Tag: Tyler Kuntz

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

Will we see baseball, football in 2020? . . . Jays fall to 0-2 as Devers homers again . . . BCHL team has new head coach

Had this pandemic not reared its ugly head, the MLB season would be heading into its third day. As it stands, though, there isn’t any baseball and now there are rumblings that perhaps the 2020 season may not get off the ground at all.

On Friday morning, Jeff Passan of ESPN tweeted that “the players and league agreed the 2020 MLB season won’t begin until:

“There are no bans on mass gatherings that limit the ability to play in front of fans;

“There are no travel restrictions;

“Medical experts determine games will not pose a risk to health of teams and fans.”

At the same time, he noted, there is a caveat to the first of those, that being that “they will consider playing games at neutral sites . . . and will consider the feasibility of playing in empty stadiums and just how proper a solution it may be for both sides and especially fans.”

If you have been paying attention, I think you will agree that New York City, for one, is a long, long way from being ready to play host to baseball games. And, on the West Coast, Los Angeles County closed its beaches on Friday.

I’m thinking it could be a year before anyone yells “Play Ball” again.

Our Thought for the Day, from Jack Finarelli, aka The Sports Curmudgeon, quotes H.L. Mencken: “The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.”

The Toronto Blue Jays are 0-2 after dropping an 8-6 decision to the visiting Boston Red Sox on Friday. . . . Boston got another home from 3B Rafael Devers, who has three in two games. . . . LF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had two hits and three RBI for the Blue Jays. . . . This game was part of the simulated season being played out by the gang at Strat-O-Matic. . . . There’s more on all of that, including standings and boxscores, right here.

Kirk Herbstreit, one of TV’s top college football analysts, is wondering if there will be college or pro football this year. In fact, he appeared on ESPN’s Freddie and Fitzsimmons show on Thursday night and offered up this:

“I’ll be shocked if we have NFL football this fall, if we have college football. I’ll be so surprised if that happens.

“Just because from what I understand, people that I listen to, you’re 12 to 18 months from a vaccine. I don’t know how you let these guys go into locker rooms and let stadiums be filled up and how you can play ball. I just don’t know how you can do it with the optics of it.”

The NCAA football season is scheduled to begin on Aug. 29. Players would have to be in training camps in late July to make that starting date.

Hook

If you are a follower of the WHL you will be aware that the league held its inaugural U.S. Challenge Cup — a bantam AAA tournament — in Kent, Wash., in late February.

The WHL followed that up by holding a two-round draft of U.S. prospects on Wednesday.

If you’re wondering “Why now?”, consider that the NCAA changed some of its recruiting rules in April. For starters, the NCAA no longer allows “recruiting conversations” between a coach and prospect prior to Jan. 1 of a prospect’s Grade 10 year. As well, coaches have to wait until Aug. 1 prior to a prospect’s Grade 11 year to make a verbal offer.

On Thursday, Darryl Wolski of 2112 Hockey Agency tweeted a couple of times in explaining this:

“High school students may not have recruiting conversations with college coaches prior to Jan. 1 of their sophomore (Grade 10) year. Students may hear from college coaches or reach out to them on their own. Schools may make verbal offers to prospects beginning (Grade 11).”

What this means, Wolski tweeted, is that “WHL teams should have roughly 8 months to attempt to sign players to WHL/CHL education agreements before NCAA teams can speak to any of those drafted or undrafted players.”

I was heading for bed on Thursday night when — Hot Damn! — I discovered that Bob Dylan had released a new song. . . . Murder Most Foul is almost 17 minutes in length, so is that still a song?

Anyway . . . if you haven’t heard it, you are able to give it a listen right here, where you also will find a neat story touching on 20 references Dylan makes in the song.

Noose

Three prominent sports broadcasters have tested positive for COVID-19 and are at one stage or another of dealing with it. . . .

