she woke up,” Lindsey continued. “She slept most the morning into the early afternoon. Then was pretty good. Her urine output really slowed down. Was hardly meeting targets but everyone was happy with the bloodwork and the urine output was considered acceptable. She got moved out of ICU in the evening at shift change.

“Well it musta been the elevation because she literally got crumpy as soon as we got upstairs. So much pain. Urine output dropped to less than 10mls an hour for a couple hours and then it was zero for the next two. She had a big jump in the output from her drain. The no urine output and intense pain for hours and then vomiting was breaking me.

“I was frustrated that it didn’t feel like much was being done. We couldn’t give more pain meds yet. No labs. Then the nurse told me they would order an ultrasound for the morning. I had only spoken to the resident that had come by to assess Ferris. She wasn’t a nephrology resident even and I just got incredibly articulate!!

“Magically . . . nephro came to the bedside. Ordered all the things including a stat ultrasound. They have albumin and lasix and she had really decent output. We just nicely got back from ultrasound. The preliminary report mentioned a narrowing in the ureter but good blood flow and no obvious big collections. Sigghhhh.

“Some of her tests aren’t back yet. She could still have a urine leak. But she made pee. She’s finally comfortable and asleep. Hoping for a bit of rest myself. The nurse is pretty busy with her. I suspect she will be in here most the rest of her shift.

“This is the first real bump so far and it scared the crap outta me. Feel better my girl!”

KFC

THE COACHING GAME:

The QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs are poised to name Sylvain Favreau as their next head coach. He had resigned as the head coach of the Halifax Mooseheads a week ago. With Drummondville, he takes over from Éric Bélanger, who resigned last month after just 63 games as head coach, 54 of them in the regular season. . . . That leaves six QMJHL teams without a head coach — the Cape Breton Eagles, Gatineau Olympiques, Halifax, Quebec Remparts, Rimouski Oceanic and Sherbrooke Phoenix.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The Swift Current Broncos have acquired 2005-born D Tomas Zizka from the Saskatoon Blades for a conditional sixth-round selection in the WHL’s 2026 draft. Ziska, from Zlin, Czech Republic, had two assists in 32 regular-season games with the Blades last season. Saskatoon selected him in the CHL’s 2022 import draft. . . . The trade frees up the Blades to make one pick in Wednesday’s CHL import draft. Their second import slot is filled by F Egor Sidorov, who was their leading scorer last season. . . .

Cal Filson, who had been the Seattle Thunderbirds’ director of player personnel, has left the WHL team to work for the Chicago Blackhawks as an amateur scout. He had been with the Thunderbirds for 14 seasons, the last eight as director of player personnel.

THINKING OUT LOUD: Take a few minutes out of your day and track down a Washington Post feature written by Sally Jenkins that carries this headline: Bitter rivals. Beloved friends. Survivors. . . . It’s the story of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, their rivalry and their friendship, their battles with cancer and a whole lot more. . . . And it’ll be the best thing you read today. I guarantee it. . . . ESPN’s NFL coverage without Suzy Kolber and Steve Young? Say it ain’t so. . . . There isn’t much better than watching the Baltimore Orioles on TV with Jim Palmer, the ol’ right-hander, working as the analyst. . . . Is the hockey season over yet?

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.

AlarmClock

MJHL concerned about losing players to BCHL . . . Warriors’ assistant takes over Bisons . . . Thunderbirds get import from Oil Kings

Here’s Ken Campbell of Hockey Unfiltered, in a piece headlined ‘Vegas won the Cup the old-fashioned way: They earned it’:

“No, the NHL did not gift the Golden Knights a Stanley Cup. The rival GMs who tried to outsmart the expansion draft and subsequently got fleeced by George McPhee did. If you need any further proof of that, just look at the team the Golden Knights vanquished in the final. The Florida Panthers gave Vegas Reilly Smith so they would select Jonathan Marchessault instead of defenceman Alex Petrovic, who hasn’t played in the NHL in four seasons and finished up this season with the Texas Stars of the AHL. The Anaheim Ducks traded Shea Theodore to the Golden Knights in exchange for not selecting the unprotected Sami Vatanen or Josh Manson. The Minnesota Wild dealt Alex Tuch — whom the Golden Knights ultimately leveraged to get Jack Eichel — so they would take Erik Haula.”

