Tag: Spokane Chiefs

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.”

Payne among Wall of Honour’s Class of ’25

The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation’s second annual Wall of Honour induction dinner is only a couple of weeks away. It is scheduled to be held in Okotoks, Alta., on July 29. . . . Tickets are available at the Foundation’s website (tickets.hockeyscoutsfoundation.com). . . . All told, we will induct 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. . . . In the lead up to the dinner, we are introducing you to the Class of ’25. So let’s get to know Ray Payne. . . .

RAY PAYNE

(Aug. 25, 1942 — )

Born in Toronto, he began scouting as part-timer with the Minnesota North Stars (1989-90). . . . The San Jose Sharks hired him in 1990 and he was with them through 2004, but left for two years to join Hockey Canada as director of scouting. . . . Won gold at the 1996 World Junior Championship in Boston. . . . Was San Jose’s chief scout for his final eight seasons there. . . . Moved to the Washington Capitals (2004-07) and then spent two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, the last one as associate head scout. . . . Has been in the WHL since 2011, starting with the Calgary Hitmen (2011-17), then Portland Winterhawks (2017-23). . . . Joined the Spokane Chiefs in 2024 as chief B.C. scout. . . . Boston U grad. Played in 1966 Final Four. . . . Taught high school in Toronto area for 17 years before turning to scouting.

Meet another member of the Wall of Honour’s Class of 2025

The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation’s second annual Wall of Honour induction dinner is scheduled for Okotoks on July 29. . . . Okotoks, the home of the BCHL’s Oilers, also is the home of the Wall of Honour. Yes, it’s right here in the Viking Rentals Centre. . . . That also will be the site of induction dinner, tickets for which are available at tickets.hockeyscoutsfoundation.com. . . . As dining time approaches, we are introducing folks to members of the Wall of Honour’s Class of ’25. This time we would like you to meet Brian Gross.

BRIAN GROSS

(Oct. 11, 1942 — )

From Lethbridge, he was raised on a farm, learning to skate on a frozen dugout. . . . Began scouting by working southern Alberta for the Regina Pats (1980-83). Regina hired him full-time (1983-85), and he answered to Glen Dirk and Bob Strumm. . . . When they moved to the Spokane Chiefs, Gross went along (1986-90) as an Alberta and tournament scout. . . . Then it was on to the Tacoma/Kelowna Rockets (1991-95), before a return to Regina (1995-97), this time as director of scouting. . . . San Jose hired him in 1997 and he spent 25 seasons with the Sharks, covering Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest, before retiring. . . . Worked 32 years with Alberta Government Telephones until 1993. . . . A highlight was getting undrafted Kelowna D Josh Gorges into San Jose’s camp and watching him go on to 13-season NHL career.

Statements abound as Hurricanes welcome Peters as head coach; social media firestorm follows announcement . . . Patrick says he’s not done with coaching

On a day when some of its 22 teams had players report to training camps, the WHL found itself in the middle of a firestorm on Wednesday after the Lethbridge Hurricanes announced the hiring of Bill Peters as head coach.

Peters takes over from Brent Kisio, who left the organization after eight seasons on Aug. 10 and now is an assistant coach with the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.

The firestorm actually began on Tuesday night, a week after I had posted here that Peters was the leading candidate to be named the Hurricanes’ head coach.

First, Frank Seravalli of @HockeyFaceoff posted to X, formerly known as Twitter: “Following up on Gregg’s report that Bill Peters is potentially next head coach in WHL Lethbridge. Checked in with Akim Aliu, who said Peters has still not apologized — 13 years after the incident, and nearly 4 years after it became public and cost him his NHL head coaching job.” He has 289.7K followers.

Shortly after, Greg Wyshynski of ESPN posted to his 229.2K followers that Peters could be named head coach “as early as” Wednesday. He also wrote that “it’s my understanding that Peters only sought an audience with Aliu last week through a third party, apparently in anticipation of this job opportunity.”

And with that the dam broke as comments poured in, the vast majority of them negative.

Sunaya Sapurji, a longtime junior hockey observer and writer now with The Athletic, posted: “Just had a source reach out to confirm @gdrinnan’s report. This is gross on so many levels. I have a hard time believing there isn’t a good young coach (or an old one) deserving of an opportunity to coach ‘junior’ without the baggage. Honestly, why would you do this?”

(For more, if you’re on X just search for Bill Peters.)

Peters, 58, hasn’t coached in North America since resigning as head coach of the NHL’s Calgary Flames on Nov. 29, 2019. That followed accusations by former player Akim Aliu that Peters had directed racist comments at him while both were with the Rockford IceHogs, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, in 2009-10.

Writing on Twitter, Aliu said Peters, Rockford’s head coach, had “dropped the N bomb several times towards me in the dressing room in my rookie year because he didn’t like my choice of music.”

After leaving Calgary, Peters joined Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the KHL as head coach on April 15, 2020. He was fired on Nov. 30, 2022.

In the almost four years since leaving the Flames, Peters hadn’t apologized to Aliu. On Wednesday, Aliu released a statement on X stating that he recently had heard from an unidentified NHL coach who was attempting “to broker an apology” from Peters. In the statement, Aliu wrote that “I don’t feel that I have anything to say to Bill at this point.”

On Wednesday, a teary-eyed Peters addressed the news conference in Lethbridge, starting with:

“To Akim, I apologize. I did not recognize the impact of my words. I was uneducated in my use of inappropriate language. I take ownership of my actions, I regret my choice of words. I failed to create a safe space for the team, and I’m deeply sorry.”

Peters also did a stint as head coach of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes (2014-18). Michal Jordán, who played with Carolina then, later alleged that Peters had kicked him and also had punched another player in the head during a game.

Rod Brind’Amour, an assistant coach with Carolina then, has confirmed those allegations. He now is the Hurricanes’ head coach.

Meanwhile, there were statements aplenty at Wednesday’s Lethbridge news conference. And as you might expect everyone was singing from the same hymnal.

According to the Hurricanes, “Peters has completed the Anti-Racism Training and Coaching Certification program with guidance through Shades of Humanity Consulting — a national diversity, equity and inclusion agency, helping companies build diverse and inclusive organizations as well as providing leadership coaching, culture development strategies, anti-racism education and equity informed policy design.”

The team said that he “will continue to partake in anti-racism coaching, equity training, and further educational initiatives prescribed by Shades of Humanity Consulting.”

Peters, in his statement, said he worked with Shades of Humanity “to understand and correct my regrettable actions. I have learned a lot through this educational journey and feel ready to return to coaching. I am in a unique position to guide our next generation of community leaders and to establish a more inclusive culture in hockey.”

Ron Robison, the outgoing WHL commissioner, attended the news conference. In a statement, he offered: “After a thorough review, speaking with representatives from Shades of Humanity, and receiving a commitment from Bill to continue on his path of anti-racism, self-growth and redemption, the WHL is satisfied Bill is ready to return to coaching in the WHL. The journey towards individual and systemic equity learning should be viewed as an ongoing process. Bill has demonstrated that through this process and the WHL remains committed to systemic change through continued education.”

Later in the day, Aliu told John Chidley-Hill of The Canadian Press that no one from the WHL or the Hurricanes had spoken with him. (That story is right here.)

“I think the WHL and the Hurricanes should have contacted myself and Michal Jordan, the victims of Bill Peters, and had a conversation,” said Aliu. “I’m just mind boggled how you can take the word of a racist and abusive person and the fact that he’s telling you he has changed when you haven’t spoken with the folks that have been affected by it.

“That’s just a huge lack of leadership on the behalf of WHL president Ron Robison and the Lethbridge Hurricanes as a whole.”

