Tag: WHL

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

Is it the USHL’s time to be No. 1? . . . Norway’s hockey federation feeling the pinch . . . Memorial Cup champs get 74 days between games

Smoke
We are among the fortunate ones in the Southern Interior of B.C., because, while the smoke is terrible, we aren’t in any danger. Dorothy and I haven’t packed a go-bag, but we have made a list of what will be included should it become necessary. As I write this (Sunday, 8:30 p.m.), the smoke, most of it from a fire 30-to-40 km to the east of us, is worse than pictured. We no longer are able to see the South Thompson River that is visible in the right side of the photo. The wind blows the smoke in through any nook or cranny and our air purifier is getting a workout. But we’re safe and thankful for that.

As was mentioned here the other day, the WHL has hired the New Jersey-based recruiting firm TurnkeyZRG to help in its search for a commissioner to replace Ron Robison, who is retiring after the 2023-24 season.

In the job description posted on TurnkeyZRG’s website, this statement appears:

“The Western Hockey League (WHL) is the best hockey development league in the world.  Last month, the WHL had more top draft picks (including the #1 pick Connor Bedard) and more overall picks than any other league or country in the world.”

Uhh, well, actually . . . no. The OHL had 35 players selected, with 33 being taken from the WHL.

And then there’s the 16-team USHL. Yes, the USHL.

As Allan Mitchell of The Athletic wrote in a story posted on Friday: “If you ushlinclude the U.S. National Development Team as part of the USHL, the number of players being drafted exceeds each of the Canadian junior leagues.”

The USNDT plays a full 62-game schedule in the USHL, which is why Mitchell included it in these numbers.

The USHL, including the USNDT, had 39 players selected in the NHL’s 2023 draft, with the OHL (35), WHL (33) and Sweden (22) next in line.

Furthermore, according to Mitchell, when the 2022-23 NHL season began, there were 193 USHL grads on team rosters, while there were 173 from the OHL and 115 from the WHL.

Mitchell makes the USHL’s case with a whole lot of numbers, then adds:

“I’ve spoken to NHL scouts about the quality of the USHL compared to the established Canadian junior leagues. The consensus opinion has the USHL trailing the Canadian leagues, although all admit the gap is closing.”

He also points out: “Most scouts have been around the game for a long time. The USHL was an upstart when many current scouts were early in their careers. The older generation of NHL scouts may believe the USHL still trails, but the growing evidence suggests this is no longer the case.”

Mitchell closes his piece with this:

“In this quick look at the leagues, USHL players are No. 1 in populating opening-night NHL rosters (2022-23), No. 1 in populating the 2023 NHL draft and No. 1 in the top three tiers of The Athletic’s top-100 players.

“The NHL industry is telling us the USHL’s time is coming.

“The numbers are telling us the USHL’s time is here.”

If nothing else, all of this is food for some kind of thought. Discuss among yourselves.

If you subscribe to The Athletic, the complete story is right here.

Clam

Things are tough financially in Norway where the country’s ice hockey federation has suspended all activities for its senior women’s and senior men’s national teams through December. The federation also has laid off five full-time employees. . . . Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported that “the men’s U20 national team . . . will play at the WC in December.” . . . According to NRK, “The drastic cuts come just a few weeks after the (federation) confirmed a deficit of 9 million (kroner) in 2022. This was 3 million more than they had budgeted.” . . . The women’s national team is in China at the IIHF’s Division 1A championship and won’t be impacted until returning home. That is the IIHF’s last 2023 championship of its calendar.

Ass

Headline at The Onion — MLS Parents Complain Leo Messi Too Advanced For Sons’ League

Bob Baun was a hard-rock defenceman on the 1966-67 Toronto Maple Leafs, who won the Stanley Cup. You no doubt are aware that the franchise has yet to win another championship. . . . Steve Simmons of Postmedia points out that “the only regulars remaining from the ’67 Leafs, still around to share their stories, are those who were under the age of 30 in 1967 — Dave Keon, Frank Mahovlich, Bob Pulford, Ron Ellis, Pete Stemkowski, Mike Walton and Brian Conacher.”

——

Simmons, again: “No surprise that Taylor Swift turned down the Super Bowl, which doesn’t pay much for its halftime entertainment. She probably couldn’t afford the pay cut.” . . . And she surely doesn’t need the exposure.

Insomn

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

Landon Watson, who left the Regina Pats earlier this month, has joined the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes as manager of hockey operations. Watson, who is from Neilburg, Sask., had been with the Pats through seven seasons; he was their director of hockey operations for two years. . . . The Pats have named Tristan Frei, who is from Regina, as Watson’s replacement. . . .

F Savin Virk, 16, has committed to attend Michigan State U. The Tri-City Americans selected the Surrey, B.C., native in the third round of the WHL’s 2022 draft. He played at Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford, B.C., for the past three seasons, putting up 26 goals and 21 assists in 29 games with the U18 team last season.

THINKING OUT LOUD — The QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts played their first exhibition game of the new season on Thursday night. That was only 74 days after they won the Memorial Cup in Kamloops. That’s right . . . 74 days, which, if my math is correct, isn’t even three months. . . . I tried to watch the NFL exhibition game between the visiting Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night. I really did. But the Seahawks’ broadcast crew couldn’t even pretend there were two teams on the field. Embarrassing! . . . On Sunday, I turned on the MLB game between the San Francisco Giants and the Braves in Atlanta. And there was the Braves’ play-by-play man sounding like Buck Martinez — “Get out of here ball.” . . . It’s really too bad that more broadcast teams can’t emulate Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow, who do Giants’ games, or Dick Bremer and Justin Moreau, who handle a lot of Minnesota Twins’ games. You know who they work for, but they don’t feel the urge to shout it to the heavens. . . . Let’s be honest here. You were watching the B.C. Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders playing in Regina on Sunday and you went into the second half wondering how the home team was going to blow it, weren’t you?

Deer
A doe and two fans take a break in a field behind our home east of Kamloops. After eating, they chose to rest before heading up into the hills above the South Thompson River.

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.

Herman

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

Wild searching for head coach and an assistant . . . Robison: Winnipeg scenario was all about facility . . . 20-team KIJHL applies for junior A status

The Wenatchee Wild, the WHL’s newest franchise, is looking for a head coach. Dick and Lisa White operated the Wild as a BCHL franchise for the past eight Wenatcheeseasons, but they now have purchased the Winnipeg Ice and have moved the franchise to the Washington city. . . . The Wild announced on Thursday that Chris Clark, who was the head coach of the BCHL team, will remain with the organization as assistant general manager and associate head coach. He has been with the Wild for all 15 years of its existence. . . . The Wild also is keeping Leigh Mendelson as director of scouting and Jarrod Boman is staying in a hockey operations role. . . . The Wild is looking for an athletic therapist and an equipment manager, with Pepe Sandoval staying on as an assistant to both positions. . . . Mendelson has been with the Wild for six years. His extensive background includes one season (2008-09) as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. . . . On Thursday, the Wild posted this on Twitter: “With the news of our staff updates this morning, we are continuing to hunt for the right head coach and an additional assistant coach to lead us into the WHL era. All resumes can be mailed to our general manager at blittler@wenatcheewildhockey.com.

——

And so ends, at least for now, the WHL coaching career of James Patrick, who had been the Ice’s head coach for six seasons — two in Cranbrook and four in Winnipeg. . . . The Ice announced on Feb. 10, 2020, that it had agreed to terms with Patrick on a three-year contract extension. That extension expired after the 2022-23 season, and there was speculation that Patrick, 60, wasn’t going to return even if the franchise hadn’t been sold.

No real news emanated from a 28-minute Zoom meeting that featured Ron WHLRobison, the WHL commissioner who is heading into his final season, and some members of the media on Thursday. . . . Asked what the WHL could learn from what happened in Winnipeg where the Ice’s owners weren’t able to build a promised arena, Robison responded: “That scenario was really all about the facility. In our league we have very clear requirements for facility standards and if those standards aren’t met then we have to look at alternate locations. In this particular case, we probably should have had a more firm commitment on the facility as far as construction underway, that type of thing, to make sure that we didn’t encounter the challenges we did. It’s just unfortunate that we didn’t get to a position where we had a facility . . . in Winnipeg to play in because we obviously value that market extremely high, but without that the viability of that franchise in that market just didn’t make sense to us.” . . . The complete session is available on the WHL’s website.

