Banner-raisings for defending champs: Friday’s coast-to-coast

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

WHL

The defending champion Edmonton Oil Kings drew 10,976 to their opener and Mark Spector contends the players might "deserve better." That's two weekends' worth of attendance for some CHL teams. (Sportsnet)

Saskatoon Blades forward Shane McColgan was once on a reality-TV show, so having a documentary crew around his MasterCard Memorial Cup-host team is practically old hat for him. (Saskatoon StarPhoenix)

That's right, the WHL does count top NHL draft prospect Seth Jones as a rookie, thus helping make him the favourite to be rookie of the year. (Coming Down The Pipe!)

Edmonton Oilers prospect David Musil wants to put the Vancouver Giants on his back for his final junior season. (Vancouver Sun, Vancouver Province)

Kamloops Blazers coach Guy Charron won't name a captain until he learns whether the Columbus Blue Jackets assign Austin Madaisky to the AHL or junior. (Kamloops Daily News)

Washington Capitals pick Chandler Stephenson has some Weal-ly big shoes to fill for the Regina Pats. Thanks. Try the veal. (Regina Leader-Post)

The Spokane Chiefs probably have to soon decide on a 19-year-old goalie. (Spokane Spokesman-Review)

Twenty-two short stories about the new season. (Vancouver Sun)

Lethbridge-Medicine Hat is a rivalry where the places in the standings don't matter. (Medicine Hat News)

OHL

One offshoot from the lockout: the London Knights' recent graduates will be on hand to see the team raise its championship banner, and pass the torch. (London Free Press)

Toronto Maple Leafs pick Tyler Biggs went to the Oshawa Generals to get more ice time. How does getting 17 PIMs in his first game serve that end, exactly? (Toronto Sun)

With his Sudbury Wolves opening the season tonight, hard-nosed forward Chad Thibodeau weighed in on the league's new fight threshold: "I don't really respect the rule, I don't like it, but I have to live with it." One gets the feeling he speaks for not just a few people. (Sudbury Star, durhamregion.com)

Josh Ho-Sang showed flashes of brilliance in his Windsor Spitfires debut; that's one positive to wring from a 6-1 waxing. (Windsor Star)

Four weeks of road games might help galvanize a highly touted Kitchener Rangers team, one of the clubs to watch closely. (Waterloo Record)

Losing by three goals at home was about the poorest start the Peterborough Petes could have had, especially with the angst over back-to-back also-ran seasons. (Peterborough Examiner)

Connor McDavid generated chances in his Erie Otters regular-season debut. He takes his act to London on Friday. (Erie Times-News)

Mark Scheifele for MVP? The Winnipeg Jets first-rounder looked the part with his four-point, +3 output in the Barrie Colts' season-opening win at Ottawa. (OHL Prospects)

The Soo Greyhounds vow not to take a side trip to negativetown if they encounter a rough patch this season. (Sault Star)

QMJHL

The P.E.I. Rocket will announce their new moniker on Friday. (Charlottetown Guardian)

Cape Breton vs. Halifax; nothing like opening the season with a rivalry game. (Cape Breton Post, Halifax Chronicle-Herald)

The flu-ridden Mooseheads had a full bus going to Cape Breton, but some players are still not fully back from illness. (Metro Halifax)

Patrick King has a friendly reminder that not all of the exciting players to watch in the league play for either Halifax or Quebec. (Sportsnet)

Gatineau Olympiques coach Benoit Groulx has backed away from projecting a top-six finish for his young team. (Ottawa Citizen)

A rebuilding year is ahead for Saint John. (Summerside Journal Pioneer)

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