Cape Breton makes plans for top pick clear: the coast-to-coast

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

WHL

Russ Bitely has delivered a long, impassioned treatise on body checking in youth hockey that cannot be properly summarized in one sentence. (Examiner)

Here, get to know the Edmonton Oil Kings draft prospect Curtis Lazar. (Hockey's Future)

The Medicine Hat Tigers are on board with their city government's plan for a 5,500-seat arena. (Medicine Hat News)

Will former NHL defenceman Drake Berehowsky be the new coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes? (CTV Lethbridge)

Josh Anderson, the No. 3 overall pick in the bantam draft, has committed to the Prince George Cougars. Fortunately for journos, his full-season debut will not come until the London Knights' Josh Anderson has turned pro. (Prince George Citizen)

OHL

Can you picture Dale Hunter behind the bench for Canada at a world junior championship in the not too distant future? (London Free Press)

Conversely, OHL coach and executive of the year Mike Vellucci has accepted that being in major junior likely means he'll never get to lead Team USA: "In reality, they [USA Hockey] pretty much insinuated I’m not going to be the coach because I don’t coach college hockey." (London Free Press)

Why Windsor Spitfires centre Kerby Rychel will be a first-rounder in the NHL draft on June 30. (Sportsnet)

Moving Tyson Teichmann to Kitchener leaves the Mississauga Steelheads with four 1993-born overage candidates. And the opposing player in the picture used with the story is wearing No. 93! (Mississauga News, Waterloo Record)

Were you up late last night trying to remember what draft picks your favourite team has in the kitty? Of course you were. (In The O)

QMJHL

Forward Nicolas Roy will be the No. 1 overall pick of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in Saturday's draft, says first-year GM Marc-André Dumont. (Cape Breton Post)

Whoever drafts the Gatineau Olympiques' Emile Poirier on June 30 will be getting someone fairly decent at hockey. (Hockey Prospect)

After leading the Halifax Mooseheads to a Memorial Cup title, one would think coach Dominique Ducharme is entitled to some job security. (Metro Halifax)

Shawinigan's new coach Martin Bernard and Cataractes captain Frédéric Gaudreau were together in minor hockey, so that's an icebreaker. (Le Nouvelliste)

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.