QMJHL semifinals go the distance: the coast-to-coast

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

WHL

Portland Winterhawks coach-GM Mike Johnston is trying to create some plausible deniability regarding his goaltending plans for Game 1. Brendan Burke or Corbin Boes? (Portland Tribune, CKLQ)

Meantime, it's the first league final where Edmonton's Tristan Jarry will be a principal figure instead of a backup goalie. (Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun)

Did commissioner Ron Robison just put the Lethbridge Hurricanes on double (not so) secret probation? The franchise that's missed the playoffs for five years in a row is being monitored by the league. Robison: "Just because it’s a community owned team that’s no excuse." (Global News)

Meantime, Brad Lukowich, whom the Hurricanes discharged in February, is suing the team for wrongful dismissal. (Global News)

Looking at Thursday's bantam draft, from a college hockey-oriented vantage. (SBN College Hockey)

Does Peter Maher's retirement open up a big-league broadcasting job for long-time Calgary Hitmen play-by-player Brad Curle? (Calgary Sun)

OHL

London Knights stars Max Domi and Nikita Zadorov are not yet back at practice with just more two weeks to go before the Memorial Cup. (London Free Press)

The series has some extra significance for Guelph's Tyler Bertuzzi, a Northern Ontario native. (Sudbury Star)

The mayors' bet revolves around charitable donations. Good move. (North Bay Nugget)

Mike Vellucci may maintain some involvement with the Plymouth Whalers while working for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes. (Plymouth Observer & Eccentric)

Seventeen-year-old Alex DeBrincat, who was committed to the NCAA's UMass Minutemen, has hopped aboard with the Erie Otters. (MassLive)

Kingston Frontenacs defenceman Roland McKeown might have struggled at times in the world under-18 championships, but there's a sophistication to his game that means teams that pass on him at the NHL draft do so at their own peril. (The Hockey Writers)

QMJHL

It's Jonathan Drouin's last stand in the Val-d'Or-Halifax Game 7 on Tuesday. (Halifax Chronicle-Herald)

How will playing back-to-back and flying on the day of Game 7 affect the Foreurs and Mooseheads? (L'Echo Abitibien)

Baie-Comeau's window to win has never been so large, writes Steve Turcotte. (Le Nouvelliste)

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.