Combing all corners of the country and the blogosphere for your junior hockey headlines ... while Neate is on vacation:

WHL

The Vancouver Giants are waiting to hear the fate of winger Marek Tvrdon today after he was assessed a match penalty for spearing on Wednesday. (The Vancouver Province)

Saskatoon coach-GM Lorne MollekenWhen asked about the WHL commissioner Ron Robison's remarks regarding the idea limiting the number of import goalies in the league, Saskatoon coach-GM Lorne Molleken says: "It's the first I've ever heard of it." (Saskatoon StarPhoenix)

In some good news for the Blades,  defenceman Tommy Stipancik has been medically cleared to play. He won't be back in the lineup until next Friday however, so the Blades will be going with four regular D tonight against the Swift Current Broncos.  (Saskatoon StarPhoenix)

A nice story of perseverance today in the Moose Jaw Times Herald about Warriors forward Kenton Miller, who was dropped by three midget AAA teams in one year.

"He is the hardest working guy on the team day in and day out," said Moose Jaw Warriors coach Mike Stothers. "Anyone who works that hard is going to be rewarded." (Moose Jaw Times Herald)

Get excited Vancouver, it's Cody Franson Bobblehead Night! (Vancouver Sun)

OHL

The Oshawa Generals look like the might be back on track after a disastrous start to the season that cost Gens GM Chris DePiero his coaching duties.  (Toronto Sun)

Imagine if you were an outspoken American  goaltender stuck in a hotel room with a Czech netminder who didn't speak any English? Meet Windsor's John Cullen and Jaroslav Pavelka (Y! Sports)

And speaking of Windsor's John Cullen ... he took the blame last night for the Spitfires 4-3 loss last night to the Plymouth Whalers.  (The Windsor Star)

Kingston Frontenacs centre Darcy GreenawayNo. 1 star: Darcy Greenaway, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)

On this night, it is great to be named Darcy and have your 19th birthday on the 19th and a last name ending in Y — coincidences shared by this evening's first two stars. Greenaway scored his first major junior hat trick, including the third-period tying and winning goals that lifted the Fronts to a 5-4 comeback win over the Peterborough Petes.

The Petes, who desperately needed to pick up two points to help their playoff chances, took a one-goal lead into the final period against the Ontario league's 19th-place team. Then Greenaway made sure the game played out according to Svobodian phophesy. (That's another way of saying no want seems to want to win.) With 9:41 to play, the Frontenacs cycled the puck effectively and pulled the Petes out of position, allowing Greenaway to pounce on a rebound and flick it by goalie Andrew D'Agostini. During a power play a few minutes later, Greenaway made a smart play to deflect a lead pass into the corner, allowing the Frontenacs to set up in the Petes zone. Eventually, a scramble situation ensued and the 19-year-old native of Wilton, Ont., collected the garbage to flick in the winning goal.

Baie-Comeau Drakkar left wing Raphael BussieresRaphaël Bussières prides himself on making life easier for his teammates, which is why he'll make a fine second or third-round choice in June.

As a third-year junior, the Baie-Comeau Drakkar power winger has an edge in physical maturity over many of his peers in the 2012 NHL draft class. That being said, at 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds Bussières offers a nice confluence of size and speed, along with some grit, although he had a nearly-costly major and game misconduct in Baie-Comeau's win over powerful Shawinigan on Wednesday.

"I can go get the puck in the corner and create space for my teammate and I have a good hockey sense," says Bussières, who is ranked 57th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. "I try to bring energy."

Bussières, who came into the QMJHL as the Moncton Wildcats' No. 4 overall pick in 2009 before going to the Drakkar in a trade for Gabriel Bourque, has almost matched his scoring totals from last season. He has has 16 goals and 22 points in 48 games, only one point of what he had in 66 games during his age-17 season. He's also shrugged off missing time due to a concussion early on in the season as has helped the Drakkar become one of the Quebec league's most improved teams.

"We've tried to find to a solution as a team to have the best ending," says Bussières, who surely got a few scouts' attention when he squared off with Red Deer Rebels defenceman Mathew Dumba in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game two weeks ago.

The native of Longeueil in the west end of Montreal notes he's challenged himself to be a more reliable performer on a nightly basis while the Drakkar push to earn home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

"I need to improve my consistency, game after game. Soemetimes I have a good game and then I'm not there the next game."

Francis Beauvillier of the QMJHL's Rimouski OceanicFrancis Beauvillier's stock in trade is his speed — channeling into all facets of the game is probably his challenge.

The 18-year-old Rimouski Océanic centre got some run out of winning the fastest skater competition two weeks at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Kelowna, B.C.. Beauvillier, though, admits game-in, game-out consistency can be daunting for him by times. While his wheels are buttressed by a big-league shot, that has yet to translate into gaudy stats. Through 55 games for Rimouski, he has a Cy Young statline with 19 goals and seven assists for 26. When's he's on, though, he can look like a potential high pick. Beauvillier, who is ranked 62nd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, has also shown brief vignettes of brilliance in showcases such as the NHL research, development and orientation camp, along with Top Prospects.

