CHLPA has long road to recognition, say labour lawyers: Wednesday’s coast-to-coast

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

WHL

Julius Melnitzer of the Financial Post got a labour lawyer to spell out what Georges Laraque and the proposed CHLPA is up against: "Unless the CHL voluntarily recognizes the union, it must be certified in every province where a team exists as well as by the National Labour Relations Board in the U.S."

No doubt Georges Laraque would tell you they have people working on it. He says that a lot. (Vancouver Sun)

Vancouver Giants defenceman David Musil, an Edmonton Oilers high second-round pick, is among the juniors who could be summoned midseason to a NHL camp when/if the lockout ends. (The Cult of Hockey)

A lockout only benefits junior hockey if it is a long one, says Western League commish Ron Robison. (Spokane Spokesman-Review)

Since Saskatoon Blades coach-GM Lorne Molleken is still at the "no job is safe" stage, it seems logical that his team has yet to pick a captain. (Saskatoon StarPhoenix)

Overage goalie Ty Rimmer is hoping to land a pro deal during his season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. (The Pipeline Show)

Kamloops Blazers defenceman Tyler Hansen will miss at least one week after suffering whiplash last weekend. (Kamloops Daily News)

Some basketball coaches probably wish their teams had as much height as the Calgary Hitmen defence corps. (Calgary Herald)

OHL

Via Dave Pollard, it's the first sighting of the words "North Bay Battalion" of the new season. Previous reports said that the Brampton Battalion were negotiating a new lease at the Powerade Centre. Writes Pollard: "If it hasn't worked in 15 years, then there's no fixing the problem in Brampton." (Toronto Sun)

Veteran NHL defenceman Dennis Wideman practised with the Kitchener Rangers and even did push-ups as punishment with the players. (Waterloo Record)

Mississauga Steelheads owner Elliott Kerr on the challenges of selling major junior hockey in Missy: "I can tell you that over the last three months when we run into people, whether it's community events or corporate boardrooms, some people still think it's the IceDogs who are still here." That team moved five years ago. (Toronto Star)

Seventeen-year-old London Knights defenceman Nikita Zadorov will learn to keep his gloves on as he adapts from Russian to Canadian hockey. (London Free Press)

Rookie coach D.J. Smith's plans to make the Oshawa Generals all about defence may turn on the progress of young defenders Josh Brown and Chris Carlisle. (durhamregion.com)

City councillors in St. Catharines, Ont., have three bid proposals to choose from for a new arena that would be home to the Niagara IceDogs. (St. Catharines Standard)

QMJHL

Blainville-Boisbriand Armada GM Joel Bouchard talks about how 16-year-old goalie Storm Phaneuf has picked up the slack while starter Etienne Marcoux recuperates from an injury. (The Pipeline Show)

Why are Saint John fans so sedate? (Station Nation)

Courtesy Nicolas Chéné, it's the first Quebec League power rankings of the season. (ParlonsJunior.com)

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