THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Alex Leavitt (Swift Current, Everett, 2003-05) was released by Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had one goal and four assists in 13 games with Zagreb this season.
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I was remiss here yesterday in not congratulating old friend Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail for his having been honoured with the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for excellence in hockey journalism. MacGregor was part of the Hockey Hall of Fame festivities on Monday.
The Last Season, a work of hockey fiction starring Felix Batterinski that was published in 1995, is being re-released. If you haven’t read it, you should.
As well, John Allemang of The Globe and Mail has a terrific profile of MacGregor right here.
And if you’re looking for a good piece of MacGregor writing, check out this one right here. It appeared late last month after he spent some time with fans of the AHL’s Hershey Bears. It’s a classic.
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Shawn Mullin, the radio voice of the Swift Current Broncos, has interviewed me about Sudden Death: The Incredible Sage of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos. . . . He also has read the book. . . . His opinion of it is right here, as is the interview.
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No less an authority than Earl Seitz, the veteran sportscaster at CFJC-TV, has given his stamp of approval to Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos. . . . CFJC reporter Chad Klassen filed this report right here. . . . Yes, that is Tri-City Americans scout Terry Bangen in the background in one shot. Yes, he purchased a book. He also told me that on the evening of Dec. 30, 1986, he and play-by-play man Kelly Moore were five minutes from airtime with a Kamloops Blazers game when they were told of the bus crash. It really was one of those "where were you?" moments.
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If you’re interested in hearing some great sports radio, go on over to CKNW’s site and find the podcast of Dan Russell chatting with Phil Esposito. The conversation lasted more than an hour and was terrific.
Go right here and click on hours 1 and 2. You won't be sorry.
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The Saskatoon Blades are heading out on a five-game swing into the B.C. Division without three injured players. F Jessey Astles underwent surgery on a wrist after suffering a skate cut, while F Brett Stovin and D Dalton Thrower have undisclosed ailments. . . . The Blades have added D Nelson Nogier, 16, to their roster for the junket. . . . The Blades being their tour of B.C. in Prince George on Friday. . . . A tip of the cap to the ol' redhead, Les Lazaruk, for the injury info.
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The Swift Current Broncos’ next three games will be in the Central Division, starting Saturday night in Red Deer. The Broncos likely will be without F Brent Benson, 19, who has missed two games with an undisclosed injury and is listed as week-to-week.
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The Regina Pats are going to have to make a 20-year-old decision. They now have four of them, after adding D Alex Theriau, who was dropped last week by the Medicine Hat Tigers and had joined the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. (Rick Valette of Octagon Sports tweeted that information last night.)
Theriau is expected to play Friday when the Pats open their B.C. Division swing in Vancouver against the Giants.
He joins G Matt Hewitt, D Colton Jobke and F Lane Scheidl as the Pats’ 20-year-olds. However, Jobke is listed as being out indefinitely with an undisclosed upper-body injury.
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Former Spokane Chiefs D Jared Cowen will undergo hip surgery on Saturday. Cowen, the ninth overall selection by the Ottawa Senators in the NHL’s 2009 draft, had been playing with the AHL’s Binghamton Senators. According to Rick Valette, Cowen’s agent: “Jared has a small tear in his labrum (hip). He will have surgery Saturday morning in New York. I expect he will be out for the season."
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The Everett Silvertips have added F Brayden Low, 18, to their roster. Low had been with the BCHL’s Powell River Kings. So far this season, he had played in the BCHL with Powell River and the Merritt Centennials, putting up 10 points in 17 games. He was a seventh-round pick by the Portland Winterhawks in the 2009 bantam draft. He played five games with Portland over the last two seasons and was in camp with the Seattle Thunderbirds prior to this season.
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You may want to check out Sam Cosentino’s latest blog entry — Coz For Thought. . . . One of Sportsnet's junior hockey voices has some interesting tidbits, including a couple involving the Subway Series. It’s right here.
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F Victor Rask has been assigned to the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen by the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. He had five points, including a goal, in 10 games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. He was a second-round selection in the 2011 NHL draft. . . . “We’re just trying to do what we think is best for Victor,” Charlotte head coach Jeff Daniels said in a news release. “We want him to be able to get as much ice time as possible in all situations that he might not have gotten here. He needs to be playing at the end of games, taking key faceoffs and being in more of a leadership role.” . . . As a freshman in Calgary last season, Rask had 63 points, 33 of them goals. . . . “He really opened our eyes,” said Daniels of Rask, who ranked tied for second among AHL rookies with a plus-seven rating at the time of his assignment. “We’re really happy and Carolina is really happy with the way he played. His hockey sense is really good, and he was making plays.” . . . Rask is expected to play for Sweden at the world junior tournament next month. He helped his country win the gold medal a year ago. . . . Rask is expected to be in Calgary’s lineup on Sunday when they play host to the Swift Current Broncos.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
Jim Bray (@jhabray): “Dear Miami, we tried to warn you. Your friend always, Montreal.”
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TWEET OF THE DAY II:
Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie): “On (extremely) off chance anyone (in VAN) finds a silver money clip, 2 (now cancelled) credit cards and my company ID cart, let me know. #doh)
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TWEET OF THE DAY III:
From the aforementioned Bob McKenzie: “Don't think it's post-traumatic stress from losing money clip, but in all seriousness, never felt as discouraged about state of NHL as today”
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The Alex New York