Tag: Thomas Friesen

All WHL teams now cleared for action . . . Hurricanes to add two ex-players to Wall of Honour . . . 2022 WJC soon to have new dates

When the WHL posted its roster/injury report on Tuesday, it included 52 players WHLlisted as being in COVID-19 protocols and another 22 having been giving clearance to return.

The numbers obviously are higher because at least one team, the Kamloops Blazers, didn’t show any players in either category despite having been shut down last week due to positive tests. Marty Hastings of Kamloops This Week reported this week that “he Blazers appear ready to push forward after most of the team, including (GM/head coach Shaun) Clouston, tested positive for COVID-19 on either Jan. 4 or Jan. 5.”

On Thursday, the WHL, which has had to stop team activities for 19 of its 22 teams at one time or another since Dec, 27, announced that all of its teams have received medical clearance to return to the ice. The Calgary Hitmen, Kamloops Blazers, Prince George Cougars, Vancouver Giants and Victoria Royals were the last teams to get the OK.

Only the Brandon Wheat Kings, Kelowna Rockets and Seattle Thunderbirds haven’t been shut down by the league. Interestingly, Seattle listed 10 players in COVID-19 protocol on Tuesday’s injury/roster report.

At the same time, the WHL announced that 14 postponed games have been rescheduled so, again, check your favourite team’s website for new game dates.

The league, which managed to play just one of 23 scheduled games last weekend, returns to full-time action in a big way with nine games set for each of tonight (Friday) and Saturday, and six more on Sunday.

Mention must be made here of the Royals, who showed 12 players out with injuries — four with COVID-19, one with an undisclosed illness, two season-ending upper-body injuries, one day-to-day upper body, two week-to-week lower bodies, one six-to-eight weeks upper body and one TBD lower body. The Royals also show five players as having come out of COVID-19 protocols.

The Royals, who last played on Jan. 1, will resume their schedule tonight and Saturday in Kelowna.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes will salute former players Mark Greig and Kevin St. LethJacques by inducting them into the team’s Wall of Honour on Feb. 4 with the Regina Pats at the ENMAX Centre. . . . Greig had 270 points — he twice enjoyed 100-point seasons — including 100 goals, in 201 regular-season games (1987-90). Yes, he was with the Hurricanes for their first season in Lethbridge. . . . Greig’s son, Ridly, now plays for the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Hurricanes acquired St. Jacques from the Spokane Chiefs during 1988-89. He went on to play 234 regular-season games over parts of four seasons with Lethbridge, putting up 300 points, 139 of them goals. . . . Already on the Wall of Honour as players: Jamie McLennan, Shane Peacock, Jamie Pushor, Byron Ritchie, Jason Ruff, Bryce Salvador and Wes Walz. . . . There is a news release right here.

Korina Caller, the mother of former WHL D Jackson Caller, has a “pretty cool” memory of the night she met Bob Saget, the TV star and comedian who died on Sunday at the age of 65. . . . Korina was soon to be married, so her girlfriends threw the big bash for her at the Roxy, a legendary night spot in Vancouver. . . . Korina recalls that Saget “was there with Joely Fisher, probably shooting a movie. I got the pic and they both signed my shirt. Made this bride-to-be’s stag memorable!” . . . You know what they say about “it didn’t happen if there isn’t a picture.” Well, Korina has the pic! . . . BTW, Saget and Fisher were shooting Jitters, a movie directed by Saget and featuring Fisher that was filmed in Vancouver in 1997. . . . One more BTW: Jackson now is attending UBC and playing for the Thunderbirds.

Parents

Howard Bryant of ESPN has written what is easily the best piece I have read on Novak Djokovic, Kyrie Irving, Aaron Rodgers and the other anti-vaxxers in professional sports, as well as the role that the leaders in sports have played in this ongoing pandemic. . . . It’s a long read, so make sure you’ve got two cups of y0ur favourite morning beverage ready.

The Russian news agency Tass reported on Wednesday that the IIHF is preparing to announce a location and dates for the 2022 World Junior Championship. Luc Tardif, the IIHF president, told Tass that an announcement will be made at some point during the Beijing Olympics, which are to begin on Feb. 4. . . . The tournament actually got started in Edmonton and Red Deer on Dec. 26, but was cancelled on Dec. 29 following a number of positive tests among players and on-ice officials. . . . Tardif had said following the cancellation that the IIHF hoped to reschedule the tournament for some time during the summer.