Peters has had two other WHL coaching stints, both with the Spokane Chiefs. He was an assistant coach for three seasons (1999-02) and their head coach for three seasons (2005-08). He also spent three seasons (2002-05) as the head coach of the U of Lethbridge men’s hockey team.

The Hurricanes signed Peters to a multi-year contract, the length of which wasn’t divulged.

“Bill brings a high level of experience, having coached professionally in the AHL and NHL,” Peter Anholt, Lethbridge’s general manager, said in a news release. “His previous time in the WHL, which included a Memorial Cup championship in 2008, along with his experience coaching in Lethbridge with the Pronghorns, put him at the top of our candidate list. His addition will have a major impact on our team and our players’ and coaches development.”

Anholt, 62, who is about to start his 10th season as GM, also is heavily involved with Hockey Canada. He spent the past two seasons overseeing the country’s under-18 program. On March 22, Hockey Canada promoted him to the U-20 program. That means that he is in charge of the team that will be gunning for a third straight gold medal when the World Junior Championship opens in Goteborg, Sweden, on Dec. 26.

Sara Civ (@SaraCivian) — This is so important for understanding what the significance and reach of “boys club” really means when we talk about the NHL. It isn’t just that certain people get certain opportunities — it’s that those people then influence others in positions to give out other opportunities. (80.6K followers).

Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) — The fact that Bill Peters is going to be put in charge of a group of kids and young adults again after all of this is just absolutely insane to me. You’re telling me there isn’t one qualified person ahead of him that doesn’t have a chronic history of alleged abuse? (25.1K followers).

The other day, Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun caught up with James Patrick, a WHL head coach for the past six seasons. Patrick spent the past four seasons as the head coach of the Winnipeg Ice and the two seasons before that with the Kootenay Ice. The Winnipeg franchise was sold and moved to Wenatchee, Wash., over the summer. Patrick, 60, has since joined the Victoria Royals as director of player development. . . . Patrick told Friesen that the sale of the Ice came as a surprise: “I wasn’t in the loop. . . . There were rumours all year long, and some of them were found to be just that, rumours. I was under the impression the team would be back for sure for another year.” . . . As for his coaching career, Patrick told Friesen that “it’s not over.” . . . Friesen’s column — and it’s a good read — is right here.

TVshow

The Tri-City Americans have acquired F Jake Gudelj from the Spokane Chiefs in exchange for two WHL draft picks — a fifth-rounder in 2025 and a second in 2026. . . . From Vancouver, Gudelj, who won’t turn 18 until Dec. 5, had eight goals and assists in 68 games with the Chiefs as a sophomore last season. As a freshman, he put up three goals and three assists in 51 games. . . . He was Spokane’s scholastic player of the year each of the past two seasons. . . . The Chiefs selected him in the fourth round of the WHL’s 2020 draft.

——

The Tri-City Americans and Jacobs Radio have agreed on a “multi-year partnership” that will have all regular-season and playoff games carried on 95.3 UROCK Radio. . . . The Americans made the announcement on Tuesday, also revealing that Craig West will return as the play-by-play voice, at least on an interim basis. West announced in April that he was moving into semi-retirement after call WHL games since 1990, with the Spokane Chiefs (1990-98) and the Americans (1998-2023). However, the Americans have yet to hire a new radio voice, so West will fill that role on an interim basis. As West posted on Facebook, along with a laughing emoji: “Just when you think you’re out, you’re back in.”

Stupidity

The Calgary Hitmen have named Gary Michalick as their director of scouting. A native of Winnipeg, Michalick was a long-time scout with the Brandon Wheat Kings before joining the Hitmen. He now is heading into his seventh season with Calgary. . . . Garry Davidson had been the director of scouting until being named director of hockey operations following the departure of general manager Jeff Chynoweth on July 15.

Robbie Sandland, a former director of player personnel and assistant general manager with the Kamloops Blazers, has joined the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins as an amateur scout. The Penguins made the announcement on Tuesday. . . . From Nanaimo, Sandland will spend most of his time scouting Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. He had been with the Blazers since 2018 when he signed on as a scout. He was named director of player personnel a year later and added the AGM title prior to last season.

Aaron Keller was named director of player personnel by the Kamloops Blazers on Wednesday. Keller played four seasons (1992-96) with the Blazers, helping them win the Memorial Cup in 1994 and again in 1995. . . . Keller has worked with the Blazers as a development coach since 2017 when returned to Kamloops from Japan where he played for 17 seasons and coached for three. For the past four years he also has been the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association’s technical director. . . . The Blazers also promoted Scott Blakeney, a B.C. scout, to senior head scout (B.C.) and added Brad Davis to their scouting staff as head scout (Manitoba). Blakeney is going into his fifth season with Kamloops. Davis spent the past 16 seasons with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Jason Pashelka will be back for a fifth season as head scout (Alberta).

Beagle

The AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys are in the market for a general manager and head coach after announcing on Monday that Scott Atkinson had “tendered his resignation effective immediately.” . . . According to the team, Atkinson left for “personal reasons.” . . . The team is expected to name an interim GM and interim head coach while searching for someone to fill both roles. . . . Atkinson had been with the team for three and a half years. . . . The Grizzlys are in the middle of training camp, having already played one exhibition game and with their first home game set for Friday.

The SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers announced on Saturday that they have signed Emery Olauson as their general manager and head coach. He had been the GM/head coach of the KIJHL’s Columbia Valley Rockies, who play out of Invermere. . . . Olauson, 42, replaces Mat Hehr, who left early in August to join the Northern Alberta XTreme program. . . . The Terriers also announced that assistant coaches Scott Musqua and Zach Rakochy will be returning.

Scott Gomez, a former WHL star with the Tri-City Americans, has joined the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles as an assistant coach. Gomez, 43, is from Anchorage. He played one season (1996-97) with Surrey, before spending two with the Americans. . . . Gomez then went on to an NHL career that included 1,079 regular-season games and two Stanley Cup titles.

Trojan

PROGRAMMING NOTE:

I am stepping away from these writings and musings for the next while. In fact, at this time, I don’t know when, or even if, I will return. . . . I am wanting to get away from social media in the worst way and am looking forward to not feeling the need to turn on a computer. . . . Thanks for being here for all these years.

Bacon

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.

Shoe

Want to be WHL’s commissioner? Here’s the job description . . . Silvertips, Cougars make deal . . . So do Chiefs and Hurricanes

The WHL has hired TurnkeyZRG, an executive search firm based in Haddonfield, N.J., to lead its hunt for a new commissioner.

Ron Robison, who is heading into his 24th season as the WHL commissioner, WHLannounced on June 22 that he will retire after the 2023-24 season.

According to TurnkeyZRG’s website, it has “deep practitioner experience and more functional specialization than any other firm . . . We deliver a turnkey, 360-degree view of each candidate in a tech-driven candidate portal. Our candidate ranking system and interview feedback tools are second to none.”

If you are wanting to sit at the commissioner’s desk, you will, according to the firm’s job description,“need the following skills attributes and experience . . .

“Board -Level Experience
“Corporate Partnership Success
“Diplomacy/Conflict Resolution
“Go Getter/Relentless Energy & Motor
“Leader/Innovator/Challenge the Status Quo
“Marketing & Sales Orientation
“Persuasive People Skills/Master Communicator
“Revenue Growth Track Record
“Sports or Entertainment Business Experience.”
In a presentation that runs to more than 2,200 words, TurnkeyZRG says the successful candidate “will be responsible for the overall management of an effective and efficient organization that exceeds the expectations of the Board. The Commissioner shall be a visionary, but even more importantly, be a real ‘closer’ who can not only dream big, but also make things happen and bring deals to fruition. The Commissioner shall be THE revenue-oriented sales machine in the League and the sport.”