——

Want more on the Stanley Cup-champion Golden Knights? Greg Wyshynski of ESPN has a terrific read right here. He writes about the Golden Knights and how they were built, warts and all, and a whole lot more. It’s lengthy but well worth the time.

Henri Richard, who won 11 Stanley Cups while playing with the Montreal Canadiens, is the latest former NHLer to have been found to be suffering with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) when he died on March 6, 2020. . . . Richard, who was 84 when he died, played with the Canadiens for 20 seasons (1955-75). He was the Pocket Rocket; his brother Maurice was the Rocket. . . . Henri’s son, Denis, has gone public with the findings of Stage 3 CTE (Stage 4 is the worst). “I hope my father’s brain donation and diagnosis will lead to more prevention efforts, research and eventually a CTE treatment,” Denis said in a statement. “I want people to understand this is a disease that impacts athletes far beyond football.” . . . Ken Dryden, the Hall of Fame goaltender who played with Richard, also released a statement in which he said: “I played with Henri. We won two Cups together. He fits none of the easy stereotypes, checks none of the easy boxes. Played in a different time, old-time hockey, all the fights? Not Henri. Big hitter? Not Henri. . . . Like Stan Mikita and Ralph Backstrom, he was a great skater, and physical, but he had a playmaker’s mind, and played that way. But all those hits to the head. We have to understand, whatever the sport, a hit to the head is not a good thing.” . . . Mikita and Backstrom both were found to have CTE when they died. . . . There is more on this story right here.

Sponges

From Mike Sawatzky of the Winnipeg Free Press:

“The tremors triggered by the B.C. Hockey League’s recent split with Hockey Canada are rumbling toward the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

“One star player — 19-year-old Portage Terriers right-winger Austin Peters — has already committed to playing for the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs and others may soon follow.”

As Sawatzky points out, BCHL teams no longer have to pay compensation of any sort when signing players who have been in leagues that operate inside Hockey Canada.

Barry Wolff, the general manager and head coach of the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders, who has extensive experience in the BCHL, told Sawatzky: “I think you’ll see those kind of high-end skilled guys leaving. It’s unfortunate there’s no compensation and I guess in our world, we would hope that some way, some how they would honour something because basically they can phone any of your guys and take them. On the flip side, we can do the same to their players but the chances of that happening is a little tougher.”

Sawatzky’s complete story is right here.

Congrats to Bill O’Donovan on the news that RTNDA Canada is presenting him with its 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. . . . When he isn’t the public address announcer at Kamloops Blazers’ games, O’Donovan is the lead news anchor — a position he has filled since 2001 — and producer at CFJC-TV in Kamloops. . . . Bill and I go back to the late-1980s when he was at CKCK-TV in Regina and I was at The Leader-Post. We may have gone head-to-head in the odd Strat-O-Matic baseball game, too. . . . RTNDA? Radio Television Digital News Association.

F Noah Philp, who spent four seasons in the WHL, has retired from hockey after spending one season in the pro game. Philp, 24, put up 37 points, 19 of them goals, in 70 games with the Bakersfield Condors, the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton had signed him to a one-year entry-level deal after he played three seasons with the U of Alberta Golden Bears and had expressed interest in re-signing him. . . . Before joining the Golden Bears, Philp played two seasons (2015-17) with the Kootenay Ice and two (2017-19) with the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, Philp said: “I’m at a time in my life where I want to focus on things outside the realm of hockey. I’m doing well and wish all the best to the players, coaches and staff in Bakersfield and in Edmonton.”