After a Tuesday meeting, the KHL reaffirmed its plans to play out its regular season to its completion. On Wednesday, however, the league announced that it will shut down for a week because a number of its clubs are dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks. Thus, the league will pause Saturday and not resume until Jan. 22.

Timmy

Vyacheslav Bykov, a former Russian national team head coach, got a few NHL-related thoughts off his chest during an interview with Dmitry Larin, a VseProSport correspondent the other day. . . . Here’s a taste, with translation via Google:

“I don’t follow the NHL and don’t intend to, because this is an organization that does not respect others. Therefore, this topic is generally closed for me. I’m not going to talk about it. We will now again praise this league, although the KHL themselves also have enough problems that we must disclose and promote. Therefore, I categorically speak out, this is my personal opinion, really, I am not going to agitate anyone, but I prefer that we develop our league.

“Although our players play there as well. This is their business, their right, of course. I wish them only good and good luck, but I am not going to talk about it.

“Do I think the NHL is the best league in the world? Of course, I agree, this is the best league in the world. But she is the best thanks to whom? Including thanks to Russian hockey players, probably, and European hockey players. And the attitude of the NHL to the same federations, to the same hockey powers, to hockey fans, what attitude do they always express? For them, business is business, as they like to say.

“I think that this is too selfish in relation to those countries, federations, which gave our players the opportunity to develop this league. But a good mushroom picker will never destroy a mycelium, and these mushroom pickers from the NHL are brazenly raking, regardless of mycelium or anything, just raking everything into their wallet. But at some point, the mushrooms will stop growing.

“And in Europe, hockey is also a social project, it provides an opportunity for the development of sports, the development of youth, and the education of youth. And I would prefer that we educate our youth on the correct life principles, and not just create a temptation for the young.

“Would I be the coach of an NHL club if I was invited? No . . . no one is going to invite me, and they would not, that’s for sure. You know, I have enjoyed coaching both children and youths in other countries where hockey is developing. It is important for me that the development of sports itself goes on, and hockey is an opportunity for young children to develop themselves with high-quality life, and not only business, not only earn money.”

Bykov last coached in 2014-15 with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. From 2015-16 through 2020-21, he was on the board of directors of HC Fribourg-Gotteron of the Swiss NLA.

Mike

G Jack LaFontaine, 24, left the U of Minnesota in the middle of the season to sign an entry-level contract with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. The 75th overall pick in the NHL’s 2016 draft, he had won the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA’s best goaltender in 2019-20. The Hurricanes’ depth chart was dinged by injuries and COVID-19; LaFontaine already is No. 3 on that depth chart.

And now some NCAA teams are about to lose players to Team Canada and Team USA for the Beijing Olympics.

Not everyone is pleased with these happenings.

Here is Jeff Jackson, the head coach at Notre Dame, thanks to tweets from Jess Myers (@JessRMyers):

“Playing in the Olympics is an incredible opportunity and an incredible experience for those kids. I just find it quite interesting that it is not safe for NHL players to go but it’s safe for college kids to go.

“I don’t blame LaFontaine for making the decision he made. I do question the decision by Carolina to pull a kid out midseason that impacts another 28 players and the coaching staff.

“It’s something I hope doesn’t become commonplace — we’re not farm teams for NHL teams. We’re supposed to be about student-athletes and graduating players & developing players for the NHL. I think that’s getting a little skewed right now.”

In Europe, the Champions Hockey League has had to reschedule one semifinal — between Red Bull Munich and Tappara Tampere — to Jan. 25. It will be played in Tampere, Finland. The semifinal had been scheduled as a home-and-home series to be played on Jan. 4 and 11. However, the Red Bull team was put into quarantine by German health officials after a number of players tested positive. . . . The winner will meet Sweden’s Rogle Angelholm in the final. Rogle Angelholm beat Frolunda Gothenburg, 5-3 and 3-1 to win 8-4 on aggregate.