Gord Wilson, a colour analyst on Ottawa Senators broadcasts on TSN 1200, learned Friday that he has the novel coronavirus. Wilson, 59, was in California with the Senators, from March 6-12, and started feeling ill upon his return home. He now is self-isolating at home. . . . Wilson is the third of 52 people who were on the Senator’s charter flight from L.A. to Ottawa on March 12 to have tested positive. The other two were Senators players. . . .

John Kelly, the TV play-by-play voice of the St. Louis Blues, has been in self-isolation since March 13. He tested positive but now is symptom-free and feeling well. . . .

Doris Burke, an ESPN analyst on NBA telecasts, is symptom-free after having been ill for several days. She learned on Wednesday that she had tested positive. She first felt ill on March 11 while in Dallas and was sick in bed three days later. . . .

In B.C., the City of Burnaby has cancelled its Canada Day plans. As Dustin Godfrey of Burnaby Now writes: “The move comes as part of an ongoing response to the COVID-19 outbreak and reinforces the notion that social distancing measures will be in place for months rather than weeks.” . . .

The 47th annual Kamloops International Baseball Tournament (KIBT) has been cancelled for 2020. The eight-team affair had been scheduled for July 9-12. . . .

After two seasons as general manager and head coach, Tyler Kuntz has left the BCHL’s Powell River Kings. . . . Brock Sawyer, who has been on staff for the past six seasons, has been named director of hockey operations and head coach. . . . For the past two seasons, Sawyer has been associate GM and associate head coach. . . . “I have decided I need to do what is best for my family,” Kuntz said in a news release. “These past couple of years have taken a toll and, as much as I love the organization, the players and the city of Powell River, it just isn’t feasible to continue to commute to see my young family.” . . .

The junior A Nepean, Ont., Raiders are looking for a head coach. If you’re interested, the details are right here.

Writers resting after MVI involving elk . . . Hurricanes’ future looks bright . . . Where were Americans’ fans? . . . A full MacBeth Report

ThisThat

Jesse Geleynse and Andy Eide, two members of the media who were in Kennewick, Wash., to cover a WHL game on Monday night, were injured in a car accident on their way back to the Seattle area early Tuesday morning.

Geleynse, who works for the Everett Herald, and Eide, from 710 ESPN Seattle, had driven to Kennewick to cover Game 6 of the WHL’s Western Conference final between the Tri-City Americans and Everett Silvertips.

On the return trip on Interstate 90, their car was behind a semi tractor-trailer when an elk got in the way.

KOMOnews.com reported: “A preliminary investigation found that the semi and the Mazda were both heading east on I-90 when the semi hit an elk that was standing on the freeway. The Mazda driver swerved to avoid the elk that had been struck, lost control, and the car rolled over onto its top in the median.”

Those in the car were taken to hospital in Ellensburg, Wash.

Eide told Taking Note late Tuesday afternoon that he was at home and resting.

Geleynse also is at home, nursings cuts, bruises and a concussion.

The KOMO story is right here.

Three years have come and gone since Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, recommended that shareholders in the Lethbridge Hurricanes put a ‘For Sale’ sign on their franchise and sell to private owners.

“It’s not to say that this community organization can’t get things turned around,” Robison Lethbridgetold media after speaking to shareholders on May 4, 2015. “But we think, when you look at the franchise moving forward, that private interests would be in the best interest of the club.”

At that point, the Hurricanes hadn’t been in the playoffs for six seasons and were somewhere around $1.25 million in debt.

And then along came Peter Anholt. He hitched his white horse to the rail at the edge of town and . . .

Anholt had stepped in as general manager and head coach in December 2014. After the season, he signed a three-year contract as general manager.

The shareholders voted not to sell, and, well, the rest is history.

In the past three seasons, the Hurricanes have played 22 home playoff games, including 10 in 2017 and nine this season when they lost a third-round series in six games to the heavily favoured Swift Current Broncos.

The Hurricanes now can afford to buy lunch for their banker, rather than using a line of credit to pay for it.

Keep in mind, too, that Hurricanes’ fans wear their sunglasses at night because the future is that bright. Their favourite team reached the Eastern Conference final even though Anholt turned into a seller at the January trade deadline.