After that, the job description is split into five parts — Duties and Responsibilities; Marketing and Communications; Strategic Planning, Business Plan Development and Execution; Organizational Capability, Leadership and Values; and Competition, Governance and Stakeholder Management.

Those five parts are littered with business-related jargon, such as “identify and develop new revenue streams to enhance the commercial growth of the league . . .” and “oversee the development and implementation of a revenue strategy . . .” and “lead the League’s commercial efforts to drive all revenue-related activity . . .” and “maintain focus on maximizing profitability and creating new revenue opportunities . . .” and “serve as the strategist and consultant to each Club in the development of overall commercial and revenue strategy at the consumer and local level . . .” and “execute brand and retail/revenue-driving marketing strategies that measurably achieve revenue, attendance and audience targets, and maximize profit margins . . .” and “work with the Executive Committee and assume leadership in the development of the strategic direction of the WHL, addressing key issues such as revenue growth and optimization” and “now how to create/enhance/protect franchise values; increasing the value of all Clubs.”

There is little in the job description that deals with the WHL’s on-ice product, except for a couple of items under Competition, Governance and Stakeholder Management.

The commissioner, it reads, will “oversee the development and implementation of a competition strategy that will optimize the WHL’s showcasing and delivery of the highest quality of hockey possible.”

The commissioner also will “lead the League staff’s operations and competition staff to ensure high quality, fair and balanced competition is maintained, including: Player allocation, contracting, compensation, and welfare policies; Refereeing, rule review and development, and enforcement; and adjudication of disputes (including team penalties where required).”

The job description concludes with two sections headlined Required Qualifications and Preferred Qualifications.

The former includes seven items like “experience participating on a board and/or managing a board; or if not in a Board setting, experience with conflict resolution and finding solutions in a multi-stakeholder environment” and “extensive experience within revenue-driving executive leadership including sponsorship revenue generation, media rights negotiation and senior level management of commercial partner relationships” and “an understanding of new media platforms, digital content and online streaming trends.”

The latter includes 10 items, such as “competitive edge with strong commercial capability” and “ability to successfully manage multiple large-scale projects and numerous high-level commercial relationships simultaneously” and “ability to develop a positive culture . . . ability to deal with a high level of public scrutiny.”

TurnkeyZRG notes “All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, marital or partnership status, military or veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. TurnkeyZRG is an equal opportunity employer and workplace, and we encourage applicants of all backgrounds and communities to apply.”

The entire job description is right here.

The Everett Silvertips have acquired F Caden Brown, 18, from the Prince George Cougars for F Oren Shtrom, who will turn 19 on Sept. 28, and two WHL draft picks — a second-rounder in 2024 and a fifth in 2026. . . . Brown, who is from Prince George, had 18 goals and 15 assists in 66 games as a sophomore last season, then added three goals and four assists in 10 playoff games. As a freshman in 2021-22, Brown had seven goals and nine assists in 67 games. . . . The Cougars selected him with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 draft. . . . Shtrom, from Gilbert, Ariz., split 24 games between the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Silvertips, scoring twice and adding seven assists. In the two previous seasons, he totalled 14 goals and 19 assists in 82 games with the Tigers.

Confidential

For more than 20 years, the CHL had Canadian Controlled Media Communications (CCMC) handle the sponsorship end of its business. That relationship has ended with the decision by CCMC to shut down. The result is that the CHL announced on Wednesday that it has brought “corporate sponsorship and media sales in-house.” . . . The CHL is the umbrella organization under which the OHL, QMJHL and WHL operate. . . . Ryan Hudecki, who spent 18 years with CCMC, has been hired to fill the newly created position as the CHL’s vice-president of sponsorships. . . . As well, each of the three leagues will have its own sales representative, with Alysia Olsen the WHL’s regional sales director. . . . There’s more on this story right here.

Headline at The Beaverton: ‘See No Covid, Hear No Covid’ strategy working about as well as expected.

CarDoors

The Lethbridge Hurricanes have acquired F Kooper Gizowski, 18, from the Spokane Chiefs for a fourth-round selection in the WHL’s 2026 draft. . . . Lethbridge also acquired a seventh-round pick in the 2026 draft in the exchange. . . . In 112 regular-season games with the Chiefs, Gizowski totalled 15 goals and 19 assists. . . . From Edmonton, he was a second-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2020 draft. . . . According to the Chiefs’ news release, they now hold 19 selections in the first four rounds of the next three WHL drafts.

F Fischer O’Brien, 20, who cleared WHL waivers after being released by the Prince George Cougars, will be joining the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Fischer, a Prince George native, had 26 points, five of them goals, in 137 regular-season games over three seasons with the Cougars. The Bulldogs acquired his BCHL rights from the Penticton Vees for future considerations.

Flowers

THINKING OUT LOUD — How smoky was it in my neck of the woods on Wednesday? It was so smoky that the birds couldn’t see our sidewalk so it’s as clean as it was when I washed it on Tuesday. . . . I’m sure you are aware that the hockey season begins on Friday. That’s when QMJHL teams open camps. . . . BTW, I won’t be applying to be the next commissioner of the WHL. If you read the job description, the successful candidate just may be able to negotiate peace in the Middle East. . . . There still are two WHL teams — the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Vancouver Giants — without head coaches, and James Patrick, who had such a good run with the Kootenay/Winnipeg Ice, remains a free agent. Just saying!

Barbie

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.

TurnSignal

Trapper calls it a career after 60-plus years . . . Ex-WHLer now Russian citizen . . . Warriors, Giants swap some assets

The man known throughout the hockey world as Trapper has announced his retirement.

Barry Trapp said on Friday that “after more than 60 years involved with fronthockey, I have decided to step away from the game I love so much. It has been a great ride for this guy from the small town of Balcarres, Sask.”

Trapp, who will turn 82 on Aug. 14, was a defenceman in his playing days and saw time in the WHL, AHL and CPHL.

But it was in the world of coaching and scouting that he really made his mark.

He got into the coaching business with the U-18 Regina Pats Capitals and the Regina Pats Canadians.

By 1981-82, he was working as the head coach of the SJHL’s Regina Pat Blues. At the same time, he was with the Regina Pats as assistant general manager and assistant coach.

He moved to the Moose Jaw Warriors as general manager and head coach for 1985-86, before spending six seasons with Hockey Canada as its director of scouting.

His scouting career also included 10 years with NHL Central Scouting, the last five as their chief scout; four years with Toronto Maple Leafs as director of amateur scouting; and one year scouting for the Phoenix Coyotes.

The last years of his career were spent scouting for the Pats.

“It is,” he wrote, “only fitting to end up where I started.”

Trapp continued:

“I have met so many great people during this time travelling Canada, the U.S., and Europe — managers, coaches, players, media, agents and, of course, fans.

“I have many great memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life, plus many lifelong friendships. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the people who were important parts of my journey.”

He went on to salute Bob Strumm, John Paddock and Dale McMullin, Regina Pats; the late Jim Gregory and Frank Bonello, NHL Central Scouting; Bob Nicholson and Denis Hainault, Hockey Canada; the late Pat Quinn and Mike Penny, Toronto Maple Leafs; and, from the media, the late Bob Hughes, Mal Isaac and Warren Woods, along with Bob McKenzie, Jim Swanson, Gregg Drinnan, Tim Wharnsby, Chris Clarke, Rob Vanstone, Glen Reid, Marc Lachapelle and Peter Loubardias.

“There are so many others,” he added, “but these are the ones who supported me the most.

Thanks to you all and may God bless.

