Wednesday notes

I'm back.....took a day longer to get back to the blog than I would have liked, but you can't control the circumstances sometimes, eh.

The travelling CHL-Russia circus pulls into the WHL tonight for a game tonight in Cranbrook and then tomorrow in Medicine Hat. The Russkies are 1-3 so far this year and are 0-8 all-time against the WHL teams. Rumour has it that this years' edition might be the best squad the Russians have sent to this thing, but I wouldn't know because I haven't watched the games. Nor will I watch tonight or tomorrow. But certainly the Russian team has not been blown out in any of the losses this year - all the games have been close scores so far, unlike in some past years.

Bunch of player moves in the last few days:

- Raiders acquire 19 year old defenceman Zach Sim from the Tigers for a 2008 5th round pick. Sim continues his slow but steady move northeast through the WHL....Everett, then Tri-City, then Medicine Hat, now Prince Albert. Next stop, Iqaluit. They'll have a team there soon enough the way this league expands. (And yes, I know Everett to Tri-Cities is actually southeast, not northeast....)
- Lethbridge trades 18 year old forward Josh Gionfriddo to Kootenay for a 2009 7th round pick that Kootenay had previously acquired from the Hurricanes for Paul MacDonald. So essentially MacDonald has been traded for Gionfriddo now.
- Gionfriddo replaces Travis Gorman on the Ice roster. Gorman, recently acquired from Tri-Cities, decided to leave the Ice for unknown personal reasons.
- Portland has acquired the rights to 17 year old James Kerr from Kelowna for a conditional 2009 4th round pick. The condition is that Kerr must report to Portland - so far he appears to be eyeing the college route. But, Kerr played Jr B for Hawks coach Rich Kromm last year with the KIJHL's Summerland Sting, and Kerr's father (ex-NHLer Alan Kerr) is a friend of Kromm's. You'd have to think that Portland's chances of getting Kerr into their lineup are a lot better than Kelowna's were.

Lethbridge picked up contract options on coach Michael Dyck and G.M. Roy Stasiuk yesterday, ensuring they'll be at their jobs through the end of 08-09. Unless they get fired, I mean.

The Hitmen announced yesterday that there are only 400 tickets left for Sunday's Teddy Bear Toss game. It seems safe to assume that with four days of sales left, plus walk-ups, that the game will be a sellout - which would set a new CHL single-game attendance record at 19,289.

Speaking of bears and records, Portland collected 20,372 bears at their Toss on Saturday. The Hitmen intend to re-take that record, which topped Calgary's 15,540 from last year.

And still with Portland, their 2006 1st round pick, Riley Boychuk, is likely going to be out for the rest of the season.....he is apparently considering surgery on his troublesome hip which has only allowed him to play 5 games so far this year. Thanks to Andy Kemper's blog for that tidbit.

And a nice note now.....with the Roughriders winning the CFL's Grey Cup on Sunday, the Getzlaf family has now won two professional sports titles this year. Younger brother Ryan won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in June, and older brother Chris is a backup slotback for the Riders.

Dumb jocks? Nope.....apparently, WHL players know how to read.

UPDATE: Another trade. This one sees the Tigers send 19 year old forward Scott Wasden and a 7th round pick to Kamloops for 18 year old forward Travis Dunstall. Dunstall was the Blazers' 1st round pick in 2004 but I'm guessing the new regime doesn't see the same potential in him that the old regime once did. Dunstall set the Alberta Major Bantam league record for goals in a season with 58 in 2003-04, and held the record until last year when Mark Reners scored 61. Dunstall has not been able to bring that kind of goalscoring to the WHL level though - he has only 21 goals there in 130+ games.