The UBC Thunderbirds had to postpone weekend Canada West hockey games because of COVID-19 protocols. The women were to have entertained the Mount Royal Cougars, while the UBC men were scheduled to visit Mount Royal. . . . As well, the UBC-Okanagan Heat men’s and women’s volleyball teams had to postpone their weekend series at the Fraser Valley Cascades. . . .  According to Canada West, the UBC and UBC-Okanagan teams don’t have the “minimum number of players available to safely compete.”

Bobcats

Hockey PEI has apologized to Keegan Mitchell and overturned the indefinite suspension with which it hit him following a racist incident during a recent junior B game between Mitchell’s Sherwood Metros and the Kensington Vipers. . . . “We acknowledge and express our sincere regret for errors that were made in our handling of the incident,” Hockey PEI said in a statement. “This incident has made us realize that our inclusivity and anti-harassment guidelines for officials, teams, players and their families do not go far enough to protect those that they should. We are committed to changing not only the guidelines of the game on the Island but the culture as well. We can and will do better.” . . . After a player directed a racial slur at one of Mitchell’s teammates, Mitchell turned to social media to criticize Hockey PEI for the two-game suspension that it handed out. Mitchell was promptly suspended indefinitely for violating its social media policy. . . . That suspension now has been erased, and the perpetrator’s suspension was increased from two games to five.

Red River College Polytechnic, which is based in Winnipeg, had sports teams in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference (MCAC), but didn’t compete in 2020-21 because of COVID-19. The plan was to return at some point, but Thomas Friesen of the Brandon Sun reported Wednesday that the school is “permanently shutting down” its varsity athletics program. The school confirmed on Thursday that it is shutting down its eight athletic programs — men’s and women’s basketball, futsal, soccer and volleyball teams. . . . Nathan Liewicki of CBC News has more on this story right here.

Plant

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.

Egg

Advertisement

Ex-WHLer needs kidney; can you help? . . . Who gets new arena first — Regina or Saskatoon? . . . Cancer claims Hartnell at 48

Ryan Smith, who spent four seasons (1991-95) in the WHL, needs a kidney — the sooner, the better. Smith, 46, played with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Prince George Cougars, totalling 158 points, including 131 assists, in 274 games before going on to the U of Manitoba Bisons. . . . A married father of two young sons, Smith and his family live in Lavington, B.C., which is near Vernon. . . . He was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy (aka Berger’s disease) about four years ago and has been on dialysis for almost two years. . . . Smith is on the deceased donor list, but is hoping to shorten what could be at least a four-year wait by finding a live donor. He thought he had found a live donor at one point; however, 10 months into the testing process the potential donor was found to have medical issues that short-circuited things, something that sometimes happens. . . . If you are interested in being a kidney donor, the contact information for the Living Kidney Donor Program at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver is further down in this post. . . . Roger Knox of the Vernon Morning Star has Smith’s story right here.

So . . . I’m wondering who is going to win the race — Regina or Saskatoon? . . . PatsShaun Semple, who with his father, Gavin, now owns the Regina Pats lock, stock and barrel, says it’s time that the Saskatchewan capital had a new arena. As hard is it is to believe, the home of the Pats is 44 years of age and, as Shaun told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post, “it’s getting tired. . . . There needs to be a new (arena) for sure.” . . . Harder’s complete story is right here, and what it tells me is that the conversation has started. . . .

Meanwhile, there has been talk in Saskatoon about a possible new arena, one Bladesthat would replace the SaskTel Centre, for a couple of years now. The home of the Blades is 33 years old and getting close to its best before date, if it isn’t already there. . . . A new facility likely would be built somewhere in the downtown area. In October, Phil Tank of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix wrote: “A funding plan for the project has not been finalized, but the cost is estimated between $172 million and $178 million. If the arena project is combined with a new downtown convention centre, the cost rises to between $330 million and $370 million.” . . . While Blades owner Mike Priestner hasn’t said a whole lot publicly about it, he has let it be known that he wants to be involved. Colin Priestner, the Blades’ president and general manager, appeared in front of Saskatoon city council on Monday and, according to Kevin Mitchell of the StarPhoenix, “made a pitch for his group to take a larger role in SaskTel Centre’s operations.” . . . Mitchell’s story is right here.