Watch

F Mike Vecchione scored twice and added an assist on Thursday as the host Hershey Bears beat the Coachella Valley Firebirds, 3-2, to tie the AHL’s championship final, 2-2. . . . They’ll play Game 5 in Hershey on Saturday and then head to Thousand Palms, Calif., to finish the series with games on Monday and, if needed, Wednesday. . . . Last night, Vecchione’s second goal of the game, and fourth of the playoffs, broke a 1-1 tie at 3:03 of the second period. . . . F Ethen Frank (2) upped the lead to 3-1 at 14:24. . . . F Jesper Froden (5) got the Firebirds to within a goal at 7:01 of the third period but they weren’t able to pull even down the stretch.

THE COACHING GAME:

Gordon Burnett, an assistant coach with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, has been named the head coach of the U of Manitoba Bisons. He will take over from the retiring Mike Sirant, who spent more than 30 years with the Bisons as a player, assistant coach and head coach. . . . Burnett spent three seasons with the Warriors. He also was on the staff of the Kootenay Ice for four seasons. . . . Mike Sawatzky of the Winnipeg Free Press reported on May 30 that the Bisons were expected to turn to Burnett as their next head coach.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The Seattle Thunderbirds have acquired 2004-born German F Luca Hauf from the Edmonton Oil Kings for an eighth-round selection in the WHL’s 2024 draft. . . . That draft pick originally belonged to the Vancouver Giants. . . . Hauf had five goals and 16 assists in 45 games last season. He has played for Germany at each of the past two World Junior Championships. He had one goal in five games in the 2023 tournament. . . . The Oil Kings’ roster still includes 2005-born Czechia D Vojtech Port, who had four goals and 13 assists in 48 games as a freshman last season. . . . Hauf joins 2003-born F Brad Lambert, who is from Finland, on Seattle’s roster. Lambert, however, is unlikely to return. He started last season with the Manitoba Moose, the AHL affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets, and is almost certain to be in the pro ranks next season. He also is heading into his 20-year-old season. . . . The 2023 CHL import draft is scheduled for July 5. . . .

D Chase Friedt-Mohr and D Nicco Camazzola, both preparing for their 20-year-old seasons, were placed on waivers by the Tri-City Americans and both have cleared. Thus, they both are free agents. . . . Friedt-Mohr, from Prince Albert, has split 125 regular-season games between the Americans, Spokane Chiefs and Edmonton Oil Kings. He has eight goals and 13 assists over those games. . . . From Burnaby, Camazzola put up three goals and six assists in 107 regular-season games — 16 with the Americans and 91 with the Vancouver Giants. . . .

F Blake Eastman, another player heading into his 20-year-old season, has cleared waivers after being released by the Prince George Cougars. From Ardrossan, Alta., Eastman had eight goals and 14 assists in 66 games last season. In 180 regular-season games over four seasons, he has 19 goals and 25 assists. . . .

F Steel Quiring, who played with four WHL teams, including three last season, also has cleared waivers and is a free agent. Quiring, 20, is from Vernon, B.C. He played last season with the Calgary Hitmen (two games), Everett Silvertips (30) and Regina Pats (23), totalling four goals and five assists. . . . He also played with the Kelowna Rockets. . . . In 142 regular-season games, he put up 18 goals and 38 assists. . . .

Simon Gagné was introduced as the general manager of the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts on Thursday. Gagné had been an assistant coach with the Remparts, working alongside Patrick Roy, the general manager and head coach, who stepped aside earlier this week. The Remparts haven’t yet named a new head coach. . . . Gagné played three seasons (1996-99) with the Remparts before going on to a lengthy NHL career during which he won one Stanley Cup (Los Angeles Kings, 2012).