Yours in hockey,

Trapper”

Bathroom

The Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reports that D Brennan Menell, a former WHLer, has received Russian citizenship. According to the newspaper, Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, “granted Menell citizenship with a decree he signed” on Thursday. . . . The Moscow Times and Sport-Express also reported on the story. . . . Menell, 26, is an American from Woodbury, Minn., who signed a three-year contract with the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow in April. Menell apparently has expressed a desire to play for the Russian national team, thus the request for citizenship. . . . After signing with Dynamo, Alexei Sopin, the team’s athletic director, told RIA Novosti that Menell “really likes Russia and Moscow, so he’s ready to stay for a long time.” Sopin also said that Menell getting Russian citizenship “will be good PR for Russian sports.” . . . According to Sport-Express, Menell applied for citizenship “immediately” upon arriving in Russia early in July. The newspaper also reported that Menell is “actively” learning to speak Russian. . . . Menell played three seasons (2014-17) in the WHL, the first two with the Vancouver Giants and the third with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.  . . . Last season, he had two goals and 22 assists in 44 games with Dynamo. He split the 2021-22 season between the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The Moose Jaw Warriors and Vancouver Giants got together on Friday and cut a deal that included six assets. . . . The Warriors acquired F Ethan Semeniuk and three WHL draft picks — a first in 2024, a fifth in 2024 and a second in 2025. . . . The Giants got back D Marek Howell and a fourth-round pick in 2024. . . . Semeniuk, 18, is from Fort St. John, B.C. Last season, his second in Vancouver, he had 12 goals and 10 assists in 54 games. In 2021-22, he finished with eight goals and five assists in 56 games. . . . The Giants selected him in the third round of the 2020 WHL draft. . . . Howell, a 17-year-old from Calgary, was a freshman last season and finished with one goal and three assists in 44 games. Moose Jaw selected him 16th overall in the 2021 WHL draft. . . . Howell was one of four Warriors who sat out the final 17 games of the 2022-23 regular season for what the WHL said was violations of team rules and the league’s standard of conduct.

Contraceptive

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The Wenatchee Wild has acquired F Gabe Ludwig, 19, from the Prince Albert Raiders for an eighth-round selection in the WHL’s 2027 draft. The Raiders had acquired Ludwig from the Seattle Thunderbirds last season. He had two goals and seven assists in 37 games with Prince Albert. . . . The Wild also added F Luka Shcherbyna, 17, getting him from the Spokane Chiefs for a third-round pick in the 2007 WHL draft. From Vancouver, Shcherbyna played one game in each of the past two seasons with the Chiefs. He has yet to record his first WHL point. . . . Spokane selected him in the second round of the WHL’s 2021 draft. . . .

Nolan Kowal, who had been the play-by-play voice of the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins, will be calling games for the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders in the upcoming season. Pattison Media made the announcement on Friday. Kowal, from Winnipeg, was the Bruins’ radio voice for two seasons. . . . In Prince Albert, he takes over from Rob Mahon, who now is with the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . .

F Zach Benson of the Wenatchee Wild has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Buffalo Sabres, who selected him 13th overall in the NHL’s 2023 draft. . . . Benson, 18, had 36 goals and 62 assists in 60 games with the Winnipeg Ice in 2022-23. His 98 points left him third in the WHL’s scoring race. . . . Because he’s 18, Benson will have to be returned to the Wild unless he cracks the Sabres’ roster. . . .

The NHL has signed referee Graedy Hamilton for the 2023-24 season. He will work primarily in the AHL, but also is expected to get some NHL games early in 2024.  Hamilton, 23, has worked AHL games for the past two seasons and has been in the WHL for four seasons. He also worked in the BCHL for six seasons. . . . Hamilton, from the Cowichan Valley Minor Hockey Association, was BC Hockey’s official of the year for 2022-23.

Forget

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.

Grandma

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

Stankoven saluted by Hockey Gives Blood . . . Eight QMJHL teams need head coaches . . . Royals, Chiefs make deal

Logan Stankoven had quite a surprise awaiting shortly after he arrived home in Kamloops from a vacation in Italy.

On Tuesday night, before close to 100 people, he was saluted by Hockey Gives Blood, which presented him with the Dayna Brons Honorary Award “for his selfless contributions in support of patients who rely on Canadian Blood Services.”

Brons was the athletic therapist for the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos. She was on the team bus when it was involved in that horrific accident on April ??, 2018, and she died five days later. She had been a committed blood donor.

Stankoven, the captain of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, is a Hockey Gives Blood player ambassador. He is the fifth player ambassador to receive this award. He has been a player ambassador since the age of 17 and is a blood donor. He also has joined Canadian Blood Services’ stem cell registry and has played host to community blood drives.

He also played host to the largest fundraising initiative since the inception of Hockey Gives Blood. The Logan Stankoven Charity Night helped raise

more than $41,000, with all proceeds helping fund the vital efforts of Canada’s Life line — from recruitment of more blood, plasma, stem cell and organ and tissue donors to world-class research.

As the winner of this award, Stankoven also is eligible to receive a $5,000 educational bursary.

Previous recipients of this award are Jacob Ingham (Kitchener Rangers), Matthew Welsh (Charlottetown Islanders, Braden Hache (Kingston Frontenacs) and Logan Nijhoff (Regina Pats).

There are 18 teams in the QMJHL. As of Tuesday evening, eight of them were qmjhlnewwithout a head coach. . . . The latest to fall into that category are the Halifax Mooseheads and Sherbrooke Phoenix. . . . Sylvain Favreau, the Mooseheads’ head coach, resigned Monday, citing personal reasons. He had been with Halifax through six seasons, the past two as head coach. Halifax lost the QMJHL final to the Quebec Remparts last month. . . . The Phoenix lost Stéphane Julien, their general manager and head coach, to an as yet unnamed AHL team. He had been with the Phoenix for the past 12 seasons, the last three as GM/head coach. . . . The Mooseheads and Phoenix join the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, Cape Breton Eagles, Drummondville Voltigeurs, Gatineau Olympiques, Quebec Remparts and Rimouski Oceanic as teams now on the hunt for a head coach.

Dogpoop

If you’ve been watching MLB games of late, you will have seen or heard references to a new pitch that seems to have taken hold. Actually, it’s an old pitch. As Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle notes:

Nice to see the so-called ‘sweeper’ pitch absorb more ridicule from ex-players who realize it’s an analytics-created fallacy. “It’s not a ‘sweeper,’ that’s a slider,” Dave Stewart said on the A’s postgame show Thursday. “I sweep my floors with that thing, I don’t bring it into a baseball game. I can’t see any pitcher, in his bullpen between starts, working on throwing a flat breaking ball. When that pitch doesn’t have some depth to it, it gets hit pretty good. It’s a mistake that’s made, and that thing just stays up in the strike zone.”

More from Jenkins on the, uhh, ‘sweeper’:

Mike Krukow was onto the ruse early, calling it a “highschool Harry curve,” and Giants broadcast partner Duane Kuiper is equally unimpressed. Contacted via text, Kuiper responded, “I’ve never said ‘sweeper’ in my life.”

Krukow and Kuiper, both former major leaguers, work together on the San Francisco Giants’ TV crew, and they are terrific.

Victor Wembanyama was the No. 1 selection in Thursday’s NBA draft, taken by the San Antonio Spurs who will sign him to a four-year contract that will be worth somewhere around US$54.4 million. . . . QB Bryce Young, who was taken by the Carolina Panthers with the first pick of the NFL’s 2023 draft, will end up with a $38-million deal. . . . Allan Walsh, a prominent player agent, tweeted this on Friday: “The NHL’s No. 1 overall pick will have his three-year entry-level contract capped at a signing bonus of $95,000 per year, salary capped at $855,000 per year and difficult to attain performance bonuses capped at $1,000,000 per year (all minus 6 per cent escrow).” . . . Hey, folks, now you know why the NHL owners are so in love with Gary Bettman, their commissioner.