Two WHL players, both of them eligible for the NHL’s 2021 draft, have had their developmental seasons come to an end. . . . The Red Deer Rebels announced Wednesday that F Jayden Grubbe, the team captain, needs knee surgery (ACL) and won’t play again this season. According to the team, Grubbe “is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of the 2021-22 season.” Grubbe, 18, was injured in the first period of a game against the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday. That was his fifth game of this season; he had a goal and two assists. . . . Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Ice revealed that F Carson Lambos “has left the Regina hub and returned to Winnipeg for a medical procedure. . . . More information will be provided at a later date.” Lambos, 18, was pointless in two games this season. He is a potential first-round selection in the NHL draft.

Rob Hartnell, who played three seasons (1990-93) in the WHL, has died. He was 48 when he died of cancer on Friday in Camrose, Alta. . . . Hartnell played 143 games with the Lethbridge Hurricanes over parts of three seasons, then finished up his WHL career by putting up 59 points, including 25 games, in 48 games with the Tri-City Americans. . . . All told, he had 227 points, 98 of them goals, in 191 regular-season WHL games. . . . He went on to play professionally in the ECHL, WPHL and in Europe. He wound up his playing career in the Chinook Hockey League with the Bentley Generals. . . . He had been coaching the junior B Wetaskiwin Icemen until having to step aside for health reasons prior to the 2019-20 season. . . . There is a complete obituary right here.

Kris Knoblauch, a former WHL player and coach, made his NHL head-coaching debut on Wednesday night, running the New York Rangers’ bench as they drubbed the visiting Philadelphia Flyers, 9-0. . . . Knoblauch is the head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers’ AHL affiliate. He was called into New York after the Rangers’ coaching staff was ruled out because of COVID-19 protocol. That took out Rangers’ head coach David Quinn and assistants Jacques Martin, David Oliver and Greg Brown. Gord Murphy, Hartford’s associate coach, and Chris Drury, the Rangers’ associate general manager, were behind New York’s bench with Knoblauch, 42. He played with the Red Deer Rebels, Edmonton/Kootenay Ice and Lethbridge Hurricanes (1996-99), and later coached with the Prince Albert Raiders and Kootenay (2006-12).

So . . . how are things going with the Buffalo Sabres? Well, they’ve lost 12 in a row and been outscored 50-19 in the process. . . . The Buffalo News published its latest NHL power rankings earlier this week and they had the Sabres in 32nd place. Yes, 32nd . . . behind the Seattle Kraken, the expansion club that won’t begin play until next season. . . . Oh yes, the Sabres canned head coach Ralph Krueger on Wednesday.

There will be a new hockey conference in play come the 2021-22 season and it promises to be a good one. The Prep Hockey Conference will feature six of the top prep programs, each with a history of producing NCAA and NHL players. . . . The six are Shattuck-St. Mary’s School (Minnesota), St. Andrew’s College (Toronto), Northwood School (New York), Culver Academies (Indiana), Mount St. Charles Academy (Rhode Island) and South Kent School (Connecticut). All six programs have developed NHLers and top-end NCAA players throughout their histories. . . . Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News has more right here.

The Wheat City Whiskey Jacks are going to play a second straight season without making even one appearance on their home field in Brandon. The Whiskey Jacks will play out of Fargo, ND., for a second straight Expedition League season because of the U.S.-Canada border being closed to non-essential travel. . . . Last season, the league played with six teams as four opted out; it now has 12 teams, all of whom have said they’re in for 2021. . . . The Expedition League is a collegiate summer circuit whose season opens in late May. . . . Thomas Friesen of The Brandon Sun has more on the Whiskey Jacks right here.

Zach16

——

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.

——

Vic2

JUST NOTES: The BCHL’s Cranbrook Bucks have lost one assistant coach and added two others to their staff. Adam Stuart has left to join the coaching staff at the North Alberta Xtreme. The Bucks have added Ehren Menard and Todd Skirving to general manager/head coach Ryan Donald’s staff. Menard has spent six seasons with the Knights of Columbus program in Edmonton. Skirving plays for the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers, who opted out of the 2020-21 season. He played in the BCHL with the Prince George Spruce Kings and Vernon Vipers, then spent four seasons at the Rochester Institute of Technology before turning pro.