Glasses

THINKING OUT LOUD:

Wouldn’t the NHL have been a lot more fun had one of the groups that included Ryan Reynolds or Snoop Dogg ended up owning the Ottawa Senators? . . . Can’t you just imagine Snoop hangin’ with some of the governors at those meetings in Florida? . . . What a great move by the QMJHL in posting its teams’ protected lists on its website, allowing fans to gain some insight into things. Yes, you are able to go to theqmjhl.ca and pore over the protected list of each of the 18 teams by going to the 2023 preseason pages. . . . Wouldn’t it be nice if the WHL chooses to follow suit once it gets the 2023 preseason pages up on its website?

——

——

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.

Sewer

I know nothing but there’s hot buzz about the Ice . . . Rockets get Iginla from T-Birds . . . Remparts trade three from championship roster

Schultz

Let me guess? You are wondering: What’s the latest on the Winnipeg Ice situation?

Well, I really don’t know anything, but a spy in Chilliwack tells me that he has heard that the “Aquilinis are working out a deal with the city to buy the building — or possibly get the city to manage it — and buy the Chiefs.”

The Aquilinis, of course, own the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks and the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, along with assorted real estate properties and blueberry farms.

If you’re new to this situation, there has been ample speculation for a few months now that the Winnipeg Ice will be on the move at some point this WinnipegIcesummer. The move apparently has become necessary, or so the speculation goes, because the Ice’s owners, who moved the franchise from Cranbrook after the 2018-19 season, have failed to deliver on a promise to build a new arena, thus they are stuck in the 1,600-seat Wayne Fleming Arena on the U of Manitoba campus. The WHL, ’tis said, has had enough of that particular situation. (BTW, I believe there still is a lawsuit kicking around somewhere involving the City of Cranbrook versus the WHL and the Ice’s owners. Something about a lease.)

And so it is that Chilliwack is in the forefront of the rumour mill. Chilliwack, of course, once was home to the Bruins, who were sold and allowed to move to Victoria where they now are the Royals. That move, of course, meant that the WHL and its franchise owners didn’t get to divvy up the money they could have gotten had an expansion franchise been sold to someone eager to get into Victoria.

But we digress. . . .

The Chilliwack mole also tells me that Ron Toigo, the majority owner of the Vancouver Giants, “wants a WHL team in Chilliwack, and he may be the mastermind behind all of this.”

If Toigo, indeed, is pushing for the Ice to end up in Chilliwack it makes all kinds of sense. For starters, having his Giants match up with the Chilliwack TBAs for 10 games a season would certainly cut a chunk out of travel expenses.

It also could be the start of a beautiful rivalry. If you think back to 2010-11, the Bruins’ last season in Chilliwack, they were just at the point where they could compete hard with the Giants, something that only would have been good for attendance. In 2009-10, the Giants had beaten the Bruins in seven of 10 meetings. In 2010-11, they evenly split the season series — 5-5-0.

While the rumour mill is working overtime, the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs just go about their business, signing players and doing whatever is involved in being part of an outlaw, er, independent league. (Back in the day, when the fathers of the WHL — Bill Hunter and Scott Munro and their gang — left the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, they were dubbed outlaws. In these days of political correctness, or maybe it’s because they haven’t robbed any stage coaches, the BCHL is referred to as being “independent.”)

BTW, the 5,000-seat Chilliwack Coliseum opened in 2004 as Prospera Centre. It is home to the Chiefs and is owned and operated by the Chiefs Development Group. Moray Keith, one of the Chiefs’ three owners, is the president of the Chiefs Development Group.

According to the Chilliwack mole, there already is a name being bandied about as the likely head coach should the Ice be sold to the Aquilinis and relocate. That would be Harvey Smyl, who, although he hasn’t coach in more than 10 years, has long ties to the Chilliwack hockey scene, having spent a bunch of seasons on the Chiefs’ bench back in the day. Oh yes, he also has at least one tie to the Aquilinis. That would be through his brother, Stan, one of the most popular Canucks of all time. Stan now is the Canucks’ vice-president of hockey operations.

