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Leniency for Portland? Thursday’s coast-to-coast
Combing all corners of the country and the blogosphere for your junior hockey headlines ...
WHL
Portland Winterhawks coach-GM Mike Johnston's season-long suspension will likely stand, reports Gregg Drinnan. But the WHL might dial back some of the sanctions against Portland. (Taking Note)
Expect some playoff-like intensity for the Portland-Kelowna two games series that begins Friday. The Rockets got a bad game out of their system on Wednesday. (Kelowna Capital News)
The Spokane Chiefs' 1,000th win as a franchise was all goalie Eric Williams. Well, mostly at least. (Spokane Spokesman-Review)
Since the Springfield of Simpsons fame is in Oregon, a massive D'oh! on the timing of a glowing profile of the Portland Winterhawks. They lost at home to Calgary on Wednesday. (Portland Tribune)
By hook or by (Jamie) Crooks, the Victoria Royals are continuing their push up the Western Conference standings. (Voice of the Victoria Royals)
OHL
All the Mark Scheifele's back in Barrie coverage that you can shake a stick borrowed from P.K. Subban toward. (Barrie Examiner, Winnipeg Sun)
Will New Jersey Devils draft pick Reid Boucher get any closer to the 50-goal mark in Thursday's Sarnia Sting-London Knights tilt? (London Free Press)
Will the Scott Walker-coached Guelph Storm ever sustain their stretches of strong play against the top teams such as Kitchener? Walker used some reverse psychology on Wednesday after his team's 5-2 loss to those Rangers: “Do we have enough to do it? Well obviously not, no we don’t. So maybe we’re better not to play them in the playoffs." (Guelph Mercury)
Boston Bruins prospect Seth Griffith is totally not concerned about whatever his point total is. It's 77, three behind Philadelphia Flyers prospect Nick Cousins for the league lead. (London Free Press)
Mississauga's Spencer Martin is the best goaltending NHL draft prospect in the league, but how does the pecking order fall in line? (OHL Writers)
Peterborough Petes coach Jody Hull does diplomacy well, judging by his comment after his team had a 27-shot first period and buried Ottawa 10-6: "I don’t want to say anything bad about Ottawa but they just seemed to not have it tonight." (Peterborough Examiner)
QMJHL
Halifax and Moncton on Friday Night Hockey: Who ya got? (Sportsnet)
Draft-year centre Kurt Etchegary is back with the Quebec Remparts after missing 37 games due to injury. (Le Soleil)
Erstwhile Blainville-Boisbriand Armada wing Stefan Matteau will play his sixth game for the New Jersey Devils on Thursday. That does not mean the 18-year-old, who is AHL-eligible, is in The Show for the season.
Matteau playing in 6th game tonight does not guarantee he doesn't go back to JR this season. Just means full year off contract regardless.
— Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) February 7, 2013
DeBoer: "I think Lou said right from Day 1 that he wasn't going to let contract status stand in the way if we thought Stef could help us."
— Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) February 7, 2013
DeBoer: "I don’t think by us playing him this game (means) it was a lifetime contract or any guarantee that he was going to be here..."
— Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) February 7, 2013
DeBoer cont: "...for the next 40 games. But it’s another opportunity for him to show he’s an NHL player."
— Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) February 7, 2013
Speaking of Halifax, they packed enough a couple weeks' worth of drama into their shootout win over second-place Rimouski. (Halifax Chronicle-Herald)
P.E.I Rocket forward Yan-Pavel Laplante, who injured a shoulder in the summer, is finally making his season debut. (Charlottetown Guardian)
2013 NHL draft eligible Yan-Pavel Laplante will play his first game of the season tonight for @peirockethockey. He was injured at U18.
— Patrick King (@SNPatrickKing) February 7, 2013
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.