Suspect

McCrimmon on verge of selling Wheat Kings? . . . KIJHL announces return-to-play plan, loses three teams . . . Two WHLers sign to play in Sweden

The smoke started with a query on Wednesday night. . . . An insider with one WHL team wanted to know if I had heard “any rumblings out of Brandon . . . BrandonWKregularthat the team is on the verge of being sold.” . . . I hadn’t. But it seems that there might be something happening, especially if the WHL’s board of governors has been alerted. . . . Kelly McCrimmon purchased one-third of the Wheat Kings from Bob Cornell in 1992 and became the sole owner in 2001. McCrimmon took a step back from the Wheat Kings when he joined the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, then an expansion team, as assistant general manager on Aug. 2, 2016. He moved up to general manager on May 2, 2019. . . . If a sale occurs, speculation has Jared Jacobson as being involved. His family is the Jacobson in the Jacobson & Greiner Group of Companies — he is the president and CEO — that has been a part of Brandon for more than 60 years. . . .

Meanwhile, there doesn’t seem to be any news on the sale of the Portland Winterhawks, despite Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, having said in June that he hoped to have the situation resolved within weeks.

Paul Danzer of the Portland Tribune reported that Robison said: “We’re hopeful that we will be in a position later this month and into July to select a candidate to become the new owner of the Portland Winterhawks. It’s important to have that resolved as quickly as possible. Our target is to have that resolved by sometime in July.”

Bill Gallacher, who had owned the Winterhawks, had used the franchise as part of the collateral for a $20-million loan. When he forfeited on that, the Winterhawks ended up in receivership.

The junior B Kootenay International Junior Hockey League hopes to open its 2020-21 season on Nov. 13, a move from its original projection of Oct. 2. It also kijhlhas lost three teams, with the Beaver Valley Nitehawks, 100 Mile House Wranglers and Spokane Braves all opting to sit out the season for pandemic-related reasons. . . . That leaves the league with 17 teams, each of whom will play 30 games in the regular season that is to begin without fans in the buildings. A schedule is to be released on Sept. 25. . . . The league’s news release is right here.

Interestingly, each of the three teams that opted out did so for a different reason.

Spokane isn’t able to participate because the U.S.-Canada border is closed to non-essential travel and that situation isn’t likely to change for a while now.

The Wranglers opted out because, as Greg Aiken, the organization’s president, told Kelly Sinoski of the 100 Mile Free Press: “We’re concerned for the health of our community, just bringing 35 foreign bodies to our town is a risk. To me, that just doesn’t make sense with this pandemic going on. Who knows what is going to happen with the kids going back to school . . . I can guarantee there’s going to be a spike in cases. It’s not getting better.” . . . Aiken also said that not having fans at games was a difference-maker, too. “We can’t survive on these few fans,” he said. “We rely on 500 fans coming per game.” . . . Aiken’s story is right here.

In Beaver Valley, the Nitehawks’ decision was made by 16 players who decided they weren’t going to play. . . . As Jamie Cominotto, the general manager, explained to Jim Bailey of the Trail Times: “Our players decided they were not going to play, and we don’t have time to replace 16 players.” Cominotto said he had a Zoom meeting with the players, “and we explained the league plan for play, as well as the costs for them to play. The team fees went up a little bit, and obviously we were unable to help with the billeting financially, because we just don’t have the money.” . . . Cominotto also told Bailey that “we don’t have the billet homes that we usually have.” That would seem to be a problem in more than one jurisdiction, at least judging by the number of teams on social media who are looking for billet homes. . . . Bailey’s story is right here.

COVID-19 CHRONICLES . . .

Hockey Canada has cancelled three 2020 events — the National Women’s U-18 Championship that was to have been decided in Dawson Creek, B.C., Nov. 2-8; the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup, in Bridgewater, N.S., Dec. 6-12; and the World Junior A Challenge, in Cornwall, Ont., Dec. 13-20. . . . Hockey Canada is hoping to be able to place those events in those same communities in 2021. . . .

The Associated Press reported Thursday that the NCAA will furlough about 60 staff members from its office in Indianapolis. They’ll be gone for between three and eight weeks starting later this month and running through January. . . . Senior management people have taken a 20 per cent cut in pay. . . .