Harvey Smyl as head coach in Chilliwack “is farfetched to me,” the mole told me. “But who knows these days?”

Who knows, indeed?

Filter

The Kelowna Rockets have acquired 2006-born F Tij Iginla from the Seattle Thunderbirds for 2005-born F Grady Lenton and two WHL draft picks — a first in 2024 and a second in 2027, the latter of which originated with Seattle. . . . That second-rounder was acquired by the Rockets from Seattle during the 2023 draft for third- and fifth-round selections in that draft. . . . Iginla is the son of former WHL/NHL star F Jerome Iginla, a Hockey Hall of Famer who now is a co-owner of the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Tij had six goals and 12 assists in 48 regular-season games with Seattle in 2022-23. He had one assist in three playoff games, all of them in the first round against Kelowna. . . . Seattle selected Iginla ninth overall in the 2021 WHL draft. . . . Lenton has four goals and four assists in 60 regular-season games with the Rockets. From Delta, B.C., he was selected by the Rockets in the eighth round of the 2020 WHL draft.

Three days after backstopping the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts to a Memorial qmjhlnewCup championship in Kamloops, G William Rousseau was dealt to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Wednesday. . . . In return, the Remparts got a first- and a second-round draft pick, both in 2024. . . . The 2003-born Rousseau picked up the shutout on Sunday as the Remparts blanked the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-0, in the winner-take-all championship game. . . . During the regular season, he was 35-11 with a 2.22 GAA. . . . Rousseau had been selected by the Remparts in the fifth round of the QMJHL’s 2019 draft. . . .

Also on Wednesday, the Remparts dealt 2003-born D Jérémy Langlois to the Huskies for two draft picks — a fourth in 2023 and a second in 2024. He had two assists in four games during the Memorial Cup. After three-plus seasons with the Cape Breton Eagles, the team captain was dealt to the Remparts 27 games into the 2022-23 season. He had 33 points, 25 of them assists in 34 regular-season games with Quebec. . . . Langlois was a first-round pick by the Eagles in 2019, and was taken by the Arizona Coyotes in the third round of the NHL’s 2022 draft. . . .

Quebec also traded D Charle Truchon, 20, to the Rimouski Océanic for F Simon Maltais, 20, and two draft picks — a third in 2023 and a fifth in 2024. He had a goal and an assist in four Memorial Cup games, after putting up 10 points in 16 playoff games and 24 in 68 regular-season games. . . .

Those trades were among numerous deals that took place in a QMJHL trading window that ran Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to noon. Another window is set for Friday, from 9 to 10 a.m. . . . BTW, the Remparts were honoured at Quebec City Hall on Tuesday and were at the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Lawyers

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

Les Lazaruk may be the longtime play-by-play voice of the Saskatoon Blades, but deep at heart he’s a baseball guy. If you weren’t aware, he was half of the radio crew for baseball’s Winnipeg Goldeyes in their first season. And he was back in Winnipeg on Tuesday, having a reunion with Peter Young, the other half of that broadcast team, and watching the Goldeyes. . . . Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun has that neat story right here. . . .

Nathan MacDonald, the Swift Current Broncos’ executive vice-president of business operations, has left the organization after five seasons there. He will be joining the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers in an unspecified front-office position.

THINKING OUT LOUD: When I entered the newspaper business more than 50 years ago, one of the first lessons I learned was that it’s always about the money. And when they say it isn’t about the money, you absolutely know that it’s about the money. Hey, Saudi Golf Tour — er, PGA Tour — you crossed the line, so I’m out. . . . Is there anything more irritating than the yelling by Seattle Mariners’ play-by-play voices when one of their favourites hits a home run? Sheesh, guys, it’s still June. How loud would you go for a World Series blast? . . . ICYMI, the Coachella Valley Firebirds are into their first AHL final. The Firebirds are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken. Did I mention that the Firebirds are in their first season? Yes, they are. They will open the best-of-seven final tonight against the visiting Hershey Bears, the AHL’s oldest franchise. Rich Franklin, who spent more than 10 years in the Portland Winterhawks’ front office, is the Firebirds’ senior director of corporate partnerships. . . . Rob Vanstone, who left the Regina Leader-Post’s sports department earlier this year, received a Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal on Wednesday “for his extraordinary leadership and service to local sports and the community.” These days, after spending years and years covering, among other things, the WHL and Regina Pats, Vanstone is churning out stories and more as the senior journalist and historian for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Hyphen