Home

THE COACHING GAME:

Ryan Craig is the new head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. Craig 42, was an assistant coach with the Golden Knights since the team’s first season (2017-18). . . . He played five seasons (1998-2003) with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings while Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon was the owner and GM. . . . Craig replaces Manny Viveiros, whose contract wasn’t renewed after three seasons. . . .

Ryan Huska and Dan Lambert are back together, this time on the coaching staff of the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Huska is the Flames’ new head coach. Lambert was named an assistant coach on Friday, after having been dropped by the Nashville Predators. He had been with the Predators for four seasons. . . . Lambert worked as an assistant under Huska for three seasons (2011-14) with the Kelowna Rockets. Lambert took over as head coach after Huska joined the Flames organization as the head coach of their AHL affiliate, then the Adirondack Flames.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The Victoria Royals have acquired F Grady Lane, 20, from the Spokane Chiefs, in return for an eighth-round selection in the WHL’s 2025 draft. Lane had six goals and six assists in 66 games with the Chiefs last season. In four seasons there, he totalled eight goals and 15 assists in 129 games. . . . At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Lane adds some grit to the Royals’ lineup. Earlier, the Royals acquired Justin Lies, another gritty 20-year-old, from the Saskatoon Blades. . . .

Two skaters who played out their 20-year-old seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings are off to Italy. F Calder Anderson and F Nolan Ritchie, both of whom are from Brandon, have signed with HC Merano of the Alps Hockey League. . . . Anderson played 98 games over three seasons with the Moose Jaw Warriors before putting up 50 points, 16 of them goals, in 65 games with the Wheat Kings last season. . . . Ritchie had 70 points, 27 of them goals, in 67 games in 2022-23, after putting up 76 points, including 33 goals, in 66 games in 2021-22. After the Wheat Kings’ 2022-23 season ended, Ritchie got into five regular-season and six playoff games with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies, totalling two goals and three assists. . . . HC Merano’s head coach is Tom Coolen, who is prepping for his first season there. He is a veteran of the Canadian university game, having coached at Acadia U and the U of New Brunswick. He also spent two seasons with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats before heading to Europe in 2001. . . .

The Vancouver Giants are looking for an equipment manager after Brodie St. Jacques left to join the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. . . . He had been with the Giants for two seasons. . . .

Vukie Mpofu, who played one full season (2013-14) with the Red Deer Rebels, has been hired by the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins as director of hockey operations and legal affairs. Among his responsibilities will be contract negotiations and salary cap issues. . . . He had been with the Los Angeles Kings for the past two seasons. . . .

Serge Beausoleil is the new general manager of the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques. Beausoleil, 56, signed a five-year contract. He had been with the Rimouski Oceanic for 12 seasons (2011-23) — three as head coach and the past nine as GM/head coach.

——

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.

Tuna

McCrimmon, Golden Knights on top of hockey world . . . Gretzky’s last NHL sweater sells for big dough . . . Roy leaves Memorial Cup champions

KellyMcCrimmon
Kelly McCrimmon and his newest best friend, the Stanley Cup. (Photo: Mike Fraser/Facebook)

We can only imagine the emotions that dominated Kelly McCrimmon’s very being on Tuesday night as the general manager of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights watched his charges win the Stanley Cup.

If you spent the night under a rock, the Golden Knights, playing at home in front of the NHL’s most raucous fans, beat the Florida Panthers, 9-3, to win the best-of-seven final in five games.

And there was McCrimmon taking it all in from his seat alongside George McPhee, the president of hockey operations.

You can bet that McCrimmon’s late brother, Brad, was first and foremost in Kelly’s thoughts. The McCrimmon boys, from Plenty, Sask., were close, really close.

Brad’s name already is on the Stanley Cup; he was a leader on the 1988-89 Calgary Flames. And now Kelly’s name will be there, too.

The thought of having his name on hockey’s Holy Grail, right there where Brad’s name has been for all these years, will have been overwhelming. In fact, Kelly used that exact word — overwhelming — in an emotional post-game interview with Sportsnet’s David Amber and Elliotte Friedman.

“It’s an honour,” McCrimmon said. “It’s surreal. It’s overwhelming.”

It turns out that Liam, Maureen and Brad’s son, was among family members in Vegas last night.

As Kelly told Ambler and Friedman: “These things are only special if you have the right people to share them with.”

Brad, of course, was killed on Sept. 7, 2011. He had joined the KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl as head coach and the team was en route to its first game of the season when it went down.

Kelly, whom I have known since the fall of 1978, may be the smartest, shrewdest and most patient person I have met in more than 50 years of being around the world of hockey.

Consider that after playing two seasons (1978-80) with the Brandon Wheat Kings, he went on to spend four seasons with the U of Michigan Wolverines, the last one as team captain. You’re right! How many WHL players move on to play four years with an NCAA team?

Patience?

He almost ended up with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was interviewed for a front-office position with them in the summer of 2015. Toronto didn’t have a GM at the time and McCrimmon, the owner, GM and head coach of the Wheat Kings at the time, was the WHL’s reigning executive of the year.

In the end, he chose to stay in Brandon, citing loyalty to a Wheat Kings team that he and his staff had worked hard to put together with an eye on contending in 2015-16. That edition of the Wheat Kings would win the WHL championship, and a couple of months later, the time and the place now being right, he joined the Golden Knights as assistant GM. He was promoted to GM on May 2, 2019, with McPhee moving into the president’s office.

And, last night, there was Kelly McCrimmon, a Stanley Cup champion.

And please don’t be buying any of that bunk about the NHL handing the Golden Knights a championship on a platter. Yes, they were able to take advantage of the rules granted them as an expansion franchise, but, hey, you shouldn’t get chopped liver when you’re paying US$500 million. Was it their fault that they were able to get Jonathan Marchessault, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner, from Florida in the expansion draft?

They reached the Stanley Cup final that season, 2017-18, too, only to lose to the Washington Capitals. One year later, McCrimmon moved up to GM and he hasn’t stopped dealing.

If you weren’t aware, the Golden Knights’ roster includes one of their own draft picks — F Nic Hague, who scored their second goal last night.

This is a team that was put together by McCrimmon, with input from McPhee, and a staff that includes Vaughn Karpan, the director of player personnel; Bob Lowes, the assistant director of player personnel; pro scouts Kelly Kisio, Jim McKenzie and Craig Cunningham, and amateur scouts Bruno Campese, Erin Ginnell and Brad McEwen. The coaching staff includes Ryan Craig.

What do they all have in common? Each of them has ties to the WHL, and that’s a thread that runs through the Golden Knights, from captain Mark Stone, who played for McCrimmon in Brandon and was his captain there, too, to four of the five goaltenders on the roster. All Stone did last night was score three times — the game’s most-important goal, the first one (shorthanded), his club’s fifth one and the game’s final goal. The last time someone scored three goals in Stanley Cup-clinching game? Babe Dye did it with the Toronto St. Pats in on March 28, 1922, scoring four times in a 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Millionaires.

(Steve Simmons of Postmedia has a column right here that details how this Vegas team was built.)

Knowing McCrimmon, I can imagine that spent last night celebrating and enjoying the moment. In the morning, he will have started planning for next season.

