(CP Images)A pair of separate studies seem to point out that the effects of checking and collisions in various levels of hockey lead to, surprise surprise, more injuries than previously thought.

The first study, which I think is a little more complete, was a joint study between researchers at the University of Laval and the University of Calgary (due to recent football results, I'll refer to this as the 'Laval' study). They followed 150 minor hockey teams featuring peewee players ages 11 and 12 and compared the health effects on players in Alberta, where checking is allowed at that level, versus Québec, where it is not.

The players from Quebec walked away with one-third the number of injuries as the players in Alberta, and they also sustained fewer concussions: 73 Albertans over the period of a year, to just 20 Québecois kids. Going further, 14 concussions were listed as "severe" in Alberta to just four in Québec.

"We know that the long-term effects on concussions were underestimated in the past.

Suspended Winterhawks coach-GM Mike JohnstonRon Toigo, a rich man indeed, cannot be expected to keep track of all his financial wheeling-dealing.

The owner of the Vancouver Giants — a big-market Western Hockey League team with ample resources, like those renegades in the Rose City, the Portland Winterhawks — spoke on the record about the WHL's sanctions on Thursday. One has to think that, given this is an owner of long standing in the league, that is something close to the WHL's party line. Toigo said the rules Portland broke are in place to save major junior hockey in smaller centres. He might have forgotten about favours he's paid to past Giants players out of the goodness of his heart that were within the rules, but might have been too rich for the Swift Currents and Prince Georges of the world.

Western Hockey League commissioner Ron Robison (Aaron Bell, CHL Images)

The Western Hockey League might be judge and jury in BenefitGate — but it's not faring well in the court of public opinion after punishing the Portland Winterhawks.

A commissioner in sports is like a politician who has to direct and lead opinion. Being out front on controversy is the name of the game in politics, as is understood from everyone in the various inner circles down to people who were really into The West Wing a few years back. The WHL and commissioner Ron Robison were bold to drop the hammer on league-leading Portland and coach-GM Mike Johnston, especially in a season when they seem capable of bringing the Dub its first MasterCard Memorial Cup title since 2008 (the current four-year drought is the league's longest since the host-team tournament format was adopted in 1983). They felt compelled to shoot now, rather than hold their powder and try to revise the rules that were broken by sitting in a boardoom next summer.

As bold as it was, though, now it has to face the question of whether the juice is worth the squeeze. Based on a survey of the opinion out there in the media, it looks like the WHL might have bitten off more than it could chew.

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

WHL

BenefitGate has basically boiled down to a parry-and-thrust of press releases. The WHL says Portland committed 54 infractions involving 14 players; the Winterhawks counter by "encouraging more transparency in the process."(Vancouver Province, Oregon Live, Portland Tribune)

Jess Rubenstein says Portland has been turned into an escape goat: "The Winterhawks offering a player's family plane tickets BASED ON NEED during the season so the player's family can see their child shouldn't be a violation to begin with." (The Prospect Park)

Vancouver Giants owner Ron Toigo's take: "The league has to be set up in such a way that Moose Jaw and Swift Current have just as much a chance as Vancouver, Portland and Calgary." So when can we expect the Dub to introduce NFL-style revenue sharing? Got a lot of people holding their breath over here waiting for it. (Vancouver Sun, Taking Note)

Shorter Damien Cox: Mo' money in major junior, mo' problems. Similarly, Chris Cochane calls the violations "lightweight." (Toronto Star, Halifax Chronicle-Herald)

Daniel Nugent-Bowman highlights a key difference between Portland's transgressions and the Windsor Spitfires'. Please read it. (Saskatoon StarPhoenix)

Hey, news that pertains to something on the ice, how novel: Montreal Canadiens second-rounder Dalton Thrower is still recovering from a concussion, meaning he will not line up vs. brother Josh Thrower in the Saskatoon-Calgary game. The Blades will have 19-year-old right wing Shane McColgan back, though. (Calgary Herald)

Tough times for the Regina Pats, who had only 14 healthy skaters at one practice this week ahead a home-and-home with Eastern Conference-leading Prince Albert. (Prince Albert Daily Herald)

Prince George and Victoria are each looking to sweep their two-game set this weekend. (Victoria Times-Colonist)

OHL

Heavy-hitting defenceman Thomas Welsh has decommitted from Penn State and will hop in the boat with the Mississauga Steelheads. (Toronto Sun)

Red Wings fourth-rounder Andreas Athanasiou (OHL Images)

The Barrie Colts broke out new line combos on Thursday, but their winning goal in Windsor was all Andreas Athanasiou.

