Scout
09-19-2007, 05:13 PM
with Gregg Drinnan
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Early Wednesday . . .
The Chilliwack Bruins, who open Friday in Kamloops against the Blazers, have settled on their two goaltenders. They’ll go with Matt Esposito, 18, as their go-to guy, with Mark Friesen, a 17-year-old freshman from Winkler, Man. The Bruins assigned Lucas Gore, who had been the third goalie on their roster, to the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers. Gore is from Kamloops. . . . D Nick Holden, 20, is the new captain of the Bruins, replacing Josh Aspenlind, who was a 20-year-old last season. The alternates will be RW Partik Bhungal, D Dylan Chapman and RW Oscar Moller. . . .
Vancouver Giants majority owner Ron Toigo was saluted, and rightfully so, this week when the Vancouver Board of Trade presented him with one of its Spirit of Vancouver Awards. Toigo was honoured for having brought the Memorial Cup and the world junior championship to the city, two events that garnered a tremendous amount of publicity and nationwide TV audiences. . . .
Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 2:15 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
More from Tuesday . . .
Alan Caldwell, over at Small Thoughts At Large, has begun posting his previews. The Eastern Division is up now. It’s well worth your while to check it out. The website’s address is somewhere over there on the left. . . .
So much for the Everett Silvertips trading G David Reekie, 20, at least for a little while. Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald is reporting that Reekie has been diagnosed with mononucleosis and won’t be able to play for at least three weeks. . . . This really makes things interesting for the Silvertips because Leland Irving, their 19-year-old veteran starter, remains in camp with the Calgary Flames. . . . If Irving isn’t returned before Friday, Everett will open the season with freshman Shayne Barrie, 18, as its starting goaltender. . . . If Barrie starts, Everett is likely to bring in Kent Simpson, a first-round pick in the 2007 bantam draft, as the backup. . . . The Silvertips open Friday against the visiting Tri-City Americans. . . .
As of late Tuesday night, Kamloops Blazers D Keaton Ellerby remained with the NHL’s Florida Panthers, although he hadn’t played in their last two preseason games. After taking a regular shift alongside veteran Mike Van Ryn in a 3-0 victory over the Flames in Calgary on Sunday, Ellerby didn’t dress for Monday’s 5-4 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton or Tuesday’s 3-2 shootout victory over the Flames in Saskatoon. Ellerby told me late Tuesday night that his schedule calls for him to practice with the Panthers in Saskatoon on Wednesday morning, then fly with them to Chicago for Thursday’s game with the Blackhawks. Ellerby was taken by Florida with the 10th pick in the NHL’s 2007 entry draft. . . .
Players on their way back from NHL camps include Saskatoon Blades LW Garrett Klotz, from the Philadelphia Flyers, and Medicine Hat Tigers D Jordan Bendfeld, from the Philadelphia Flyers. . . . Regina Pats LW Myles Stoesz, a 20-year-old, has been assigned by the Atlanta Thrashers to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. . . .
Whatever happened to Tank Johnson? He has signed a two-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys but is under suspension until the NFL season is eight games old. . . .
A poll of writers who cover B.C. Division teams has picked the Prince George Cougars to finish last in the division. Three cheers for P.G. head coach Drew Schoneck for not ranting and raving because he understands what it’s all about. “The writers are looking at what we did last year and what we lost, and seeing that we have a lot of relative unknowns up front,” Schoneck told the Prince George Citizen’s Jim Swanson. “I think our goaltending is as good as anyone’s in the league, and our back end can be as good as anyone if they’re playing the way they can. Up front
we’re a much different hockey club. Are we a dead-last team in our division? I don’t think so, but that’s what the experts are calling it. It’s up to us to play like a team, stay healthy, and prove them wrong.” . . .
A new scoreclock that includes video screens has been installed by the city at centre ice in Prince George’s CN Centre. . . .
The Red Deer Rebels have brought back F Tyler Halliday, 18, for another look. Halliday, a Kamloops native, played two games for the Rebels last season before moving on to the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials. He started this season in the Edmonton Oil Kings’ camp — they got him from the Chilliwack Bruins in the expansion draft — but was cut and went back to Merritt. With F Brennen Wray (elbow) and Landon Ferraro (concussion) questionable for this weekend, the Rebels brought in the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Halliday and he skated with them on Thursday. . . . The Rebels continue to hold out hope that either Brandon Sutter or J.D. Watt, or both, will be assigned to them before the weekend. Sutter, 19, is with the Carolina Hurricanes; Watt, 20, is with the Calgary Flames. . . .
The Regina Pats are hoping to get D Logan Pyett back from the Detroit Red Wings today. He made his NHL debut Tuesday night in a 6-1 victory over the host Minnesota Wild. . . . Regina D Nick Ross remains in camp with the Phoenix Coyotes. . . . The Regina Leader-Post’s Greg Harder reports that the Pats have surpassed 3,000 season-tickets for the frist time since 2000-01, a season in which they played host to the Memorial Cup. . . .
The Prince Albert Raiders have released RW Brent Ottmann, a veteran of three seasons with the WHL club. They now are in the process of trying to trade the 19-year-old.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Early Wednesday . . .