Dogs

The junior B Kootenay International Junior Hockey League has applied to BC kijhlHockey to have its status upgraded to junior A. The league reached the decision at its annual general meeting in Sicamous on Saturday and went public with the move on Thursday. . . . The 20-team KIJHL features 19 teams in B.C., and one, the Spokane Braves, in the U.S. . . . B.C. doesn’t have a junior A league with the decision by the BCHL to operate as an outlaw league — that sounds better than independent, doesn’t it? — outside of Hockey Canada. . . . From a KIJHL news release: “The KIJHL’s application to BC Hockey was submitted after an exhaustive consultation process with the league’s minor hockey partners that resulted in letters of support from all four of the regional minor hockey districts in which KIJHL teams operate, as well as 19 separate minor hockey associations.” . . . Brett Holt of the Columbia Valley Rockets, who is the chairman of the KIJHL’s board, offered: “We’re looking forward to further dialogue with BC Hockey on our application and our desire to further the growth of grassroots junior hockey in our province, and ultimately a vote by their Board.” . . . The KIJHL news release is right here.

Tacos

THE COACHING GAME:

Two former WHL players and coaches have signed on as coaches with NHL teams. . . . Mitch Love, the two-time reigning AHL coach of the year, has joined the Washington Capitals as an assistant coach under freshman head coach Spencer Carberry, while Travis Green is back in the game, this time as an associate coach under head coach Lindy Ruff with the New Jersey Devils. . . . Love played five seasons (1999-05) in the WHL, seeing time with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Swift Current Broncos and Everett Silvertips. He spent seven seasons as an assistant coach with Everett and two seasons as head coach of the Saskatoon Blades before signing with the NHL’s Calgary Flames. He was the head coach of their AHL affiliate — the Stockton Heat in 2021-22 and the Calgary Wranglers in 2022-23 — for the past two seasons and was named the AHL’s coach of the year for both seasons. . . . Green hasn’t coached in the NHL since the Vancouver Canucks fired him as head coach early in the 2021-22 season. He had been with the Canucks since 2017. He played four seasons (1986-90) in the WHL — three-plus with the Spokane Chiefs and 25 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers. He spent three seasons (2010-13) on the coaching staff of the Portland Winterhawks. . . . 

Ken MacKenzie is the new head coach of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, taking over from his son, Derek, who has signed on as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Nashville Predators. . . . Derek spent 50 games as the club’s head coach, going 23-20-7, then losing to the eventual champion Peterborough Petes in the first round of the playoffs. . . . Ken had been the Wolves’ assistant general manager. . . . Rick Dorval and Gary Ricciardi will be back as assistant coaches. . . . Ken had stepped in as interim head coach when the Wolves fired head coach Craig Duncanson early last season. Ken coached until Derek was hired as head coach. . . .

The NHL’s Calgary Flames have hired former NHLer Marc Savard as an assistant coach to work alongside freshman head coach Ryan Huska. Savard spent the previous two seasons as head coach of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires.

Unicorn

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The 2025 World Junior Championship will be played in Ottawa, running from Dec. 26, 2024 through Jan. 5, 2025. . . . They’ll play 17 games, including the semifinals and bronze and championship games, in the Canadian Tire Centre, home of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. TD Place, home to the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s, will see 14 games. . . . The 2023 WJC was played in Moncton and Halifax. The 2024 tournament is scheduled for Gothenburg, Sweden, from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. . . .

The Calgary Hitmen have waived 2003-born D Blake Heward, who now is a free agent. Heward had two goals and 10 assists in 41 games with the Hitmen last season. In 103 regular-season games, 23 of those with the Edmonton Oil Kings, he put up four goals and 21 assists. . . . His father, Jamie, is a former WHL player and coach. . . .

Paul Duarte, the owner of the junior B London Nationals of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, has drawn a two-year suspension from Hockey Canada-sanctioned activities following an investigation into accusations of abuse, bullying, harassment and misconduct. According to the London Free Press, the Ontario Hockey Federation began an investigation “for what multiple sources (said) was a bounty allegedly offered for a London player to target a skater on the Komoka Kings in the fall of 2021.” . . . According to the Free Press, “The sources, who spoke to the Free Press on condition of anonymity due to fears of reprisal, said they were told the amount of the bounty was $100.” . . . There’s more on the story right here.

THINKING OUT LOUD: The B.C. Lions went into Winnipeg on Thursday night and absolutely dominated the Blue Bombers, 30-6, and who saw that coming? . . . Winnipeg had lost just two of its previous 21 home games with Zach Collaros at quarterback. . . . The Lions are 3-0 and have allowed only 21 points. Now that’s impressive, especially in the CFL. . . . The next time someone with NHL tries to tell you that “hockey is for everyone” you are free to laugh in their face. The NHL should be embarrassed about its decision to get rid of specialty warmup sweaters, but too many of the old white guys who run that league don’t have a sense of understanding. . . . I’m told that the junior B KIJHL wants to have all of its teams play under a junior A flag in 2023-24, after which it would split into two tiers. After that, perhaps it would run a relegation system just like some international soccer leagues.

Tat

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.

Married

Robison prepping for final season as WHL commissioner . . . Giants’ owner twice on Titan submersible . . . Hershey kisses Calder Cup in Game 7 OT

The WHL announced Wednesday that Ron Robison, its long-serving commissioner and CEO, will be leaving his position following the 2023-24 season.

The announcement was made via press release following the completion of the WHLleague’s annual general meeting in Calgary. It came five days after the WHL announced that the Winnipeg Ice had been sold and have moved to Wenatchee, Wash. That move came after the Ice’s owners reneged on a promise to build a new arena that would meet WHL standards. Instead, the Ice spent four seasons playing out of the 1,600-seat Wayne Fleming Arena on the campus of the U of Manitoba.

Robison, who was born in 1955, is entering the final season of a three-year contract extension that was announced on June 18, 2021. He is preparing for his 24th season as the WHL commissioner and CEO. The late Ed Chynoweth, who is considered the godfather of the WHL, spent 21 seasons (1973-79, 1980-95) running the league.

Meanwhile, the WHL also announced that it will release its exhibition schedule and the home-opening date and opponent for each team on Monday, and the regular-season scheduled on Tuesday.

As was reported here on Friday night, the Swift Current Broncos will play in the six-team Central Division for the 2023-24 season and then return to the East Division. The Broncos moved to the Central Division when the Kootenay Ice moved to Winnipeg and were positioned in the East Division.

In its news release, the WHL also stated that “attendance levels have returned to pre-COVID levels.”

According to figures compiled by the WHL based on announced attendances, the average for the 2022-23 regular season was 3,895, “up 22 per cent from the average of 3,205 in 2021-22.”

That is a healthy increase but, as Dylan Bumbarger points out in the above tweet, it is still below the pre-pandemic numbers. In 2018-19, the last completed season before the pandemic, the WHL’s average attendance was 4,361. The average in 2019-20, the season that was halted in March by the pandemic, was 4,154.

It is interesting that in 2022-23 the two teams atop the attendance table, the Edmonton Oil Kings (6,501) and Spokane Chiefs (5,842), had two of the poorest regular-season records and didn’t qualify for the playoffs. It’s also interesting that 11 of the 22 teams finished above the average attendance figure, meaning, of course, that 11 finished below it.

The WHL also said the playoff attendance was “up 37 per cent” at 4,689 for 75 games, compared to 3,575 for 72 games a year earlier. (As an aside, the WHL’s website shows the latter figures as 3,935 and 79.)

You are free to wonder just how much of an impact F Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats had on the WHL’s regular-season and playoff attendance figures. While Bedard put up big numbers on the ice and deservedly cleaned up when the awards were handed out, I would suggest that the number of butts he put in the seats after he returned from his amazing performance at the World Junior Championship in Halifax was the biggest story in the WHL in 2022-23. It was nothing short of amazing and I would hope that he was at least toasted during the AGM.

The WHL’s AGM news release is right here.