F Riley Sutter’s second playoff goal gave the host Hershey Bears a 5-4 victory over the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 3 of the AHL’s Calder Cup final on Tuesday night in front of 10,580 fans. . . . The Firebirds, in their first season of existence, hold a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven final with Game 4 in Hershey on Thursday and Game 5 there on Saturday. . . . Sutter played four seasons (2015-19) with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. . . . The Firebirds trailed 4-2 before F Cameron Hughes scored twice, the first one on a PP, at 15:26 and 19:09 of the third period. . . . F Garrett Pilon, a former WHLer, had a goal and an assist for Hershey.

Unsinkable

There was an interesting development in the world of NCAA hockey on Tuesday as the U of Maine Black Bears announced that D Artyom Duda has committed to join them for the 2023-24 season. Duda, 6-foot-1 and 187 pounds, is from Moscow, Russia. The 19-year-old was a second-round selection by the Arizona Coyotes in the NHL’s 2022 draft. . . . The interesting part of this signing is that Duda played 14 games with CSKA Moskva of the KHL in 2022-23. The KHL is a professional league, so it will be interesting to see what how the NCAA deals with his eligibility. . . . Hey, if WHL players are ineligible to go the NCAA route because that organization sees them as professionals . . .

The sweater that Wayne Gretzky wore for the final game of his NHL career with the New York Rangers on April 18, 1999 sold for US$715,120 at Grey Flannel Auctions on Sunday night. From a news release: “It’s the third most valuable hockey jersey to sell at auction behind Gretzky’s final Stanley Cup jersey during the 1987-1988 season with the Oilers, which sold for $1.452 million and Paul Henderson’s 1972 jersey from the Summit Series which sold for $1.3 million. It’s the highest price realized for a US-based hockey jersey. Mike Eruzione’s 1980 Miracle on Ice jersey vs. the USSR is the second highest total selling for $657,250.”

THE COACHING GAME:

Jacques Tanguay, the Quebec Remparts’ president, and Patrick Roy, the general manager and head coach, both announced on Tuesday that they are leaving the QMJHL franchise. The announcements came nine days after the Remparts, the QMJHL champions, won the Memorial Cup with a 5-0 victory over the WHL-champion Seattle Thunderbirds in Kamloops. . . . “In life,” Roy said during a news conference in Quebec City, “you must be able to leave at the right time. Today, I can leave my positions and say ‘Mission accomplished.’ ” . . . Roy’s decision wasn’t unexpected as there had been speculation about his future all season. His announcement came on the same day that the sale of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators to a group headed by Michael Andlauer was announced. As he assumes ownership of the Senators, Andlauer has to unload his 20 per cent share in the Montreal Canadiens. All of this has led to speculation that Roy could end up on the Senators’ coaching staff. . . . Roy, however, says there hasn’t been any interest shown by any NHL team or teams. . . . Luc Lang of The Canadian Press has more on the Roy story right here. . . .

It’s official! The QMJHL’s Cape Breton Eagles announced on Tuesday that Jon Goyens is out as head coach after one season. According to the Eagles’ news release, this was one of those deals where the two parties “mutually agreed to part ways.” . . . In his only season as head coach, Goyens guided the Eagles into the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. . . .

The BCHL’s Langley Rivermen have signed Tyler Kuntz as associate general manager and associate head coach. Kuntz is a former assistant coach with the Vancouver Giants (2015-17). . . . Langley’s ownership change was approved at the league’s recent annual general meeting. . . . Kuntz spent two seasons (2018-20) as GM/head coach of the BCHL’s Powell River Kings, then moved to St. George’s School as head coach of the U18 prep team.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

Longtime scout Ray Dudra has decided to retire after almost 40 years with WHL teams. Dudra started in 1983-84 as a regional scout with the Medicine Hat Tigers. He also spent 18 seasons with the Spokane Chiefs, as a scout, director of player personnel and director of player development. He also scouted for the Prince Albert Raiders and Saskatoon Blades. Most recently, he has been with the Tri-City Americans. . . . Dudra rides off into retirement with the sunset reflecting off his four Memorial Cup rings — Medicine Hat in 1987 and 1988, Spokane in 1991 and 2008). . . . Congrats, Ray, and here’s to a long and healthy retirement. . . .

The SJHL held its annual general meeting last weekend in North Battleford. If you’re wondering what all went on, there’s a news release right here. . . . The one item involving change that I found particularly interesting is that “any Saskatchewan-born player a team is attempting to trade out of province must be placed on an internal waiver before the player can be moved outside of the league.”

PriusTruck

THINKING OUT LOUD:

Does the end of the NHL playoffs mean the end of Hyundai making WAH! . . . Having Nick Taylor, two days from winning golf’s Canadian Open, do the voice-over to open Tuesday’s NHL show was a stroke of genius from Sportsnet. It was brilliant! . . . And to end the broadcast with the late Gordon Lightfoot’s If You Could Read My Mind, well, things got a bit misty here. . . . I saw this comment on Facebook on Tuesday, and it pretty much says it all: “They have to put warnings on Subway wrappers telling people not to eat the wrapper. This is where we are now.” . . . Sheesh, Kelowna, what has happened to you? . . . Is Gene Hackman one of the most under-rated actors of our time, or what?

——

As you make your way through this week, please keep the Backmeyer family of Kamloops in your thoughts. The five of them — Lindsey and Pat, Ferris and her older sisters, Tavia and Ksenia — flew out of Vancouver on Sunday, en route to Toronto where Ferris, 6, is scheduled to undergo a second kidney transplant at some point in the near future. . . . You want strength and courage? Well, Ferris has been battling kidney disease all of her young life and has been on dialysis, either peritoneal or hemo, all that time. . . . She underwent a transplant in Vancouver on March 6, 2021, but there were complications and the kidney was removed that night. So, if all goes according to plan, another attempt will be made in the next few weeks.

Late Sunday, Lindsey posted on Facebook: “According to the itinerary it’s just hemo (Monday), sooooo shouldn’t be too bad. Her final crossmatch is drawn on Tuesday. Results should be back by the following Monday. It’s another point in which things could get called off. Heck there’s so many variables it’s really a one-day-at-a-time situation!”

And congratulations to Pat who, through all of this, graduated from Thompson Rivers University’s nursing program a week ago. What an accomplishment!

——

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.

Ricky

Dorothy says thanks so much for the support . . . Here we go again with Ice relocation rumours . . . Full speed ahead for BCHL

A huge thank you to all of those who stop by here and chose to donate to Dorothy’s fund-raising effort on behalf of the Kidney Foundation. You proved once again that hockey people really are the best. The 2023 Kamloops Kidney Walk was held on Sunday and Dorothy was there for a 10th straight year. At the time of the walk, she had raised $4,810, which was her highest total yet. So, once again, thank you all so much. She is nearing the 10th anniversary of her kidney transplant and she really looks at the Kidney Walk as a way to give something back. Those of you who donated are part of all that so please reach around give yourselves a pat on the back. . . . As of this writing, she is fifth in all of B.C. Kamloops, meanwhile, surpassed its goal of $20,000 and is second only to Vancouver. . . . Again, thank you all so much!

Here we go again . . . those rumours about the Winnipeg Ice relocating to WinnipegIceChilliwack before another season gets here are flying, again. . . . Here’s Rick Dhaliwal, a co-host of the Donnie & Dhali Show that is on Victoria’s CHEK-TV, on Monday: “Out of the blue (Sunday), a lot of people reached out to me, hearing rumours again about Winnipeg moving to Chilliwack. A lot of people feel the Aquilini family may be behind this — involved, anyway. Sources in the Western Hockey League and the BC Hockey League have heard the same.” . . . The Aquilinis, of course, own the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks and the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks. . . . In February, when the WHL was rumoured to be searching for a new home for the Ice, management with the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs, said that wasn’t’ going to happen. As Brian Maloney, the Chiefs’ general manager and head coach, said at the time: “We’ve tried that song and dance before . . . it rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.” . . . The WHL did have a WHL franchise at one time, but it allowed the Bruins to be sold and moved to Victoria where it now is the Royals. . . . The difference now is that there wasn’t any mention of the Aquilinis earlier in the year. Dhaliwal even suggested that the Chilliwack Coliseum “could also be part of the deal, as in selling it — buying it.” . . . Daniel Wagner of Vancouver Is Awesome sums it all up right here.

