By Scott Fisher /
Vancouver Giants
World Junior standout Evander Kane was the first WHLer selected at the NHL draft, taken fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers.
Giants coach Don Hay has said he’ll prepare his squad this fall under the assumption Kane won’t be back with the G-Men.
Last season’s league-leading scorer, Casey Pierro-Zabotel, signed a three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins after playing his final junior game.
Kelowna Rockets
The WHL champions have locked up their coaching staff well, most of it.
Head coach Ryan Huska was given a two-year contract extension while assistant coach Ryan Cuthbert garnered a three-year deal. The club’s other assistant, Jeff Finley, resigned to spend more time with his family.
Three Rockets were selected on the second day of.
Kamloops Blazers
The Blazers had two players selected in the NHL Entry Draft for the first time since 2006.
Right-winger Tyler Shattock, 19, was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the fourth round, while Jimmy Bubnick, 18, went to the Atlanta Thrashers in Round 6.
Shortly after the draft, blueliner Giffin Nyren, 20, and centre C.J. Stretch were offered free-agent tryouts by the Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks respectively.
Prince george cougars
These young Cats could be set to scratch their way up
the standings.
Homegrown talent Brett Connolly was named the top rookie in the CHL at a year-end awards banquet.
Together with Slovakian forward Marek Viedensky, taken by the San Jose Sharks in the seventh round of the NHL draft, the Cougars should fill the net this season.
Chilliwack Bruins
Marc Habscheid is the new main man in Chilliwack.
The Bruins’ new GM/head coach last coached in the WHL in 2004 when he guided the Kelowna Rockets to the Memorial Cup championship.
Not by coincidence, the Bruins acquired Habscheid’s 17-year-old son, d-man Zach, from the Swift Current Broncos for a fourth-round bantam pick in 2010.
Kootenay ice
Ice bench boss Mark Holick’s summer holidays will be a little shorter than usual.
Holick, 40, was named assistant coach to Canada’s entry at the Ivan Hlinka U-18 Memorial tournament (World U-18 Challenge) Aug. 11-15 in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Former Hitmen coach Dave Lowry was supposed to be Canada’s head coach, but had to resign the post after being named to the Calgary Flames’ staff. Windsor Spitfires coach Bob Boughner, fresh off a Memorial Cup title, is now the head coach. |