THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Max Brandl (Prince Albert, Portland, 2007-09) signed a one-year contract extension with Landshut Cannibals (Germany, 2. Bundesliga). He had seven goals and nine assists in 43 games for the Cannibals this season. . . .
Mulhouse (France, Ligue Magnus) announced that it won’t offer a contract for next season to D Ales Cerny (Swift Current, 2000-02). He had two goals and four assists in 20 games for Mulhouse this season. Mulhouse was relegated to Division 1 for next season. . . .
D Martin Grundling (Moose Jaw, 2005-07) was one of nine players not offered contracts for next season by Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had one goal in 48 games this season.
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Japan lost 1-0 to host Hungary in the third-place game at the IIHF’s Division 1 Group A world championship in Budapest a week ago. Aaron Keller, who played for the Kamloops Blazers (1992-96), was honoured as the tournament’s top defenceman and was named to the all-star team. Keller has played in Japan since 1997-98. . . . Kazakhstan won the tournament, beating Italy 3-0 in the final. Both countries earned promotion and will play with the big boys in the 2014 world championship in Minsk, Belarus. . . . F Pat Iannone of Italy, who is a native of Fruitvale, B.C., was honoured as the tournament’s MVP. He played for Kootenay, Tri-City, Medicine Hat and Regina (1999-2003) and has played in Italy since the 2003-04 season. . . .
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F Jake Virtanen of the Calgary Hitmen was hit with one of those ‘tbd’ suspensions on Saturday. Virtanen drew a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Edmonton D Cody Corbett during the Oil Kings’ 6-0 home-ice victory on Friday night. . . . Corbett didn’t return to the game following the hit. . . . The league is likely to firm up the suspension before Game 3 on Tuesday in Calgary.
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D Martin Gernat put up four playoff points on Friday night and signed his first NHL contract on Saturday. Not a bad weekend. . . . Gernat had two goals and two assists as his Edmonton Oil Kings beat the visiting Calgary Hitmen 6-0 on Friday night. . . . On Saturday, he signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. He was the 122nd overall selection in the NHL’s 2011 draft. . . . Gernat missed most of this regular season after undergoing shoulder surgery. He finished with 13 points in 23 games, and now has 12 points in seven playoff games. Last season, he had 55 points in 60 games.
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In Red Deer, the Bentley Generals won the Allan Cup with a 3-0 victory over the Clarenville, Nfld., Caribous 3-0 on Saturday night. . . . Bentley G Dan Bakala was named the tournament’s MVP after going 4-0 with two shutouts. . . . Chris Neiszner, Scott Doucet and Keenan Desmet scored the goals in the championship game. . . . The Generals, who also won in 2009, are the first Alberta team to win more than one Allan Cup.
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The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Calgary (3)
(Series tied 1-1; Game 3 on Tuesday night in Calgary; all games on Shaw TV, with Dan Russell calling the play.)
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Kamloops (3)
(Portland leads series, 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday night in Kamloops.)
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SATURDAY’S GAME:
In Portland, G Mac Carruth stopped 27 shots as the Winterhawks blanked the Kamloops Blazers, 4-0. . . . Carruth has three shutouts in these playoffs and seven in his career. . . . In seven April games, Carruth is 7-0, 0.71, .975. . . . F Ty Rattie and F Brendan Leipsic each had a goal and two assists for the Winterhawks. . . . Rattie now has a WHL-leading 25 points in the playoffs, four more than F JC Lipon of Kamloops, who was pointless for a second straight game. . . . The Blazers were 0-for-5 on the PP and now are 0-for-10 in the series. . . . The Winterhawks were 2-for-8 and now are 3-for-11. . . . Rattie’s goal increased his career playoff point total to 82, putting him in a tie for fourth place tie with F Brad Moran (Calgary, 1995-2000) on the alltime list. Rattie then broke the tie with an assist on Portland’s third goal. Another assist put him at 84 points, two behind F Rob Brown (Kamloops, 1983-87), who is in third spot. . . . No doubt disappointing conspiracy theorists, the WHL chose not to suspend Rattie for his checking-from-behind major and game misconduct in the third period of Game 1 on Friday. Kamloops F Chase Souto, who was hit on that play, took a spearing minor at the time, so perhaps the WHL took that into consideration. . . . Rattie also has 43 playoff goals, four off the record held by former Medicine Hat Tigers F Mark Pederson. . . . Carruth set a WHL record for career playoff appearances by a goaltender. This was his 66th postseason game, one more than Cam Ward (Red Deer, 2001-04). . . . Attendance was 9,132. . . . The Blazers hadn’t been blanked in a playoff game since March 23, 2002, when Shane Bendera and the Kelowna Rockets beat them 3-0 in Kamloops. The Blazers played 57 postseason games between blankings.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (19):
None
CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (6):
None
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From Warren Woods (@wwoodsglobal) or Global TV in Regina: “Here in Regina it looks like Hell has frozen over. Which signifies the Leafs are in the playoffs for the first time in 9 yrs #playoffs?”
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From Saskatchewan Express editor Cam Hutchinson (@camhutchinson): “Flying to Toronto tomorrow to put my lawn chair on the corner of Yonge and Bloor.” #stanleycupparade #leafs”
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From Stats Canada (@stats_Canada): “The hockey team that scores the most goals wins the game 100% of the time.”
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The Alex New York