"Intensity," Beauvillier says when asked what is the biggest asset he brings to a team. "My goal is I'll always keep working. I'll never give up on the play."

The native of Sorel-Tracy, Que., who spent two seasons with the late and lamented Lewiston Maineiacs, has helped the Océanic rise to sixth overall in the QMJHL after finishing 13th last season. The move brought him closer to home, but adapting to new surroundings has been a learning experience.

"It's a new team, new town, new billets and all that stuff," Beauvillier says. "It's been going very well. It's very different. No one is doing the same thing as in Lewiston.

"For sure, it's going to help me. It was tough for me in Lewiston, there were older players so there was not a lot of ice time. Now I'm stronger mentally and that's going to help me in the long run."

The Buzzing The Net CHL Chatravaganza returns today at noon ET/1 p.m. AT/9 a.m. PT.

Please join Sunaya Sapurji, Cam Charron, Neate Sager, and a cast of many for the blogetariat's most-attended, widest-ranging approximately one-hour long livechat dedicated to major junior hockey. Between the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League adopting the more compact schedule of its CHL counterparts, mulling over if there is a dearth of big-time goal scorers in major junior and the appropriate way to razz a player who demurred from playing for a particular team, there should be no shortage of topics.

Does there still need to be a reminder this is BYOP — bring your own peanuts? See you soonly.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.

The NHL entry draft for a player involves a handshake with the general manager, a free jersey and hat, an invite to at least two training camps, and of course, proud family and friends, but it doesn't include an entry-level contract.  That is earned when the player proves he's worth the big bucks in the big leagues.

Saskatoon Blades star Josh Nicholls is still trying to prove to the Toronto Maple Leafs that he's worth their money. He's yet to sign a contract with the Leafs and the deadline to do so of June 1 is fastapproaching.

"I know I have to earn that contract, but I try not to think about it," says Nicholls. "I just have to play my game and hope they notice."

The 6-foot-2, 192-pound winger 's quest to show he's worth a pro contract was recently delayed.  Nicholls was out for more than a month with a strained MCL in his right knee. He returned to the lineup in late January.

"I admit I was a bit rusty when I got back from the injury," says Nicholls. "It's always hard to adjust to the speed after not playing for a while. It definitely sucked to get hurt. No one ever wants to miss games. There was nothing that I could do though, so I just tried to stay in shape while I was out."

For a seventh-round pick, Nicholls has exceeded the majority of junior hockey rink rats' expectations point wise. He broke out last year into one of the Dub's top scorers, notching 34 goals and 87 points in 71 games. This year he has maintained his scoring rate with 23 goals and 48 points in 41 games.

Moncton Wildcats goalie Roman WillRoman Will is certainly making an impression with the Moncton Wildcats this season.

The 19-year-old Czech goaltender basically came out of nowhere to become one of the QMJHL's top goaltenders this season after being selected with the 29th pick in last summer's Canadian Hockey League import draft. Will has played in 50 of Moncton's 55 games this season and is ranked among the league's top net-minders in four of eight categories.

"Roman is one of the most underrated players in the league this season," said Moncton head coach Danny Flynn. "He competes hard and gives us a chance to win every night."

Will is second in wins (25) saves (1,320), second in minutes played (2,858) and has the second-best save percentage (.913). The 6-foot, 187-pound puck-stopper's 2.64 goals-against average is fourth-best in the league, no mean feat for team which moved older defencemen Brandon Gormley and Daniel Milan to expedite their rebuidling. Will's performance over the season has enabled Moncton to stay in the middle of the pack in the QMJHL standings with 57 points courtesy of their 26-24-3-2 record.

Will played for BK Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Extraliga last season where his squad finished dead last in the standings.

Combing all corners of the country and the blogosphere for your junior hockey headlines ...

WHL

Incoming Everett Silvertips general manager Garry Davidson is very aware the team has top 2013 NHL draft prospect Seth Jones' playing rights. (Everett Herald)

Commissioner Ron Robison is not in favour of allowing 19-year-olds to go to the American Hockey League: "Most importantly, it's the trickle-down effect of the system overall and how that would impact on not only our level, but every level as well because we would simply move to a much younger league." (Saskatoon StarPhoenix)

It is impressive the Portland Winterhawks have pulled into a share of the U.S. Division lead with two of their three best defencemen absent. (Portland Tribune)

By our Ontario math skills, Vancouver Giants coach Don Hay needs 193 wins, about five seasons' worth, to break Ken Hodge's all-time WHL record. (Vancouver Sun)

Calgary Hitmen overage centre Jimmy Bubnick seems sure to succeed on his mission to land a pro