You no doubt are aware of the submersible — the Titan — with five people aboard that has gone missing while on a voyage to see the wreck of the Titanic, which is in something like 12,500 feet of water about 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. . . . But did you know that Ron Toigo, the majority owner of the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, has made two trips on the Titan? . . . Gord McIntyre of Postmedia reported that Toigo spent almost 40 hours on the Titan. “On Toigo’s first voyage, in 2021,” McIntyre wrote, “mechanical problems resulted in the sub settling on the ocean floor for four or five hours before it was able to rise to the surface again, with no view of the famous White Star liner. The whole trip took 20 hours.” . . . Toigo told McIntyre: “I really had a great time on that boat trip, even though we got stuck at the bottom.” . . . Last summer, Toigo was back for more and this time he was able to view the Titanic. . . . McIntyre’s story is right here.

The Hershey Bears overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat the host Coachella Valley HersheyFirebirds, 3-2 in OT, in Game 7 of the AHL’s championship final for the Calder Cup. . . . The Bears became the first team to win on the road in this season’s final. . . . F Mike Vecchione’s fifth goal of the playoffs won the game at 16:19 of the first OT period. . . . Former Regina Pats D Ryker Evans had a goal and an assist as the Firebirds took a 2-0 lead with goals at 4:41 of the first period and 0:24 of the second. . . . The Bears tied it on second-period goals from F Connor McMichael, at 13:42, and F Hendrix Lapierre, at 17:09. . . . Evans put up two goals and eight assists in the final series. . . . The Firebirds, who were in their first AHL season, sold out each of their last five home playoff games. . . . The Firebirds are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken; the Bears are hooked up with the Washington Capitals. . . . Hershey, the AHL’s oldest franchise, won its 12th championship. . . . The Bears’ Game 7 lineup included former WHLers Lucas Johansen, Vince Iorio, Beck Malenstyn, Garrett Pilon, Riley Sutter, Aliaksei Protas and team captain Dylan McIlrath. Head coach Todd Nelson and assistant Patrick Wellar also are former WHLers.

RedOnions

Two companies operating in Ontario’s internet gaming market have been fined a total of $30,000 by the Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) for alleged infractions of AGCO’s standards. According to a news release from AGCO, “The operators are alleged to have offered numerous bets on Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League games during the 2022-23 season. In doing so, the operators are alleged to have violated Standards that expressly prohibit offering bets on minor league sports, including the Canadian Hockey League’s three major junior leagues.” . . . Both operators — BV Gaming Limited and Fitzdares Canada Limited — have the right of appeal. Each was fined $15,000. . . . Dave Phillips, AGCO’s chief operating officer, said in a news release: “As the regulator of Ontario’s sports betting industry, the AGCO is resolved to maintain the integrity of sports betting which, in turn, may serve to protect the integrity of sport. This includes a clear prohibition on offering bets in Ontario on minor league sports, including Canadian major junior hockey. We will continue to carefully monitor Ontario’s sports betting markets to ensure the public interest is protected.” . . . All of this causes one to wonder if there really needed to be board advertising from a gambling outfit during the Memorial Cup in Kamloops? And what of the fact that the CHL had a daily in-season item that was posted on social media and sponsored by a sportsbook?

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

The Edmonton Oil Kings have released three players — F Luke Robson, F Hayden Wheddon and D Braeden Wynne. Robson and Wynne are 2004-born; Wheddon is 2005-born. . . . In 2022-23, Robson had three goals and two assists in 60 games, Wynne had a goal and an assist in 52 games, and Wheddon had one assist in six games.

——

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.

Eggs

Wild GM says deal ‘came together very fast’ . . . Did BCHL move impact decision to buy? . . . Pilon puts Hershey in front of AHL final

Some odds and loose ends, and some thoughts, on Friday’s news that the Winnipeg Ice have been sold and are on the move to Wenatchee, Wash., where the team will be known as the Wild. . . .

It seems that the decision by Lisa and Dick White to purchase the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice wasn’t in the works for a long time.

The WHL announced Friday that the Whites have bought the Ice and are moving Wenatcheethe franchise to Wenatchee, Wash., where it will operate as the Wild. (Just wondering, but might the moving vans go through Cranbrook on their way from Winnipeg to Wenatchee?)

Bliss Littler, the Wild’s general manager, told Gabe Neumann, who covers the Wild for Area 51 Sports Network that the timeline was “not very long at all.”

“It’s always been thrown out there that Wentachee would be a great fit in the Western League, just by where we’re located,” Littler said. “It came together very fast.”

——

The Whites had operated the Wild in the BCHL since 2015. The BCHL left the umbrella of Hockey Canada on June 1, and you have to believe operating costs will increase, what with teams now scouting and recruiting in Europe and having indicated that there will be pay raises for on-ice officials, among other things. The BCHL also has promised that its teams will discontinue its pay-to-play format by 2025.

You also have to wonder if travel expenses might even be lower for the Wild in the WHL than they were in the BCHL. After all, the Wild will be playing the bulk of its games in the U.S. Division where, according to the Brandon Sun’s Perry Bergson, the distances between Wenatchee and the other teams look like this: Everett, 123 miles (198 km); Kennewick — 131 miles (211 km); Seattle 148 miles (238 km); Spokane — 170 miles (273 km); and Portland — 291 miles (469 km).

Put it all together and it has me wondering if the Whites, who in the past had indicated that they were quite comfortable in the BCHL, took a look down the road and decided if the cost of staying put was going to increase they might as well move into the WHL if the opportunity presented itself.

It did, and the Ice/Wild now is making the 2,071 km (1,287 miles) trek to Wenatchee.

——

Meanwhile, the Brandon Wheat Kings, whose shortest trip for the past four seasons has been to Winnipeg (217 km, 135 miles) now are looking at the Regina Pats as their closest opponent. That trip is 362 km (225 miles).

——

It doesn’t seem that many, if any, of Winnipeg’s off-ice people will be part of the Wild’s front office. The Wild already is advertising for an athletic therapist and an equipment manager. And it sounds as though Wenatchee will be adding a few scouts.

As Littler told Neumann: “The Western Hockey League is based on a couple of drafts. You live and die with the draft, so that’ll be something I haven’t dealt with in a while. I was with the USHL for 12 years and in that time, we ran with two drafts. We’ll have to put a scouting staff in place, (to have) people covering British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba . . . in the past, it’s been almost all Americans.”

——

Thanks to Lucas Punkari of the Brandon Sun, here is a look at the players whose WHL playing rights moved from the Winnipeg Ice to the Wenatchee Wild with the sale of the franchise:

Wildroster

Mat

Former WHL F Garrett Pilon scored at 10:01 of OT to give the host Hershey Bears Hersheya 1-0 victory over the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 5 of the AHL’s championship final for the Calder Cup. . . . The Bears, who lost the first two games of this series on the road, now hold a 3-2 edge after winning three in a row on home ice. . . . The series resumes Monday in Thousand Palms, Calif., with Game 7, if needed, there on Wednesday. . . . Pilon’s fourth playoff goal came off a shot through traffic from about 15 feet in front of the blue line. . . . Hershey got 21 saves from G Hunter Shepard, while Joey Daccord stopped 30 for the Firebirds. . . . Pilon, 25, is in his fifth season in Hershey. He has 10 points in 18 playoff games. He played three seasons (2015-18) in the WHL, two-plus with the Kamloops Blazers and the last 30 games with the Everett Silvertips.

Headline at The Beaverton (@TheBeaverton): Canada hits 40 million people, 40 available houses.

THE COACHING GAME:

The CCHL’s Wellington Dukes have hired Kent Lewis as their director of hockey operations and head coach. Lewis, who is from Powell River, B.C., has coached in the BCHL for more than 20 years, spending time with the Powell River Kings, Nanaimo Clippers and Victoria Salsa. Lewis’s signing came a week after the Dukes hired Todd Diminie as their general manager. . . . Diminie and Lewis take over from Derek Smith, the general manager/head coach who left the organization earlier this month.

Intelligent

JUNIOR JOTTINGS:

There is junior A hockey in Kenora, Ont., again, with the news that the Islanders have joined the Superior International Junior Hockey League. The Islanders are preparing to begin play in 2023-24. This will mark the return of junior A hockey to Kenora for the first time since the Thistles ceased operations in 1982. The Thistles operated in the MJHL for seven seasons. . . . Jack Dawson, the Islanders’ owner, is expected to announce a head coach in the near future. . . . The SIJHL now features eight teams — Dryden GM Ice Dogs, Fort Frances Lakers, Kam River Fighting Walleye, the Islanders, Red Lake Miners, Sioux Lookout Bombers, Thunder Bay North Stars and Wisconsin Lumberjacks.