The South African Ice Hockey Federation has pulled its U-20 men’s hockey team from the Division III championship that is scheduled to be played in Mexico City, Jan. 10-17. The tournament now will featured the host team and clubs from Bulgaria, Chinese Taipei, Israel and Turkey. . . .

Brandon’s three high school football teams won’t be playing this season, not even if the Winnipeg high school league is able to get off the ground. “We aren’t playing, plain and simple,” Neelin High head coach Rob Cullen told Thomas Friesen of the Brandon Sun. “We have already made our voice known that we will play in the spring as long as everything tapers down. I’m not going to put my athletes, my athletes’ families or anybody else at risk to play the sport of football at this time.”

——

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.

Jokerit, the Helsinki-based team that plays in the KHL, was to have opened the regular season against host Dinamo Minsk on Thursday. Minsk is in Belarus, the site of a great deal of political unrest of late. . . . Jokerit didn’t show up for its flight to Minsk, and the KHL later announced that the game had been forfeited to Dinamo Minsk. . . . According to newsnowfinland.fi, “Jokerit have faced growing pressure this week over their decision to travel to Belarus, amid an ongoing brutal crackdown against democracy protesters by regime forces. The club’s official supporters association Eteläpääty Ry says they’re very happy with the decision to cancel Thursday night’s game, after calling for a boycott of home matches if the fixture went ahead as planned.” . . . That story is right here. . . .

There are all kinds of political angles to this story. For starters, Jokerit has Russian owners with ties to Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president. . . . The hosting duties for the 2021 IIHF World championship are scheduled to be shared between Belarus and Latvia. However, Latvia has said it won’t take part if Belarus is involved. . . . In other words, this story is far from over.

Bacon

Two WHL players — F Connor McClennon of the Winnipeg Ice and F Ridly Greig of the Brandon Wheat Kings — have signed one-year contracts with Karlskrona HK, which plays in Sweden’s HockeyEttan Södra. . . . Erik Belin, Karlskrona HK’s general manager, said in a news release that the club “gets this opportunity as we live in a troubled time and players are anxious to secure their situation for the coming season. In this category of players, this is the coolest news Karlskrona HK has ever launched! These players are here to deliver and keep their places in the national team and raise their positions before the draft.” . . . Greig had 26 goals and 34 assists in 56 games with Brandon last season. . . . McClennon put up 21 goals and 28 assists in 42 games with the Winnipeg Ice before suffering a shoulder injury. . . . Both are eligible for the NHL’s 2020 draft and are expected to be selected somewhere in the first two rounds. . . . The HockeyEttan Södra season opens on Oct. 3, with Karlskrona scheduled to play its first game on Oct. 4. . . . Both players are believed to have clauses in their contracts that would allow them to return to the WHL, which hopes to open its regular season on Dec. 4.

JUST NOTES: Tali Campbell has left the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers after one season as their general manager. He had been with the Clippers since Nov. 28, 2018 when he signed on as director of business operations. He took over as GM on Dec. 18, 2019. . . . The junior B Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League now is aiming to open its regular season on Sept. 21 or Sept. 28. This comes after it earlier had said it have four potential openings dates — Sept. 7 for a 48-game season, Oct. 12 (40), Nov. 16 (40) or Dec. 14 (32).

Hope: It’s been a wonderful run . . . Does Prince George Rec League need help from feds? . . . New commish for PJHL

It sounds like Cam Hope doesn’t know why he was fired on Wednesday as the president and general manager of the WHL’s Victoria Royals, and he’s taking the high road. . . . Interestingly, Hope ran the Royals’ bantam draft on April 22, then had the rug yanked out VictoriaRoyalsfrom under him just one week later. . . . Hope had joined the Royals in 2012 after spending seven seasons with the NHL’s New York Rangers, the first three as vice-president of hockey operations and the last four as assistant GM. . . . He was the Royals’ GM for three seasons, then president and GM for five. . . . The Royals made the playoffs in each of his eight seasons, but never got out of the second round. . . . “We’re in a results oriented business,” Hope told Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist,“and (results) are a matter of perspective. If you don’t win a championship, (well) you serve at the pleasure of ownership. I thought we had three good chances — in 2016, in 2018 and, as crazy as it sounds, this year with a team that was poised, and it’s disappointing not to get that chance. Often in sports, it’s in the hands of the gods.” . . . Graham Lee, the franchise’s owner, was quoted in the news release announcing Hope’s dismissal, but that’s been it. . . . Hope added: “It’s been eight terrific years in the best job in junior hockey. It’s extremely hard to create a sustainable business in this league. But I’ve enjoyed every day of it and it’s been a wonderful run.” . . . With Hope pulling the strings, the Royals had a 316-205-52 regular-season record. Good luck to the Royals in finding someone who can match that. . . . Dheensaw’s complete story is right here.