The Detroit Red Wings fourth-rounder — the Barrie Bolt? And1 Athanasiou? — is one of the fleetest players in junior hockey. Spitfires defenceman Saverio Posa can probably vouch for that what happened in on Thursday. In the second period, Double-A accelerated out of his own zone and used his world-class wheels to back up the Windsor defenders so quickly that Posa blew a tire and fell down in front of 5,408 spectators. Athanasiou went on to put a shot off the post and in, sending the Colts well on their way to a victory.

The play starts at 1:28 into TV Cogeco Ontario's recap.

Val-d'Or Foreurs Anthony ManthaNo. 1 star: Anthony Mantha, Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)

Mantha (2G, +2) had consecutive goals for the Foreurs to give them the upper hand in their 7-5 win over Saint John, as he took over the Q's goal-scoring lead with 25 and also moved into second in points. One hesitates to say those goals helped Val-d'Or "take control" since it was a 7-5 game with Jonathan Huberdeau playing for the other team, but the 18-year-old's Mantha's markers were momentous. The lanky striker converted from the slot in the first period after Michaël Beaudry found him with a pass. In the second period, according to Station Nation's recap, Mantha scored his goal on a shot where he broke his stick.

Huberdeau, whose three assists made him Saint John's leader in career points, eventually helped pull the Sea Dogs level at 5-5. Rookie Mason Gray's first QMJHL goal untied the game for good. The Foreurs, rather impressively, had two assists on all seven of their goals, but no player was credited with more than two points. Beaudry, centre Nicolas Aubé-Kubel and defender Matt Murphy all had two-assist outings.

Mantha's had quite a season. It feels like the photo illustrating this post has been on BTN as often as Marge Simpson wears a green dress.

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

WHL

Jim Matheson's B.S. detector went off over BenefitGate: "Surely there has to be something more sinister than this to get the esteemed Mike Johnston ... a suspension for the rest of the WHL season." (Edmonton Journal)

Johnston says the Portland Winterhawks are seeking recourse: "We believe that, apart from recruiting trips and parents' weekend, there is no prohibition in the rules governing flights for players' parents, which were the majority of the infractions." (Vancouver Sun)

Getting to know Kelowna Rockets defenceman Madison Bowey, who could be drafted early next summer. (The Pipeline Show)

The Edmonton Oil Kings will certainly have two players named to Hockey Canada's national junior team selection camp. Could gritty Travis Ewanyk make three if his knee holds up well? (Edmonton Journal)

The popular question at a Calgary Hitmen practice: "Who's playing with who today?" But Mike Williamson's line juggling is working. (Calgary Herald)

OHL

Barrie Colts rookie left wing Brendan Lemieux has his first game in Windsor. Does his dad, Claude Lemieux, have any history with Detroit/Windsor area hockey fans? (Windsor Star)

Kris Knoblauch took Kootenay to the Memorial Cup semifinal in 2011 (OHL Images)Twenty-seven games into the Connor McDavid era, the Erie Otters have made a huge change in direction behind the bench.

The Otters' coaching change, ousting Robbie Ftorek to bring in former Ed Chynoweth Cup-winning coach Kris Knoblauch, will be worth watching in terms of whether it amounts to a sea change for Erie. The Otters, who are last in the OHL's Western Conference with a 7-15-2-3 record and were subjecting goalies Oscar Dansk and Devin Williams to regular 40-shot shellings, including a lot of high-percentage shots.

The 34-year-old Knoblauch showed in his all-too-brief two-season tenure with the Kootenay Ice that he can make a team's whole greater than the sum of its parts. Managing partner Sherry Bassin might just be doing now what he might have done during next summer's coaching carousel. In this case, a coach with a recent championship on his résumé was available during the season, thanks to the, uh, unique circumstances that put Knoblauch out of a job with the Ice.

Ftorek resumed coaching this summer just weeks after the death of his 23-year-old daughter, Anna Ftorek. He might be too proud to say whether that affected him at work, but it's part of the story. In any event, the Otters had to do something:

"Robbie has a distinguished career in coaching and is one of the classiest people in the game," Bassin said. "He is a great mentor on and off the ice. I decided after considerable thought to make this difficult decision and to move in a different direction. The entire Otters family has the utmost respect for Robbie, Wendy and their family and expect that he will go on to bigger and better opportunities."

"Based on this decision, I negotiated through the night and am happy to announce that Kris Knoblauch has accepted, in principle, the position as head coach of the Erie Otters." (ottershockey.com)