THINKING OUT LOUD: The CFL’s B.C. Lions are 2-0 after beating the visiting Edmonton Elks, 22-0, on Saturday. The Lions have been part of the CFL since 1954; this was their third shutout, the first since 1977. Yes, 1977. . . . The Elks hadn’t been blanked since Aug. 15, 1976, when they dropped a 40-0 decision to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina. . . . The Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who whupped the Roughriders, 45-27, in Regina on Friday night have to be considered the CFL’s early favourites. If you haven’t seen the 92-yard punt-return TD scored by Winnipeg’s Janarion Grant in that one you should hunt it up and give it a look. It really was one for the ages.

SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE: On Friday afternoon, one day before the Special Olympics World Games opened in Berlin, BetOnline.ag tweeted: “We are proud to be the first Sportsbook to offer betting odds on the Special Olympics!”

A note from ESPN Stats & Info after the San Francisco Giants romped to a 15-0 victory over the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Saturday night: “At 15-0, the Dodgers suffered their largest home shutout loss in 125 years. On Sept. 20, 1898, the Pirates won 15-0 at New Washington Park against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Those two games make up the largest home shutout losses in Dodgers franchise history.” . . . Maybe that will make the Edmonton Elks feel better.

——

Zach Tremblay, a young man from Robson, B.C. continues to wait for a kidney transplant. While he has been waiting, his mother, Jana, has worked tirelessly in spreading the news about kidney disease.

And now Jana is dealing with bladder cancer and issues with her kidneys. As a result, her friend Paula Chaves has started a GoFundMe page.

“After feeling unwell in May,” Paula writes, “Jana visited the hospital where it was discovered that she had bladder cancer. On June 15, Jana’s kidneys were failing and she was air-lifted to Kelowna for emergency surgery. She is awake from surgery and waiting on what’s next. . . .

“With this sudden illness, Jana will be unable work for an unknown period of time and she and her family could really benefit from the financial support as they navigate through this incredibly difficult time.”

The GoFundMe page is right here. Please help if you are able.

——

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.

Baby

WHL adds team to U.S. Division . . . Winnipeg Ice on way to Wenatchee, Wash. . . . Wild becomes sixth American team after sale . . . Governors approved deal on Tuesday

Whites
Lisa and Dick White have purchased the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice and will move the franchise to Wenatchee where it will play as the Wild. (Photo: wenatcheewild.com)

The WHL’s vision of having a franchise in each of the four western Canadian province’s capital cities — Victoria, Edmonton, Regina and Winnipeg — lasted four seasons.

The dream was realized in 2019 when the Kootenay Ice, a franchise that had changed hands on April 27, 2017, moved from Cranbrook to Winnipeg.

But it all went up in smoke on Friday with a terse four-paragraph statement from the WHL office stating that the franchise has been sold again and that it will be relocated to Wenatchee, Wash., where it will play as the Wild.

Darren Dreger of TSN broke the news Friday morning.

The WHL is leaving a city of more than 800,000 people for a city of about Wenatchee35,000. Wenatchee is located in Chelan County, which according to the U.S. Census Bureau had a population of 79,646 in 2021. Neighbouring Douglas County’s population was 43,696.

The franchise has been purchased by David and Lisa White, who also own the BCHL’s Wenatchee Wild. The Wild is operated by the Shoot the Puck Foundation, a non-profit organization based in California.

The sale and relocation was approved by the WHL’s board of governors on Tuesday.

The WHL’s news release, which didn’t include any quotes from Ron Robison, the commissioner, or Bruce Hamilton, the Kelowna Rockets’ owner and general manager who is chairman of the board of governors, stated: “Unfortunately, multiple attempts by the ICE ownership to construct an arena facility of acceptable WHL standards in Winnipeg, based on the agreed upon timeframes, were unsuccessful, leading to the relocation to Wenatchee.”

It would seem that the mistake the WHL made was allowing 50 Below Sports + Entertainment Inc., headed up by owner and governor Greg Fettes and Matt Cockell, the president and general manager, to move the franchise to Winnipeg without having put a shovel in the ground for a new facility.

The WHL, Fettes and Cockell appear to have spent Friday under a cone of silence. The Winnipeg Sun reported that it wasn’t able to get messages returned from the WHL or Cockell.

The Canadian Press reported Friday that “interview requests left with the team and league were not immediately returned.”

The Winnipeg Free Press reported that it has been shut out for months in attempts to reach WHL and Ice officials.

“Despite repeated attempts by the Free Press to get answers in recent months, the club and league remained silent — until Friday,” the Free Press reported Friday.

The Free Press also reported:

“A source told the Free Press last weekend that the Ice informed game-day production staff, such as camera operators and sound/lighting technicians, to find work elsewhere next season.

“Yet, as recently as last Wednesday, the Ice continued to market season-ticket packages on its social media platforms.

“Repeated attempts to reach Fettes through communications staff from both the hockey club and his business were unsuccessful last week when it became apparent the team was about to be sold.

“A WHL spokesman didn’t return multiple messages seeking comment, either.”

The Free Press had reported a few months ago that the WHL and team governors had soured on the Ice ownership and had, according to sources, hit it with a $500,000 fine because of a failure to address the arena issue. The WHL and Ice issued denials — the WHL never did post its statement on its website — but that was the beginning of speculation that the Ice was in its final season in Winnipeg.

On Friday, the Free Press also reported:

“As recently as this past December, the WHL released a statement that read as follows: ‘The Winnipeg Ice have assembled a highly competitive team this season and the WHL continues to work with the Ice regarding a solution to the club’s long-term plans for a suitable facility in Winnipeg.’

“The league said more information would be released in 2023. No new information followed.”

Until Friday, that is.

——

On Jan. 29, 2019, Fettes told a Winnipeg news conference: “We’re building a 4,500-seat arena. We’re expecting it to be full.”

That facility was to have been ready for the start of the 2021-22 season; however, they didn’t even get one shovel into the ground. Thus, the Ice ended up playing four seasons in the 1,600-seat Wayne Fleming Arena on the U of Manitoba campus.

“Despite our success in building the organization,” Fettes said in a stateWinnipegIcement, “we were unable to confirm our ability to build a new facility in Winnipeg that met the WHL standards on a timeline that was acceptable to the WHL. Unfortunately, we were never able to get the project on solid footing due to the changing landscape (during and post-pandemic). Simply put, we ran out of time.”

The original plan apparently was to build an arena in the Rural Municipality of Macdonald, just off the southwest corner of Winnipeg.

Brad Erb, a reeve for the RM, told the Winnipeg Sun in February that he was excited four years ago when he heard about the Ice moving to Manitoba.

“I thought it was pretty exciting for the area and for the municipality . . . that they’d be putting up this entertainment facility within our jurisdiction,” Erb told The Sun. “From that day forward, it was radio silence and I haven’t heard a darn thing about it.”

In Wenatchee, the team will play out of the 4,300-seat Town Toyota Center. During the 2022-23 BCHL regular season, according to figures compiled by hockeydb.com, the Wild averaged 2,672 fans per regular-season game, second to the Penticton Vees (3,102). The Cranbrook Bucs were third, at 2,310.

——

——

Naturally, Wenatchee will play in the U.S. Division, which now has six teams. The relocation leaves the Western and Eastern Conference each with 11 teams.

Taking Note was told early Friday that the East Division schedule was finalized on Thursday with five teams involved and the Brandon Wheat Kings again serving as the league’s eastern border. The Swift Current Broncos moved from the East to the Central Division to accommodate Winnipeg, and apparently will remain there for one more season. After 2023-24, the Broncos will move back, giving the East Division six teams and the Central Division five.

“It’s been a contentious issue with the arena building in Winnipeg and trying to find a place to play,” Jared Jacobson, the Wheat Kings’ owner and governor, told Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun. “It’s been going on for a few years. “It’s sad because we had quite the rivalry going since before the hub. They started getting stronger and stronger and they had their run at it this year and we were becoming pretty good rivals.