The 2020 IIHF World Men’s Hockey Championship had been scheduled for Lausanne and Zurich, Switzerland, from May 8-24. Of course, it was postponed. There had been talk of Switzerland playing host in 2021, but that has been ruled out and it will remain in Belarus and Latvia. . . . The Swiss federation was interested in 2021, but changed its mind, citing financial risks and — get this! — the risk of the coronavirus still being a factor a year from now. . . .

The Hungarian government has banned all large gatherings through Aug. 15, so the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix will be run without fans in attendance if it is held on Aug. 2. . . . F1 officials continue to work on their schedule, which has been riddled by cancellations and postponements. . . .

NASCAR says it is going to start its season on May 17 at Darlington, S.C., Raceway. The Coca-Cola 600 is set for Charlotte, N.C., Motor Speedway on May 24. . . . No fans allowed, though.

Waldo

The WHL made it to fark.com, which took note of the 2020 bantam draft with this: “The virus of Brayden has passed its peak. Minus, it has mutated into variations of Hayden, Aiden, Kaden, Jayden, Grayden and (deep breath) Teydon.”

Here is Jack Finarelli, aka The Sports Curmudgeon with his Thought for the Day, this one from Will Rogers: “The short memories of the American voters is what keeps our politicians in office.”

If baseball’s 10-team Expedition League does get its season started, the Wheat City Whiskey Jacks, who call Brandon home, will be playing out of a city in North Dakota. . . . Brian Pallister, Manitoba’s premier, had said on Wednesday that there won’t be live sporting events with fans in attendance in the province until at least September. That combined with the U.S.-Canada border being closed to non-essential travel meant the Whiskey Jacks wouldn’t be able to play in Brandon. So they will set up shop in a North Dakota community yet to be named. . . . The league’s Opening Day had been set for May 26, but that has been postponed, although a new date hasn’t yet been announced. . . . The league, a summer circuit for college players, also has teams in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming. . . . Thomas Friesen of the Brandon Sun has more right here.

With a number of sporting leagues — CFL, CPL, CEBL, BCHL, KIJHL — apparently asking the feds for some financial help, Hartley Miller of 94.3 The Goat in Prince George and myprincegeorgenow.com wonders: “Is it time for the Prince George Rec Hockey League to ask the government for a handout?” . . . Yes, I think he was joking. But, hey, in these bizarre times you just never know.

In his weekly Hart Attack column, which is right here, Hartley Miller asked a few timely questions:

“What are the contingency plans for junior hockey leagues like the WHL and BCHL should physical distancing measures still be in place for the fall (which is highly likely) and even into the new year? It seems obvious that these leagues are not financially viable without fans, and many of them, in the stands.

“What will be the protocol when sports do return and a competing athlete tests positive for COVID-19? Does everything get shutdown again or do we just shrug our shoulders and just keep playing?”

Hands

Trevor Alto is the junior B Pacific Junior Hockey League’s new commissioner. Alto, 41, takes over from Ray Stonehouse, who had been in charge since 2016. Stonehouse, 76, will remain as a senior advisor through 2021-22. . . . Alto was the BCHL’s executive director under then-commissioner John Grisdale from 2012-19.

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Bayne Koen is the new head coach of the junior B Richmond Sockeyes of the Pacific Junior Hockey League. He is a veteran junior coach on the Lower Mainland of B.C., and, in fact, has won four championships, most recently in 2018-19 in his fourth and final season with the North Van Wolf Pack. He also has been a PJHL head coach with the Port Coquitlam Buckeroos and Port Moody Black Panthers. Last season, he was the director of player development with the White Rock Whalers and also coached a bantam prep team at the Delta Hockey Academy. . . . With the Sockeyes, he takes over from Brett Reusch, who left the club on April 9, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Embalm

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