The Hurricanes’ roster now includes three of the WHL’s top young players — F Logan Barlage, who was acquired from the Broncos, and F Dylan Cozens, both of them having completed their 16-year-old seasons, along with D Calen Addison, who turned 18 on April 11.

Yes, things are looking good in Lethbridge, so good, in fact, the prospective private owners need not bother venturing into city limits.

You are free to wonder if the Tri-City Americans are long for the Kennewick-Richland-Pasco area of Washington State.

The Americans drew an announced crowd of 3,033 fans to Game 6 of the WHL’s Western Conference final against the Everett Silvertips on Monday night. In seven home games in TriCity30these playoffs, in what was their 30th season, the Americans’ average announced attendance was 3,053.

The Americans play in the 5,797-seat Toyota Center, which opened in 1988 and now is in need of upgrading.

However, the Kennewick Public Facilities District has asked voters three times for the OK to increase a sales tax to fund a project that would include, among other things, an upgrade for the hockey facility. Three times it has been rejected.

In November, with the latest referendum having been defeated, Bob Tory, the Americans’ general manager who owns a piece of the franchise, told the Tri-City Herald that the arena’s “infrastructure is certainly in trouble.”

According to Wendy Culverwell of the Herald, Tory said team expenses have doubled under current ownership while revenue has been flat.

“There comes a time when that doesn’t make sense any more,” Tory told Culverwell.

Culverwell wrote: “The Americans’ lease runs through 2020, but contains language that allows it to negotiate for a lower rent or even an early termination if it isn’t up to WHL standards.”

Tory, who has never cried wolf or threatened to relocate, also told Culverwell: “If you look around the WHL, our facility is not just the worst facility in the U.S. Division, but it’s probably at the very bottom of the league as far as the quality of the amenities.”

In the regular season, the Americans’ announced average attendance was 3,649, easily the lowest figure among the five U.S. Division teams. The Seattle Thunderbirds were the closest divisional opponent, at 4,950.

The Tri-Cities area of Washington State is home to around 300,000 people.

The MJHL-champion Steinbach Pistons got a goal and two assists from F Bradley Schoonbaert as they dumped the host Nipawin Hawks, the SJHL champs, to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series for the ANAVET Cup.  . . . Game 4 is scheduled for tonight (Wednesday) in Nipawin, with Game 5 there on Friday. . . . Last night, the Pistons held period leads of 1-0 and 4-0. . . . F Brandan Arnold had an assist on Nipawin’s goal. He has been in on all six of the Hawks’ scores in the series. . . . G Matthew Thiessen stopped 16 shots for Steinbach. . . . The winner of this series will move on to the Royal Bank Cup in Chilliwack, B.C., later this month.

The BCHL’s Wenatchee Wild is one victory away from a berth in the Royal Bank Cup, the junior A championship tournament that opens in Chilliwack, B.C., on May 12. . . . The Wild beat the host Spruce Grove Saints, the AJHL champions, 4-3 on Tuesday night to take a 3-0 lead in the Doyle Cup series. The Wild is trying to became the first American-based team to win the Doyle Cup. . . . They’ll play Game 4 in Spruce Grove tonight (Wednesday). . . . Last night, goals from F Nathan Iannone and D Cooper Zech gave the Wild a 3-1 lead after two periods. . . . F Sam Hesler upped it to 4-1 at 8:10 of the third period. . . . The Saints made it close as F Parker Seretsky and F Chase Olsen scored at 12:34 and 12:57, respectively. . . . G Austin Park earned the victory with 34 saves.

JUST NOTES:

Tyler Kuntz is the new general manager and head coach of the BCHL’s Powell River Kings. Kuntz, 39, spent this season as the assistant coach of the Daemyung Killer Whales in South Korea. Prior to that, he spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. . . . Kuntz takes over from Brock Sawyer, an assistant coach who took over as interim head coach when the Kings fired GM/head coach Kent Lewis on Jan. 29. . . .