“They were our closest WHL partner. Having another team in Manitoba was  nice in that market but it obviously didn’t work for them.” 

——

The Wild has been in Wenatchee since 2008 when it operated in the North American Hockey League. The owners relocated the team to Hidalgo, Texas, after the 2012-13 season and the Whites moved the Fresno Monsters — they had purchased the NAHL team in 2009 — from California to Wenatchee. The Whites own a fruit distribution operation in Fresno.

The Wild moved into the BCHL in 2015. Wenatchee won the Fred Page Cup as BCHL champions and the Doyle Cup as the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s Pacific region champion in 2018.

Bliss Littler, a veteran junior hockey man who was head coach of the Wild for its first five seasons in the BCHL, is the organization’s general manager. He signed a 10-year contract extension on June 4, 2021.

Chris Clark, the Wild’s head coach and assistant GM, has been on staff since 2008. He was named head coach prior to the 2020-21 season, although the team didn’t operate that winter due to the pandemic.

Troy Mick, a former WHL player and coach, also is part of the Wild’s organization. He is the director of its development teams and is the head coach of the 16U Wilderness and 18U AAA Wolves. There also are 12U and 14U development teams.

Late Friday afternoon, the Wenatchee Wild Hockey Academy posted on social media that “it is business as usual for our academy and development teams for the 2023-24 season and beyond. We feel this is another step in developing our players for the next level!”

Around 4 p.m. PT, the Wild was on social media: “We’re on the hunt for a full-time equipment manager and a certified athletic trainer for the 2023-24 season – to apply, email General Manager Bliss Littler at blittler@wenatcheewildhockey.com.”

——

There wasn’t any mention in the Wild’s news release about the future of the BCHL franchise. However, the BCHL issued a statement early Friday afternoon stating that the Wild franchise “will not operate in the BCHL in 2023-24.”

Graham Fraser, the owner of the Penticton Vees and the chairman of the BCHL’s board of governors, said: “As a league, we are assessing our next steps, including reviewing the best options for players currently on the Wenatchee Wild’s roster and addressing schedule implications for the 2023-24 season.”

The BCHL, now a 17-team league with all franchises located in B.C., recently completed its 2023-24 schedule — it calls for each team to play 54 games — and was soon to release it. It now has been sent back to the drawing board.

As for the players on the Wild roster, Steve Cocker, the BCHL commissioner, told Castanet that there won’t be dispersal draft and that they now are free agents.

Cocker also admitted to Castanet that the BCHL was caught off guard by the news.

“What they have found moving to the WHL provides them with a long-term solution that will give them an instant rivalry with the U.S. Division so you can’t fault them for making that business decision,” Cocker told Castanet. “Is it tough not having an organization like the Wild in our league? Sure. They were one of our top organizations but we have a lot of positive momentum going right now with and we’re excited to move forward.”

——

The Ice has been the WHL’s top club each of the past two regular seasons, going 110-20-6. This season, it finished atop the standings, at 57-10-1. After losing to the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Eastern Conference final in 2021-22, the Ice fell to the Seattle Thunderbirds in the championship final in 2022-23.

Winnipeg paid a steep price for the team it iced in 2022-23, though. As Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun reported in February: “According to WHL blogger Alan Caldwell, who tracks these things, the Ice has traded away picks in the first, second and fourth rounds in this year’s draft, all its picks from Rounds 1 through 6 in 2024, its top four picks in ’25 and its first six picks in ’26.”

Still, Wenatchee should have starry forwards Zach Benson, Conor Geekie and Matt Savoie, and starting goaltender Daniel Hauser, back when it opens its first training camp south of the border in August.

But decisions about trading high-end talent to restock the cupboard with draft picks likely will have to be made at some point during the season.

——

This is the third time that the WHL has failed in the Manitoba capital. The Winnipeg Jets/Clubs/Monarchs ended a 10-season run when they moved to Calgary and became the Wranglers over the summer of 1977. The Winnipeg Warriors, an expansion team spent four seasons there before moving to Moose Jaw in 1984.

Will there be a fourth attempt?

——

Here’s Jeff Bromley, a Cranbrook resident who once covered the Kootenay Ice for the Kootenay Advertiser: “(The WHL) becomes more bush by the year. Relocating to a city similar in size to Cranbrook. (Wenatchee) fans don’t get too attached; as soon as there’s another arena at a bigger centre built & ur drawing (fewer than) 2,800, the moving trucks won’t be far behind.”

Here’s Matt Coxford, a former Cranbrook Townsman writer: “I hope the previous owner is sufficiently embarrassed. Did everything he could to get out of town, sold to some bad-faith operators, and now his father’s HHOF banner hangs in a rink twice removed from the franchise.”

——

How did players on Winnipeg’s roster find out that they now belonged to a team in another country? The same way you and I did. On social media.

Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun reported that F Conor Geekie learned of the sale by checking his Instagram account after a workout. He said his teammates were in the same boat.

“The most frustrating thing is how we found out,” Geekie told The Sun. “There wasn’t much notice. We all found at the same time. I’m sure they were swamped but I think we just expected a little bit more in that category.”

——

JUST NOTES: Trevor Crawley of the Cranbrook Townsman tweeted Friday that “a lawsuit filed by the City of Cranbrook against the Western Hockey League and the Winnipeg Ice for breach of contract remains outstanding, as far as I know, based on court records.” That lawsuit was filed by the City of Cranbrook in December 2020. . . . Unaddressed is whether the BCHL’s move to operate outside of Hockey Canada had anything to with the decision by the Whites to leave that league and jump into the WHL. . . . 50 Below Sports + Entertainment Inc., still owns two MJHL franchises, theWinnipeg Blues and Winnipeg Freeze. . . . This is the 10th sale of a WHL franchise since 2007, which is when the Kamloops Blazers went from community to private ownership.

Edmonton police: Incident non-criminal in nature . . . WHL not commenting . . . Another Blazers skater gets NHL deal

Four players with the Moose Jaw Warriors remained suspended by the WHL on Thursday despite the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) indicating that its WarriorsNewinvestigation led it to determine that whatever happened involving the four didn’t involve criminality.

CTV News reported that EPS media relations advisor Scott Pattison, in an email, said: “Police have looked into the matter and believe the incident to be non-criminal in nature. As such, we have no further comment.”

The WHL announced on Feb. 11 that the four players in question — G Connor Ungar, 21, D Max Wanner, 19, F Marek Howell, 16, and F Lynden Lakovic, 16 — WHLhad been suspended. According to the one-paragraph news release issued by the WHL, the four were “suspended indefinitely pending an investigation into possible violations of team rules and the WHL Standard of Conduct policies.”

The four players appear on the WHL’s discipline page as having been suspended with the lengths of those suspensions “tbd for standard of conduct violation.”

Ungar, from Calgary, was having a terrific season at the time of the suspensions. He was the WHL’s goaltender of the month for January; he remains third in victories (26) and second in save percentage (.925).

Wanner, from Estevan, Sask., has signed with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2021 draft. He had 30 points, including eight goals, in 44 games.

Howell, a freshman from Calgary, had a goal and three assists in 44 games, while Lakovic, from West Kelowna, had two goals and five assists in 37 games in his first season.

The four played in a 4-1 victory over the Oil Kings in Edmonton on Feb. 3 and in a 2-1 victory over the Hitmen in Calgary on Feb. 5. They haven’t played since, though, meaning they now have missed 10 games.

The Warriors are 4-6-0 without them and, with seven games remaining in their regular season, are fourth in the Eastern Conference, 16 points behind the Saskatoon Blades and five ahead of the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Randy Palmer of moosejawtoday.com pointed out Thursday that suspensions of at least 10 WHL games have only been handed out “twice in the last decade.”

“Everett’s Dawson Butt received a 10-game suspension on Jan. 12, 2020 for actions in the final minute against Regina that led to serious facial injuries for a player,” Palmer wrote, “while Victoria’s Brandon Magee was handed a 12-game suspension on April 11, 2014 after receiving a match penalty against Portland for cross-checking multiple players in the head.”

The WHL, meanwhile, has yet to remove itself from its cone of silence.

From CBC News: “A spokesperson for the WHL did not respond to requests for updates about the players’ statuses, including the result of the investigation and whether they remain on suspension.”