Best wishes in retirement to John Chapman, one of the colourful characters who used to inhabit the WHL. Chapman spent six seasons (1980-86) as the head coach of the Lethbridge Broncos and one (1986-87) as general manager of the Calgary Wranglers. He spent one season as director of scouting with the NHL’s Florida Panthers and two with the Florida Panthers as director of player personnel. He has been with the Philadelphia Flyers since 1995-96, 14 seasons as an amateur scout and past 14 as a pro scout. . . . Before joining the Broncos, he was the head coach of the AJHL’s Red Deer Rustlers. Through those organizations, he had a long history with the Sutter family.

Lard

The BCHL has been operating independent of Hockey Canada since June 1. On bchlMay 31, the league issued a news release covering its rules pertaining to the 18 teams’ rosters. . . . While each team will be allowed to have two players from outside North American on its roster, “Russian and Belarusian players are temporarily not allowed due to the political situation in Russia.” . . . Of interest, too, is that players from the CSSHL, BCEHL and B.C.’s junior B leagues no longer are allowed to associate with BCHL teams as affiliate players. . . . That news release is right here.

The Cowichan Capitals and West Kelowna Warrriors haven’t wasted time time in adding European players. The Capitals have received a commitment from Norwegian F Lars Petter Eckholm, 19, for 2022-23. He has been in the Rogle BK program in Sweden for the past four seasons. . . . The Warriors have commitments from Swedish F Viggo Nordström, who will turn 20 on Sept. 11, and Norwegian F Johannes Løkkeberg, 19. . . . There have been some other interesting moves, too. The Penticton Vees, for instance, have signed G Andrew Ness off the roster of the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. . . . And then there’s the case of G Ethan Morrow, who apparently is the property of two teams — Cowichan and the AJHL’s Blackfalds Bulldogs. . . . No one watches the BCHL closer than does Brian Wiebe, and he rounds up the latest BCHL-related developments right here. This is interesting stuff and it’s worth checking his stuff on a near-daily basis because of all that is happening.

Herring

Here is a chronological look at some items of note that occurred while I was sitting on our deck for the past few days . . .

May 22: The junior B Nanaimo Buccaneers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League announced that Tali Campbell will be their general manager and that they have signed Troy Newans as head coach. . . . Both spots were vacant after Lee Stone, who had signed on in April, left to join the junior A Red Lake, Ont., Miners of the Superior International Hockey League. . . . Newans started 2021-22 as the head coach of the VIJHL’s Kerry Park Islanders but stepped down in January. . . . Campbell is a co-owner of the Buccaneers and also is the chief operating officer and general manager of the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express. As soon as the Buccaneers made their announcement, I received a text from a hockey coach wondering: “So Tali Campbell is GM of Coquitlam Express of the now unsanctioned BCHL. How can he also be GM of the Nanaimo Buccaneers of the sanctioned VIJHL” . . . How indeed?

May 23: The QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques announced that they and Louis Robitaille, their general manager and head coach, “have mutually agreed to part ways.” Robitaille signed with them in April 2020 and helped the team to a 104-38-25 regular-season record. They were 12-12 in 24 playoff games under Robitaille, and reached the league’s final four this season. . . . Jean-François Fortin, the assistant GM for three years, stepped in as interim GM, but he chose to leave the organization on June 2, just a week before the QMJHL draft.

May 24: The SJHL’s Weyburn Red Wings signed Cody Mapes, their general manager and head coach, to a multi-year contract extension. Mapes is preparing for his third season as the team’s head coach. He spent two seasons as an assistant coach before taking over as head coach. The team’s news release didn’t specify the length of the multi-year extension.

May 24: The BCHL’s Merritt Centennials signed Brian Passmore to a three-year contract as head coach and assistant general manager. Passmore, 43, hired on as the GM/head coach of the BCHL’s Cowichan Capitals prior to the 2020-21 season. He was fired on Nov. 16, 2022. . . . In Merritt, he replaces Curtis Toneff as head coach. Toneff, who also was the GM, was fired following this season. He had been with the Centennials since Dec. 22, 2021. . . . I don’t believe that the Centennials have yet signed a new general manager.

May 25: Matt Dagenais, an assistant coach with the Ottawa 67’s, left the OHL team to take over as head coach of the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. . . . Dagenais had been with the 67’s since August 2021. He also was the governor and director of hockey operations for the Ottawa Junior Senators of the CCHL. . . . With the Huskies, he replaces Brad Yetman, the head coach for the past two seasons.

Herman

May 26: The Spokane Chiefs acquired a fifth-round pick in the WHL’s 2026 draft from the Kelowna Rockets for 2004-born F Michael Cicek. . . . The Rockets announced it as a conditional fifth-round pick but didn’t outline the conditions. . . . This season, Cicek had four goals and eight assists in 41 games with the Chiefs. . . . From Winnipeg, he was the Chiefs’ sixth-round pick in the WHL’s 2019 draft. He is the younger brother of D Nick Cicek, who played with the Portland Winterhawks and now is on the roster of the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.

May 26: The Summerside Capitals of the junior A Maritimes Hockey League signed head coach Billy McGuigan through the 2023-24 season. Under McGuigan’s guidance, the Capitals are 338-133-29 in the regular season, with a 51-32 playoff record, and two MHL championships. . . . McGuigan, 47, is a former WHL assistant coach (Regina Pats, 2013-14). Other than that one season, he has been a fixture with Summerside since 2011-12.

May 26: Devon Fordyce, a former WHL goaltender, has joined the MJHL’s Neepawa Titans as their goaltending coach. Last season, Fordyce was the goaltending coach with the Yellowhead Chiefs of the Manitoba AAA U18 League. . . . Fordyce played for Ken Pearson, the Titans’ general manager and head coach, with the 2014-15 Winkler Flyers. . . . Fordyce, 29, played 18 games with the Prince George Cougars (2011-13).

May 29: The Vancouver Giants announced that Jamison Derksen, their director of media relations and video coach, has left the organization in order “to pursue other opportunities.” . . . He had been with the Giants since 2017-18 when he was a volunteer intern as their game-day operations co-ordinator.

May 29: The Swift Current Broncos acquired F Tyson Laventure, 20, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes for a fourth-round selection in the WHL’s 2026 draft. Laventure, from Lloydminster, Alta., was taken 31st overall by the Prince Albert Raiders in the 2018 draft. The Hurricanes acquired him on Jan. 1, 2022. . . . He had 22 goals and 26 assists in 62 games in 2022-23. In 195 career regular-season games, he has 43 goals and 56 assists.

Hiring

May 30: The Moose Jaw Warriors announced that Rose Mary Hartney, their long-time education advisor, died. She was 73 when she died on May 25. She had been their education advisor since 1984 when the franchise moved to Moose Jaw from Winnipeg. She spent 38 years as a teacher at Vanier Collegiate in Moose Jaw, then stayed on with the Warriors following her retirement. She was inducted into the Warriors and Legends Hall of Fame in 2012.

