Advertisement

Blades close to being sold: long weekend coast-to-coast

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

WHL

For those of you scoring at home, since the Memorial Cup ended the Saskatoon Blades have had a coaching change, the arena naming rights sponsor has hit the highway and now Jack Brodsky is poised to sell the team. Daniel Nugent-Bowman has more on the potential sale to car dealer Mike Preistner. (Saskatoon StarPhoenix)

Rod Pedersen cuts right to the quick on why the Blades are on the block: "Why is Jack Brodsky ready to relinquish ownership of the Blades? A WHL insider answered in a text message on Thursday, 'Because they lost money on the Memorial Cup and Jack's ready to retire.' " (rodpedersen.com)

Is Edmonton Oil Kings centre Henrik Samuelsson a strong candidate to make Team USA? (United States of Hockey)

You don't say: Hockey Canada has discovered today's parents find the sport prohibitively expensive, time-consuming and dangerous. Incidentally, if you haven't picked up a copy of former Hockey Calgary president Todd Millar's self-published passionate plea Moron, you really, really should. (The Canadian Press)

OHL

New Kitchener Rangers bench boss Troy Smith reflects on the path that led to him taking the coaching reins of the flagship franchise. It includes the time he scored a hat trick in Maple Leaf Gardens. (Waterloo Record)

Shades of the Windsor Spitfires' salad days: five Spits players will be in Lake Placid, N.Y., with teams Canada and USA's evaluation camps/exhibition games next week. (OHL)

London Knights alumnus Dave Bolland brought the Stanley Cup to his hometown of Mimico, Ont., on Thursday; new Eh Game writer Neil Acharya was there. (Eh Game)

Defenceman Kris Myllari, a first-round talent whom the Kingston Frontenacs took in the second this spring, is reporting to camp. It's not a lock he would play his age-16 season in K-town since the Frontenacs might have a surplus of D-men. (Kingston Whig-Standard)

QMJHL

Mikaël Lalancette examines the delay several Russian QMJHLers, including Los Angeles Kings high second-rounder Valentin Zykov, are having obtaining visas to play in North America this season. It's not Russia holding it up, it's a strike by employees of Canadian embassies. Really, the Harper government would be in a standoff with government workers? (TVA Sports)

Hey, a goalie trade! With Anthony Brodeur on the way in, the Gatineau Olympiques have jettisoned seasoned 18-year-old 'tender Eric Brassard, who goes east to the Charlottetown Islanders for a 2014 fifth-rounder. (Charlottetown Guardian)

Speaking of Brodeur, Justin Bourne examines what it's like to grow up as the son of a prominent NHLer. Did the New Jersey Devils really help the situation by drafting Brodeur in June? (Backhand Shelf)

The Sherbrooke Phoenix are earnestly trying to recruit two U.S. prospects, Chase Harwell and Mitchell Lundholm. Hey, they can take classes at nearby Bishop's University and find out what the hell a "Gaiter" is. (Le Tribune)

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet. Please address any questions, comments or concerns to btnblog@yahoo.ca.