From Moose Jaw radio station CHAB, which carries play-by-play of Warriors games: “A spokesperson for the WHL has not responded to several requests for updates on the status of the players and the league’s investigation.”

Thus, we can only assume that the suspensions remain in place and that whatever investigation the WHL is carrying out remains a work in progress. In fact, no details of the investigation, including who is conducting it or anything else about what is involved, have been released.

The Warriors are scheduled to visit the Swift Current Broncos tonight with a rematch in Moose Jaw on Saturday.

D Kyle Masters of the Kamloops Blazers has signed a three-year entry-level Kamloopscontract with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. Masters, 19, was a fourth-round selection by the Wild in the NHL’s 2021 draft. . . . The Blazers acquired Masters from the Red Deer Rebels prior to this season. He has 11 goals and 48 assists in 58 games. . . . From Edmonton, he has 86 points, including 16 goals, in 164 career regular-season games with Red Deer and Kamloops. . . . The contract calls for an NHL salary of US$775,000 each season with $80,000 in the minors. There also is an annual $90,000 signing bonus. . . . Masters is the third Kamloops skater to sign an NHL contract in the past few days. F Caedan Bankier signed with the Wild, while F Ryan Hofer signed with the Washington Capitals. . . .

You can only imagine the chatter on the Blazers’ bus and in the dressing room these days. . . . “Oh, yeah,” Bankier told Marty Hastings of Kamloops This Week. “They’re all over us, me and Ryan, about buying them some dinner. We’ll have to think about that. Maybe we’ll get them a couple of Big Macs or something. Not too much.” . . . A laughing Hofer told Hastings: ““I might go to Tim Hortons, maybe get them some Timbits. I don’t know. We’ll see, but if we keep it going, they might get a good dinner.”

The Blazers, 3-2 shootout winners in Seattle on Tuesday and 7-1 winners in Everett on Wednesday, are at home to Everett tonight. The Blazers, the host team for the 2023 Memorial Cup tournament, have won 15 of 16 games since Feb. 1, clinching the B.C. Division title in the process.

Terry Bartman, a longtime scout with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, died on Monday in Medicine Hat. He was 65. . . . There is a complete obituary right here.

Buffalo

If the WHL playoffs started today:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Winnipeg (1) vs. Swift Current (8)

Red Deer (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)

Saskatoon (3) vs. Regina (6)

Moose Jaw (4) vs. Lethbridge (5)

——

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Seattle (1) vs. Kelowna (8)

Kamloops (2) vs. Vancouver (7)

Portland (3) vs. Tri-City (6)

Prince George (4) vs. Everett (5)

——

THURSDAY’S WHL HIGHLIGHTS:

No Games Scheduled.

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.

Windows

All is quiet in Moose Jaw; police are unable to comment . . . Keller maintains hot hand for Blades . . . Lambert sparks Thunderbirds

There doesn’t appear to be anything new — at least, nothing for public consumption — in the situation involving the four players off the Moose Jaw WarriorsNewWarriors’ roster who have been suspended indefinitely by the WHL.

The four players — D Marek Howell, 16; F Lynden Lakovic, who turned 16 on Dec. 12; D Maximus Wanner, 19; and G Connor Ungar, 21 — are shown on the WHL’s discipline page as having been suspended “tbd for standard of conduct violation.”

When the WHL announced the suspensions on Saturday, via a one-sentence news release. It stated that the players were suspended “pending an investigation into possible violations of team rules and the WHL Standard of Conduct policies.”

The WHL didn’t indicate who would be conducting such an investigation, whether an investigation is underway, or whether there was a time element involved.

Nor did the league indicate whether there is any police involvement.

Katie Strang of The Athletic reported on Monday that a Moose Jaw Police Service spokesperson confirmed they “have been made aware” of a situation involving players with the team but aren’t able to comment further at this time.

The four players all played in a 2-1 victory over the host Calgary Hitmen on Feb. 5, then were scratched on Wednesday as the Warriors beat the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings, 6-3. The night the suspensions were announced, the Warriors dropped an 8-4 decision to the Pats in Regina.

The Warriors next are scheduled to play on Friday against the visiting Winnipeg Ice.

Moose Jaw (33-17-3) is fourth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the Saskatoon Blades and seven ahead of the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

——

While enjoying their annual Super Bowl retreat in Las Vegas, the WHL’s board WHLof governors honoured Kelly McCrimmon by presenting him with a Governors Award. From a news release: The award “is presented annually to an individual who, through their outstanding hockey and overall contributions to the game, has impacted on the growth and development of the WHL.” McCrimmon, now the general manager of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, was a long-time owner, general manager and head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The governors also took time out from their time at the slot machines to honour former Spokane Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz. Speltz was named as the recipient of last year’s Governors Award. However, scheduling issues due primarily to the pandemic prevented the award from being presented to Speltz prior to Monday. Speltz, the Chiefs’ GM for 26 seasons, now is the GM of the Henderson Silver Knights, the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate.

Monopoly

TUESDAY’S WHL HIGHLIGHTS:

The Swift Current struck four times in the third period en route to posting a 7-5 victory over the Wheat Kings in Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings took a 4-3 lead into the third period, but the Broncos took a 5-4 lead on two goals from F Brad Birnie (14), at 0:32 and 3:47. . . . F Connor Hvidston (14), who also had two assists, and F Josh Filmon (33) stretched the lead at 8:33 and 12:34. . . . Swift Current was 2-for-2 on the PP and had a shorthanded goal. . . . Brandon was 3-for-6 on the PP. . . . Brandon got two goals from F Brett Hyland (26) and a goal (25) and two assists from F Nate Danielson. . . . Swift Current (25-22-3) is tied with the Regina Pats (25-22-3) and Calgary Hitmen (23-22-7) for sixth in the Eastern Conference. . . . Brandon (21-23-7) is 10th, four points from a playoff spot. . . .

The Saskatoon Blades snapped a 1-1 tie with three goals early in the third period as they skated to a ?? victory over the Cougars in Prince George. . . . F Jordan Keller pulled the Blades into a 1-1 tie with a PP goal at 17:23 of the second period, then snapped the tie with his 13th goal at 2:26 of the third period. . . . D Spencer Shugrue’s first goal of the season and third in 140 games increased the lead at 2:51, and D Charlie Wright (5) added another at 4:35. . . . Keller also had an assist for the first three-point game of his freshman season. He has three two-goal games in his last five outings. . . . F Egor Sidorov scored his 31st goal — giving the Blades four goals in 5:46 — and also had two assists. . . . F Chase Wheatcroft of the Cougars drew one assist to run his point streak to 14 games. . . . The Blades are 2-1-0 in a B.C. Division tour that continues Friday night in Victoria. Interestingly, Saskatoon is the only East Division team that made its Prince George visit in the middle of the road trip; the others either began or ended their trip against the Cougars. . . . Saskatoon (35-13-4) is third in the Eastern Conference, five points ahead of the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Prince George (24-23-4) is sixth in the Western Conference, four points behind the Tri-City Americans. . . . BTW, McBride has a population of about 600 people, so that’s an awfully good showing in support of Blades D Tanner Molendyk. . . .

F Brad Lambert had a goal and two assists as the Seattle Thunderbirds dumped the Tri-City Americans, 4-2, in Kent, Wash. . . . In nine games since joining the Thunderbirds from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, Lambert has seven goals and seven assists. He has a goal in each of his last four games. . . . F Lucas Ciona (23) scored Seattle’s last two goals, proving a 3-0 lead at 14:18 of the second period and making it 4-2 with an empty-netter at 19:44 of the third. . . . F Ethan Ernst (30) and F Adam Mechura (18) got the Americans to within a goal by scoring at 16:30 and 18:51 of the third. . . . Seattle (39-9-2) has won four in a row. It now leads the Western Conference by four points over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Tri-City (25-20-6) has lost five straight (0-4-1). It is tied with the Everett Silvertips (27-22-2) for fourth in the conference.

Lions

From the Ghostrider News blog that follows the junior B Kootenay International Junior Hockey League:

“With an amusing 1,350 penalty minutes the Kelowna Chiefs won the coveted KIJHL colouring books; they also finished dead last with 16 points. Clearly in a large city where there are almost as many players as protesters recruiting should be easy; there might even be a ‘convoy’ of players to choose from . . . but the owner, Jason Tansem, made himself the GM . . . What does that tell you?