May 30: The AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons signed Carter Duffin as an assistant coach. From a news release: “Duffin previously worked as assistant coach/assistant general manager of the Lloydminster Bobcats (AJHL) from 2021-2023. Prior to his time in Lloydminster, Duffin served as head coach/general manager of the Castlegar Rebels (KIJHL) from 2018-2021, and was the assistant coach/director of operations of the Estevan Bruins from 2017-2018 where he helped lead the club to the SJHL final.”

May 31: The Kelowna Rockets signed F Hiroki Gojsic, 17, after acquiring him from the Victoria Royals for two WHL draft picks — a second-rounder in 2025 and a fifth in 2027. Gojsic was a second-round selection by the Royals in the 2021 WHL draft. He spent 2022-23 with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees, putting up 10 goals and 11 assists in 36 games. From Langley, B.C., Hiroki is the brother of Kanjyu Gojsic, 15, a third-round pick by the Rockets in the 2023 draft who also has signed a WHL contract.

May 31: The Spokane Chiefs acquired F Conner Roulette, 20, from the Saskatoon Blades for two WHL draft picks — a second-rounder in 2024 and a third in 2027. . . . Roulette had 24 goals and 38 assists in 60 games with the Blades, who had acquired him and a third-round pick in the 2026 draft from the Seattle Thunderbirds for F Kyle Crnkovic on Aug. 30. . . . In 191 regular-season games, Roulette has 73 goals and 106 assists.

May 31: The Saskatoon Blades signed associate coach Dan DaSilva to a two-year extension. DaSilva, 38, is from Saskatoon. He has been with the Blades through two seasons.

May 31: The BCHL’s Penticton Vees added Mark McMillan to their staff as an assistant coach. He had been the general manager and head coach of the junior B Summerland Steam of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League since October 2021.

May 31: The Edmonton Oilers acquired F Jayden Grubbe, the 20-year-old captain of the Red Deer Rebels, from the New York Rangers and signed him to a three-year entry-level NHL contract. He has 39 goals and 95 assists in 194 regular-season WHL games with the Rebels. . . . The Oilers gave up a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NHL draft for Grubbe, whom the Rangers had selected in the third round of the 2021 draft.

Coyote

May 31: The Vancouver Giants hired Nathan Kanter as their director of media relations and broadcasting. He will be the radio voice of the Giants, replacing Eddie Gregory. . . . Kanter has been with the Regina Pats for the past two seasons, working as their manager of digital media, fan and community engagement. He had been the play-by-play voice of the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks for two seasons (2019-21) and the SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars for two seasons prior to heading west.

June 1: The SJHL’s Estevan Bruins added Drew Kocur to their staff as an assistant coach. He had been the Prairie Junior Hockey League’s coach of the year for 2022-23, a season during which he guided the Pilot Butte Storm to to the provincial junior B title.

June 2: The Victoria Royals acquired F Justin Lies from the Saskatoon Blades for what they said in a news release is a “conditional third-round pick in 2026.” . . . The word “conditional” doesn’t appear in the Blades’ news release. . . . Lies will turn 20 on Nov. 24. . . . Lies, from Flin Flon, had nine goals and 14 assists in 56 games with the Blades in 2022-23. He added three goals and an assist in 15 playoff games. . . . In 176 career regular-season games — he also has played with the Vancouver Giants — Lies has 21 goals and 32 assists.

June 2: The AJHL’s Bonnyville Pontiacs signed head coach Mario Pouliot to a two-year extension. Pouliot has been with the Pontiacs since September when he took over after the departure of Brad Flynn. Despite getting a late start, Pouliot guided the Pontiacs to the North Division final, the first time they have been there since 2015.

June 6: The SJHL’s Melville Millionaires signed Doug Johnson as their new general manager and head coach. He spent the past season as the head coach and assistant GM of the MJHL’s OCN Blizzard, getting it into the playoffs and being a finalist for coach of the year. . . . Earlier, Johnson spent 11-plus seasons (2010-22) with the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks, three times being named coach of the year. . . . In Melville, Johnson will take over from Mike Rooney, who left in April after three seasons with the organization.

Dinner

The biggest holes to fill in the WHL next season may well be in the officiating crew because referees Chris Crich and Steve Papp worked their final games on June 4 when they did the Memorial Cup final in Kamloops.

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

Mike Sawatzky of the Winnipeg Free Press has reported that Gord Burnett, who spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the Moose Jaw Warriors, is expected to be the new head coach of the U of Manitoba Bisons. Burnett, 42, takes over from Mike Sirant, who has retired after 27 seasons as the Bisons’ head coach. . . . Sawatzky also reported that Don MacGillivray, who was fired as head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings early in 2022-23, “was considered an obvious candidate for the U of M job but did not apply.” MacGillivray ran the Bisons for three seasons (2006-09) while Sirant coached the Danish national men’s team.

Former WHLer Marc Habscheid has signed on as head coach of the Vienna Capitals of the ICE Hockey League. He takes over from Dave Barr, who left the club after two seasons that included a 24-17-7 record this season. Habscheid, 60, spent this season as head coach of that league’s Berner Pioneers Vorarlberg, who play out of Feldkirch, Austria. They went 11-34-3 and Habscheid took his leave shortly after season’s end. . . . Thanks to Darren Steinke for bringing this one to my attention as it obviously had fallen through the cracks. . . .

Dan Lambert, a former WHL player and coach, lost his job as an assistant coach on May 30 when the NHL’s Nashville Predators fired him and head coach John Hynes. Both had one year left on their contracts. . . . Lambert spent four seasons with the Predators. . . . Lambert, 53, played four seasons (1986-90) with the Swift Current Broncos. He was on the Kelowna Rockets’ staff for six seasons — five as an assistant coach and the last one (2014-15) as head coach. He also spent two seasons (2017-19) as the head coach of the Spokane Chiefs before going to Nashville. . . .

F Owen Pederson, who played out his junior eligibility this season with the Winnipeg Ice, has signed a two-year contract with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Pederson, 21, had 32 goals and 42 assists in 65 games with the Ice this season. In 237 games over five seasons, he put up 205 points, including 94 goals. . . .

F Connor McClennon, who played five seasons with the Kootenay/Winnipeg Ice, has signed a two-year deal with the Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. He was a sixth-round pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL’s 2020 draft. . . . He had 46 goals and 46 assists in 64 games with the Ice in 2022-23. . . .

manure

Yanick Lemay, who had been on the scouting staff of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets for 12 seasons, is the new general manager of the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs. He replaces Philippe Boucher, who left the organization in February. . . . On June 2, the Voltigeurs announced that Éric Bélanger, their interim head coach, won’t be returning. According to a team-issued news release, the decision was reached “by mutual agreement.” He took over as the interim head coach in November, winning 18 of 45 regular-season games and four of eight playoff assignments. . . .

Brett McLean, who played with the WHL’s Tacoma/Kelowna Rockets and Brandon Wheat Kings, is the new head coach of the Iowa Wild, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. McLean played five WHL seasons (1994-99), finishing up with the Wheat Kings. . . . He was an assistant coach in Iowa for three seasons (2017-20) and has been an assistant in Minnesota for the past three seasons. . . .

Jamie Lundmark, who played three seasons in the WHL (Moose Jaw Warriors, Seattle Thunderbirds, 1998-2001) has joined the Princeton women’s hockey program as the director of player development and assistant coach. Lundmark, who retired as a player in 2018, is the founder of Method Hockey. It is based in West Chester, Pa., and works with elite players.

Math

Please take five minutes out of your day and read the story in the tweet below. You’ll learn a whole lot about the Boulets, their son, Logan, and the role that Ric Suggitt played in their story. Wonderful stuff!

——

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.

Opinion