The Spokane Chiefs have signed Chris Moulton, their assistant general manager, to a contract extension. The length of the deal wasn’t revealed. Moulton has been with the Chiefs since 2005, and has been the assistant GM since November 2016. . . .

D Mark Rubinchik, who turned 19 on March 21, won’t be back for a third season with the Saskatoon Blades. According to The MacBeth Report, Rubinchik, who is from Moscow, has signed a two-year, two-way contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa (Russia, KHL). . . . Rubinchik had 23 assists in 63 games as a freshman in 2016-17. This season, in 67 games, he recorded four goals and 19 assists. . . . The Blades didn’t make the playoffs this season. Rubinchik was their lone import player after the Jan. 10 trade deadline, when they moved Czech D Libor Hajek to the Regina Pats. . . .

F Brad Morrison, 21, who leads the WHL playoff scoring race, has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. Morrison, whose Lethbridge Hurricanes were eliminated from the playoffs on Monday night, was a fourth-round pick by the New York Rangers in the NHL’s 2015 draft but was never signed. . . . In 16 playoff games this spring, he put up 37 points, including 16 goals. He also leads all playoff scorers with 21 assists. . . . In 334 WHL regular-season games, split between the Prince George Cougars, Vancouver Giants and Lethbridge, Morrison had 263 points, including 112 goals.

MacBeth

G Juha Metsola (Lethbridge, 2007-09) signed a two-year contract with Salevat Yulaev Ufa (Russia, KHL). This season, in 52 games with Amur Khabarovsk (Russia, KHL), he was 28-17-6, 2.25, .923 with three shutouts and two assists. He twice was named the KHL’s goaltender of the week (Nov. 8 and Jan. 29). . . .

F Jan Eberle (Seattle, 2006-08) signed a one-year contract with Plzeň (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, with Olomouc (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had nine goals and 18 assists in 50 games. . . .

F Daniel Rákos (Swift Current, 2005-07) signed a “multi-year” contract with Hradec Králové (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, with Třinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had five goals and 15 assists in 47 games. . . .

D Michal Hlinka (Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, 2010-12) signed a one-year contract with Hradec Králové (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, he was pointless in 12 games with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL), and had four goals and five assists in seven games while on loan to Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga). . . .

F Marek Kalus (Spokane, Brandon, 2010-13) signed a one-year contract with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Havířov (Czech Republic, 1. Liga), he had 18 goals and 16 assists in 46 games. He led his team in goals and points. . . .

G Andrei Makarov (Saskatoon, 2011-13) was traded by Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk to Spartak Moscow (both Russia, KHL) for cash compensation. This season, in 12 games with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, he was 6-4-0, 2.11, .922 with one shutout. . . .

F Jakub Herman (Moose Jaw, 2009-10) signed a one-year contract with Zlin (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, with Olomouc (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had nine goals and 11 assists in 39 games. . . .

D Mark Rubinchik (Saskatoon, 2016-18) signed a two-year, two-way contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa (Russia, KHL). This season, he had four goals and 19 assists in 67 games with Saskatoon. . . .

F Filip Ahl (Regina, 2016-17) signed a one-year contract with Tingsryd (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season, he had seven goals and one assist in five games with Örebro J20 (Sweden, J20 SuperElit), one assist in 15 games with Örebro (Sweden, SHL), and 11 goals and four assists in 29 games while on loan to Karlskoga (Sweden, Allsvenskan). . . .

F Nathan Burns (Vancouver, Saskatoon, Swift Current, 2009-14) signed a one-year contract extension with Halle (Germany, Oberliga). He had seven goals and 31 assists in 37 games, leading his club in assists and points. . . .

F Ladislav Ščurko (Seattle, Tri-City, 2004-07) signed a one-year contract extension with Detva (Slovakia, Extraliga). In 54 games, he had 17 goals and 11 assists. An alternate captain, he led the team in goals. . . .

F Andrej Kudrna (Vancouver, Red Deer, 2008-11) signed a one-year contract extension with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 14 goals and 13 assists in 52 games. He led his team in goals.

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