“Tansem joins a long list of owners who have dabbled in the occult or whatever it is coaches do. Friend of the blog Lee Stone, who coached the Campbell River Storm to Cyclone Taylor and Keystone Cups along with three VIJHL championships, lost his coaching job recently when a new owner came in and meddled as GM.”

——

The junior B Campbell River Storm of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League announced Monday that it has “parted ways” with Lee Stone, its general manager and head coach. . . . “He has been an integral part of every success this team has experienced from 2013-23,” the team said in a social media post. According to the team, Stone had a 373-113-32 record over nine seasons. . . . This season, the Storm is 31-11-2, good for second place in the six-team North Division. . . . On Tuesday, Stone posted on social media that “the timing of this decision by a new ownership interest was unfortunate and reflects ongoing changes to the club’s direction that I could no longer support.”

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.

VanGogh

WHL hits four Warriors with indefinite suspensions; investigation begins . . . Bedard rolls to five-point night . . . Seattle goes into Portland and posts shutout

The WHL announced Saturday afternoon that four players off the Moose Jaw WHLWarriors’ roster “have been suspended indefinitely pending an investigation into possible violations of team rules and the WHL Standard of Conduct policies.”

The WHL made the announcement in a one-paragraph statement posted on its website.

The suspended players are D Marek Howell, 16, of Calgary; F Lynden Lakovic, 16, of West Kelowna, B.C.; G Connor Ungar, 21, of Calgary; and D Maximus Wanner, 19, of Estevan, Sask.

All four played in the Warriors’ 2-1 victory over the Hitmen in Calgary on Feb. 5. WarriorsNewAll four were scratched from a 6-3 victory over the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Wednesday. Those were the Warriors’ last games before Saturday night when they met the Pats in Regina.

The announcement from the WHL comes with the WHL’s board of governors holding its annual Super Bowl meeting in Las Vegas. Every year, rather than hold the meeting in a WHL city, the governors choose to gather in Las Vegas. Such was the case again this weekend.

When asked about the situation by Randy Palmer of moosejawtoday.com on Saturday afternoon, Jason Ripplinger, the Warriors’ general manager, chose not to comment, saying “the WHL has advised us and we’re not making a comment at this time.”

Palmer added:

“The WHL Standard of Conduct covers a number of issues that have been a concern for the league in recent years, including racial and derogatory comments, bullying and harassment, social media and networking conduct, personal conduct detrimental to the WHL and diversity and inclusion so participants are respected, valued and welcomed at all times.

“The Standard of Conduct states that all participants are obligated to report violations, and all participants are required to co-operate with investigations initiated by the WHL.”

Howell, the 16th overall selection in the WHL’s 2021 draft, had one goal and three assists in 44 games. He got into five games last season, picking up a goal and an assist.

Lakovic, a freshman, was a second-round selection in the WHL’s 2021 draft. He had two goals and five assists in 37 games.

Ungar, who was acquired from the Red Deer Rebels on May 19, was having a terrific season. In 38 appearances, he was 26-7-3, 2.58, .925. He is tied for second in victories and leads the WHL in save percentage.

Wanner was a seventh-round selection by the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL’s 2021 draft. He signed a three-year entry-level contract in September. This season, he had eight goals and 22 assists in 44 games. In 121 career regular-season games, all with Moose Jaw, he had 14 goals and 44 assists.

The Warriors had three new faces in their lineup for a Saturday game in Regina — F Owen Berge of the U18 Northern Alberta Xtreme; G Justen Maric from the SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars; and D Brady Ness of the U18AAA Edmonton Jr. Oilers. The Pats won the game, 8-4.

Biology

Jack Finarelli, aka The Sports Curmudgeon, with some pertinent thoughts on today’s Super Bowl:

“Yes, this game will be the culmination of the 2022 NFL season and indeed the NFL season is the biggest deal of all in US sports. But the coverage is once again hugely overblown and obfuscates for some people that this is still at its core a freaking football game. It is not a cataclysmic event; it is not the rapture anticipated by many of the folks who will put the imminence of said rapture on hold for about four hours while they watch the game; it is a football game. It is a big deal in the world of professional football in the US to be sure; simultaneously, it is an event of no consequence in the world of people trying to dig their way out of devastating earthquakes in the Middle East today. As we all get ready to enjoy the biggest game of the season, please remember to keep it in perspective: It’s a football game, Folks!”

More of his observations are right here.

The Regina Pats played in front of the third straight sellout crowd (6,499) at the Brandt Centre on Saturday night. There isn’t any doubt that Pats F Connor ReginaBedard is the attraction, especially since he returned from the World Junior Championship where he led Team Canada to the gold medal. . . . But exactly what has he been worth to the WHL? . . . From a story by Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post: “Cliff Mander, a Vancouver-based agent with CKM Sports Management, told CJME/CKOM that Bedard’s estimated value to the league is $1.5 million. . . . Interviewed by CTV Saskatoon’s Tyler Barrow, Edwards School of Business dean Keith Willoughby said that Bedard’s financial impact ‘is in the millions of dollars.’ ” . . . Gotta think some of the WHL pooh-bahs had some Beard-related funds in their jeans as they enjoy Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas. . . . Vanstone’s latest Beard-related story is right here.

Olives

SATURDAY’S WHL HIGHLIGHTS:

Playing in front of a third straight sellout crowd (6,499), the host Regina Pats got three goals and two assists from F Connor Bedard en route to an 8-4 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . F Martin Rysavy (6) got Moose Jaw into a 4-4 tie at 15:15 of the second period. . . . Regina F Borya Valis (18) put the Pats back in the lead at 18:08. Valis also had two assists. . . . Bedard completed his hat trick with goals at 3:56 and 11:17, and F Tanner Howe (24) finished the scoring at 17:42. . . . Bedard now has a WHL-leading 48 goals. He has five three-goal games and a four-goal outing this season. He has scored five points in a game on five occasions and also has a six-pointer to his credit. . . . Bedard leads the WHL with 96 points in 39 games. He finished last season with 51 goals and 49 assists in 62 games. Bedard won’t turn 18 until July 17. . . . F Brayden Yager had a goal (22) and an assist for Moose Jaw, the goal, at 14:50 of the first period, opening the scoring. . . . Regina (25-22-3) is tied with the Calgary Hitmen for sixth in the Eastern Conference. . . . Moose Jaw (33-17-3) had won its past three games. The Warriors are fourth in the conference, three points behind the Saskatoon Blades. . . .

In Brandon, the Wheat Kings scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Calgary Hitmen, 3-2. . . . F Brett Hyland (24) got Brandon into a 2-2 tie at 2:23 of the third period and F Dawson Pasternak (9) got what proved to be the winner at 4:56. . . . Hyland and Pasternak each had an assist. . . . F Chase Valliant scored his first WHL goal for the Hitmen, opening the scoring at 3:39 of the first period. A 16-year-old from Surrey, B.C., he was playing in his seventh game this season. . . . Brandon (21-22-7) has won two in a row. The Wheat Kings are 10th in the Eastern Conference, three points from a playoff spot. . . . Calgary (23-22-7) has lost nine straight (0-6-3). The Hitmen and Regina Pats are tied for sixth in the conference. . . .

F Austin Roest scored the only goal of a shootout to give the Everett Silvertips a 2-1 victory over the visiting Spokane Chiefs. . . . Roest was the fifth shooter in the circus. . . . D Brayden Crampton (2) gave Spokane a 1-0 lead at 7:11 of the first period. . . . F Jackson Berezowski (35) tied it at 7:08 of the third. . . . G Tim Metzger stopped 32 shots through OT for the Silvertips, while Spokane’s Cooper Michaluk blocked 36. . . . Everett (27-22-2) has points in five straight (4-0-1). It is tied with the Tri-City Americans for fourth in the Western Conference. . . . Spokane (9-35-6) has lost nine in a row (0-6-3). . . .