The Chilliwack Bruins, who open Friday in Kamloops against the Blazers, have settled on their two goaltenders. They’ll go with Matt Esposito, 18, as their go-to guy, with Mark Friesen, a 17-year-old freshman from Winkler, Man. The Bruins assigned Lucas Gore, who had been the third goalie on their roster, to the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers. Gore is from Kamloops. . . . D Nick Holden, 20, is the new captain of the Bruins, replacing Josh Aspenlind, who was a 20-year-old last season. The alternates will be RW Partik Bhungal, D Dylan Chapman and RW Oscar Moller. . . .
Vancouver Giants majority owner Ron Toigo was saluted, and rightfully so, this week when the Vancouver Board of Trade presented him with one of its Spirit of Vancouver Awards. Toigo was honoured for having brought the Memorial Cup and the world junior championship to the city, two events that garnered a tremendous amount of publicity and nationwide TV audiences. . . .
Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 2:15 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
More from Tuesday . . .
Alan Caldwell, over at Small Thoughts At Large, has begun posting his previews. The Eastern Division is up now. It’s well worth your while to check it out. The website’s address is somewhere over there on the left. . . .
So much for the Everett Silvertips trading G David Reekie, 20, at least for a little while. Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald is reporting that Reekie has been diagnosed with mononucleosis and won’t be able to play for at least three weeks. . . . This really makes things interesting for the Silvertips because Leland Irving, their 19-year-old veteran starter, remains in camp with the Calgary Flames. . . . If Irving isn’t returned before Friday, Everett will open the season with freshman Shayne Barrie, 18, as its starting goaltender. . . . If Barrie starts, Everett is likely to bring in Kent Simpson, a first-round pick in the 2007 bantam draft, as the backup. . . . The Silvertips open Friday against the visiting Tri-City Americans. . . .
As of late Tuesday night, Kamloops Blazers D Keaton Ellerby remained with the NHL’s Florida Panthers, although he hadn’t played in their last two preseason games. After taking a regular shift alongside veteran Mike Van Ryn in a 3-0 victory over the Flames in Calgary on Sunday, Ellerby didn’t dress for Monday’s 5-4 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton or Tuesday’s 3-2 shootout victory over the Flames in Saskatoon. Ellerby told me late Tuesday night that his schedule calls for him to practice with the Panthers in Saskatoon on Wednesday morning, then fly with them to Chicago for Thursday’s game with the Blackhawks. Ellerby was taken by Florida with the 10th pick in the NHL’s 2007 entry draft. . . .
Players on their way back from NHL camps include Saskatoon Blades LW Garrett Klotz, from the Philadelphia Flyers, and Medicine Hat Tigers D Jordan Bendfeld, from the Philadelphia Flyers. . . . Regina Pats LW Myles Stoesz, a 20-year-old, has been assigned by the Atlanta Thrashers to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. . . .
Whatever happened to Tank Johnson? He has signed a two-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys but is under suspension until the NFL season is eight games old. . . .
A poll of writers who cover B.C. Division teams has picked the Prince George Cougars to finish last in the division. Three cheers for P.G. head coach Drew Schoneck for not ranting and raving because he understands what it’s all about. “The writers are looking at what we did last year and what we lost, and seeing that we have a lot of relative unknowns up front,” Schoneck told the Prince George Citizen’s Jim Swanson. “I think our goaltending is as good as anyone’s in the league, and our back end can be as good as anyone if they’re playing the way they can. Up front
we’re a much different hockey club. Are we a dead-last team in our division? I don’t think so, but that’s what the experts are calling it. It’s up to us to play like a team, stay healthy, and prove them wrong.” . . .
A new scoreclock that includes video screens has been installed by the city at centre ice in Prince George’s CN Centre. . . .
The Red Deer Rebels have brought back F Tyler Halliday, 18, for another look. Halliday, a Kamloops native, played two games for the Rebels last season before moving on to the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials. He started this season in the Edmonton Oil Kings’ camp — they got him from the Chilliwack Bruins in the expansion draft — but was cut and went back to Merritt. With F Brennen Wray (elbow) and Landon Ferraro (concussion) questionable for this weekend, the Rebels brought in the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Halliday and he skated with them on Thursday. . . . The Rebels continue to hold out hope that either Brandon Sutter or J.D. Watt, or both, will be assigned to them before the weekend. Sutter, 19, is with the Carolina Hurricanes; Watt, 20, is with the Calgary Flames. . . .
The Regina Pats are hoping to get D Logan Pyett back from the Detroit Red Wings today. He made his NHL debut Tuesday night in a 6-1 victory over the host Minnesota Wild. . . . Regina D Nick Ross remains in camp with the Phoenix Coyotes. . . . The Regina Leader-Post’s Greg Harder reports that the Pats have surpassed 3,000 season-tickets for the frist time since 2000-01, a season in which they played host to the Memorial Cup. . . .
The Prince Albert Raiders have released RW Brent Ottmann, a veteran of three seasons with the WHL club. They now are in the process of trying to trade the 19-year-old.