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.

Fixage

Milic backstops T-Birds to second WHL title . . . OHL, QMJHL both going to Game 6. . . . Who’s up next in Red Deer? . . . Giants, Wheat Kings make deal

Let’s be honest . . . the $64,000 question in WHL circles these days is: Will Brent RedDeerSutter 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 Seattlechampionship, 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.

LowFlying

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

——

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.

Spock

Thunderbirds win terrific Game 4; can wrap up series on Friday . . . Petes, Remparts in control of their series . . . Vees win second straight BCHL title

PLAYOFF NOTES:

The Seattle Thunderbirds will have a chance to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions when they entertain the Winnipeg Ice in Game 5 of the final series in Kent, Wash., on Friday night. The Thunderbirds scored a 4-2 victory over the Ice on Wednesday night to assume a 3-1 series lead. . . . The Thunderbirds are in the final for the second straight season, having lost in six games to the Edmonton Oil Kings a year ago. . . . Seattle won its only WHL championship in 2016-17. . . .

In the OHL, the host Peterborough Petes erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals en route to a 5-3 victory over the London Knights. . . . The Petes hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven championship series with Game 5 in London on Friday night. . . . If Games 6 and/or 7 are needed, they’ll be played in Peterborough on Sunday and London on Monday. . . . Last night, F Easton Cowan (8) gave London a 1-0 lead at 1:19 of the first period. . . . The Petes took control with the next four goals, three in the second period. F J.R. Avon (9) scored twice in the second, with F Owen Beck (8) getting the other. D Donovan McCoy (2) made it 4-1 at 7:44 of the third period. . . . London got to within a goal on a pair of PP goals, from D Sam Dickinson (4), at 13:59, and F Denver Barkley (10), at 16:51. . . . F Avery Hayes (11) iced it for the Petes with an empty-netter at 17:24. . . . G Michael Simpson earned the victory with 50 saves, 24 of them in the third period. . . .

In the QMJHL, the visiting Quebec Remparts broke a 1-1 tie in the third period as they beat the Halifax Mooseheads, 2-1, to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven championship final. . . . The Remparts get their first opportunity at wrapping it up when the play Game 5 in Quebec City on Friday night. . . . If needed, a sixth game would be played in Halifax on Sunday with a seventh game in Quebec City on Monday. . . . Last night, F Zachary Bolduc (10) scored the game-winner at 13:11 of the third period. Remparts F Theo Rochette likely should have been assessed a slashing penalty in the defensive zone as he forced a turnover, skated up ice, split the defence and fed Bolduc on the left side. He rifled the winner past G Mathis Rousseau on the short side. . . . Rochette (4) had the Remparts’ other goal, at 2:54 of the first period, with Bolduc drawing an assist. . . . F Evan Boucher (8) scored for Halifax at 11:53 of the second period. . . .

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. Of note: Smoke from various forest fires moved into Kamloops in a big way on Wednesday. Hopefully, it moves out long before tournament time arrives.

WEDNESDAY IN THE WHL PLAYOFFS:

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Winnipeg (1) at Seattle (2) — F Dylan Guenther broke a 2-2 tie at 7:47 of the Seattlethird 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.

Psychic

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The Penticton Vees won their second straight BCHL championship on bchlWednesday 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.”

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

——

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.

Spider