F Matthew Seminoff opened and closed the scoring as his Kamloops Blazers got past the visiting Prince George Cougars, 5-4. . . . Seminoff, who also had an assist, got his 21st goal at 4:39 of the first period, for a 1-0 lead. He snapped a 4-4 tie at 19:52 of the third period. . . . F Koehn Ziemmer (31) had pulled the visitors into that tie at 12:22 of the third period. . . . Kamloops F Logan Stankoven ran his point streak to 34 games with three assists. He now has 76 points, 49 of them assists, in 34 games. Yes, he has at least one point in each game he has played this season. . . . The Blazers also got three assists from D Olen Zellweger. He has seven goals and 16 assists in 13 games since the Blazers acquired him from the Everett  Silvertips. . . . F Ryan Hofer, who also came to Kamloops in that deal, gave the Blazers a 4-3 lead with his 33rd goal, on a PP, at 8:22 of the third period. However, he got tossed with a headshot major and game misconduct at 12:39 of the third period. . . . F Ondrej Becher (11) had two goals and an assist for the Cougars. . . . G Matthew Kieper earned the victory with 39 saves. . . . F Jakob Demek took the pregame warmup with the Blazers, but didn’t play in the game. He was acquired from the Edmonton Oil Kings earlier this season, but has yet to play after undergoing shoulder surgery after last summer’s World Junior Championship. . . . Kamloops (33-10-6) has won six straight. It will finish atop the B.C. Division. . . . The Cougars (24-22-4) had a five-game winning streak snapped. They are sixth in the Western Conference. . . .

F Jordan Keller scored twice to help the visiting Saskatoon Blades to a 4-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Keller, the son of Kamloops Blazers assistant coach Aaron Keller, enjoyed the third two-goal game of his freshman season. . . . F Jayden Wiens, in his second game since Dec. 10, scored once and added two assists. . . . Wiens (11) broke a 2-2 tie with a PP goal at 8:36 of the third period. . . . Keller (11) added insurance, on a PP, at 14:15. . . . F Trevor Wong, who began his WHL career with the Rockets, drew two assists for the Blades. . . . F Gabriel Szturc (17), a native of Czechia, scored twice with his parents in the stands. . . . Saskatoon finished with a 39-18 shot advantage. . . . After Kelowna was beaten, 9-2, by the visiting Prince George Cougars on Friday, Regan Bartel, the Rockets’ radio voice, updated the injury situation, noting that freshman F Logan Peskett didn’t return after a first-period fight and F Will Munro, another freshman, left after absorbing an early hit. As well, “Andrew Cristall missed his 13th straight game with injury (and) Ty Hurley missed his 12th, while Max Graham is still no less than three weeks away from getting back in the lineup.” All five sat out Saturday’s game, too, as did D John Babcock and D Marek Rocak, both of whom also are injured. . . . The Blades remain without injured forwards Josh Pillar, Justin Lies, Tyler Parr and Misha Volotovskii. . . . Pillar is on the B.C. trek and skating with the Blades so would seem close to a return. . . . Saskatoon (34-13-4) is 1-1-0 in the B.C. Division. The Blades are third in the Eastern Conference, four points behind the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Kelowna (17-30-3) has lost four in a row. It holds down eight in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Victoris Royals. . . .

F Shane Smith scored in a shootout to give the Tigers a 3-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes in Medicine Hat. . . . The Hurricanes had beaten the Tigers, 3-0, in Lethbridge on Friday night. . . . The Tigers took a 2-1 lead into the second period. . . . F Joe Arntsen (9) got Lethbridge into a 2-2 tie with a PP goal at 13:07 of the second. . . . Arntsen also drew an assist on F Jett Jones’ 18th goal of the season in the first period. . . . D Rhett Parsons (4) and F Brendan Lee (21) also scored for the Tigers. . . . Medicine Hat (22-22-8) moved into eighth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Regina Pats and Calgary Hitmen, and one ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Lethbridge (28-18-6) is fifth in the conference. . . .

G Tomas Milic stopped 36 shots to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 3-0 victory over the Winterhawks in Portland. . . . The battle of Western Conference leaders drew an announced attendance of 8,057, the second- largest crowd in Portland this season. The same two teams drew 9,863 fans on Dec. 10. The Winterhawks won that one, 4-3 in a shootout. . . . Milic has two shutouts this season and six in his career. . . . D Kevin Korchinski’s seventh goal, on a PP at 11:58 of the second period, stood up as the winner. . . . F Brad Lambert had a goal (6) and an assist. . . . Seattle (38-9-2) has won three in a row and now leads the conference by two points over Portland (36-11-4). . . . Portland is 4-3-0 in the season series; Seattle is 3-3-1. . . .

The Prince Albert Raiders surrendered a goal 34 seconds into the game, then scored the last four goals to beat the visiting Swift Current Broncos, 4-1. . . . One night earlier, the Broncos had beaten the Raiders, 4-0, in Swift  Current. . . . Last night, F Harrison Lodewyk (6) pulled the Raiders even at 10:13 of the first period. . . . F Ryder Ritchie (14) got the eventual winner at 4:04 of the second. . . . The Raiders got a goal (18) and two assists from F Keaton Sorensen. . . . G Max Hildebrand got the victory with 33 stops. . . . Prince Albert lost F Hayden Pakkala to a boarding major and game misconduct at 18:09 of the first period. . . . Prince Albert (20-28-3) had lost its previous three games. It is nine points from a playoff spot. . . . Swift Current (24-22-3) had won two straight. It is ninth in the Eastern Conference, one point out of eighth. . . .

F Frantisek Formanek scored in the fifth round of a shootout to give the Red Deer Rebels a 2-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash. . . . F Adam Mechura put Tri-City ahead in the shootout’s second round, but Red Deer F Ben King quickly tied it. . . . The Rebels had taken a 1-0 lead on F Jace Isley’s 24th goal, shorthanded, just 44 seconds into the second period. . . . Mechura (17) tied it at 9:02 of the second. . . . Red Deer (36-12-4) went 3-2-0 on its U.S. Division swing. It leads the Central Division by 14 points. . . . Tri-City (25-19-6) has lost three in a row (0-2-1), but has moved into a tie with the Everett Silvertips for fourth in the Western Conference. . . .

The Victoria Royals counted the game’s last four goals to beat the Vancouver Giants, 6-2, in Langley, B.C. . . . F Teydon Trembecky (8) gave the visitors a 3-2 lead at 18:34 of the second period. . . . D Justin Kipkie (5) added insurance at 4:49 of the third. . . . Victoria F Tanner Scott (10) scored the game’s first and last goals. He also had an assist. . . . The Royals lost F Luke Rybinski to a headshot major and game misconduct at 9:43 of the second period. . . . The Giants lost F Jaden Lipinski to a spearing major and game misconduct at 10:11 of the third. . . . F Ty Thorpe, the Giants’ leading scorer, was among their scratches. . . . The Royals remains without F Jake Poole, their top scorer, and D Gannon Laroque. . . . Victoria (15-32-6) had lost its previous five games (0-4-1). It is ninth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Kelowna Rockets, who hold three games in hand. . . . The seventh-place Giants (20-25-6) had won their previous two games. . . .

The Winnipeg Ice struck for five first-period goals and went on to defeat the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings, 7-1. . . . F Owen Pederson (24) scored twice for the Ice, with D Carson Lambos adding a goal (8) and two assists. . . . This was the first time these teams met since last spring’s Eastern Conference final. The Oil Kings won that series en route to winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup. . . . The Ice (40-7-1) has won three straight. It leads the Eastern Conference by five points over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Edmonton (8-41-3) has lost four in a row.

Latte

JUST NOTES:

Brad Lauer, a former WHL player and coach, now is an assistant coach with the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. But he has had to step back from his role a bit as he deals with a herniated disc in his back. Rick Bowness, the Jets’ head coach, told reporters on Saturday that Lauer “is on IR from a coaching perspective.” . . . Lauer was the head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings last season as they won the WHL championship. . . .

The U of Calgary Dinos men’s hockey team will go into the playoffs on a 23-game winning streak after completing the regular season with a 6-3 victory over the MacEwan Griffins in Calgary on Saturday. . . . The Dinos finished 25-3, setting program records for victories (25) and points (50).

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St. Paul’s Hospital

6A Providence Building

1081 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6

Tel: 604-806-9027

Toll free: 1-877-922-9822

Fax: 604-806-9873

Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca

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Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney 

Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre

Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street

Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9

604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182

kidneydonornurse@vch.ca

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