10 – The Prince George Citizen – Tuesday, January 6, 2009 Connolly returns, GAMEDAY vs. Armstrong still out 7 p.m., CN Centre Cougars: 14-26-0-1, eighth in West by JIM SWANSON “Brett’s a quiet guy, doesn’t smile day and made seven saves. Warriors: 14-25-0-1, 12th in East Citizen Sports Editor much, but he was beaming all the time “Joey’s had some tough nights for us, At least one body returns to the fold he was talking about it. The experience but I didn’t make that change for any PRINCE GEORGE — The Cougars close out a three-game homestand by meeting their Eastern Conference twin, the Warriors. The two teams are dead even in points, with Moose to replenish a makeshift lineup. on the ice and off the ice for him, it other reason than to reward Joel,” said Jaw holding a game in hand. Moose Jaw sits last in the Eastern Division... The Cougars have The Prince George Cougars will have was very good — he said the team was Klippenstein. lost five in a row, winless since the holiday break, and are coming off a pair of 5-2 losses to winger Brett Connolly on the ice tight-knit, and that’s not always the “Joel’s been a good Cougar. Anytime Tri-City on the weekend... C Justin Maylan is the only player remaining from the deal a tonight as they look to snap a five- case with (an interprovincial team) we’ve asked him to come join us, he’s year ago that sent Ty Wishart and Evan Fuller to Moose Jaw, with Maylan and a first- game losing streak at the expense of with how rivalries can build up.” come on a moment’s notice. I thought round bantam pick (Jesse Forsberg) becoming property of the Cougars. Forsberg and the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. Winger Marek Viedensky helped sur- he played pretty well.” David Greyeyes, both midget defencemen who are getting a taste of WHL hockey, will play Connolly was one of the top for- prising Slovakia to fourth place at the Still, the priority is to get Armstrong back. again tonight... LW Brian Matte (concussion), G Kevin Armstrong (knee) and LW Corey Tyrell (shoulder) won’t play, with Tyrell the most likely to be ready. RW Ryan wards the past 10 days while skating world juniors and will head back to “(Armstrong) is close,” said Klippen- Kowalski (head) is a question mark... The Cougars leave Thursday for a back-and-forth, for Team Pacific at the World Under-17 Prince George today. The 18-year-old, stein, who on Saturday guessed the three-in-three road trip that stops in Everett, Kelowna and Seattle... With RW Brett Connol- Hockey Challenge in Port Alberni. Pa- who didn’t produce many points but overage netminder would be out up to ly back from the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the Cougars have eight forwards to cific finished second in the event, los- was solid skating on the top line, could two weeks. dress, along with 10 defencemen, so expect to see Dallas Jackson, Matt Cumming and ing to Ontario in the final. be back in time for the game, but Klip- “He went to the doctor (Sunday) and Jeff Regier skating up front. The situation makes it tough to roll four lines, as other teams The 16-year-old, who will get plenty penstein wasn’t planning on having the it didn’t seem as severe, which is good have been doing against the Cougars with great success. of consideration as rookie-of-the-year, 18-point man in the lineup. news, so he was cleared to practice MOOSE JAW — The Warriors are 4-2 on this western trip, including an 8-4 thrashing of Kamloops on Saturday night... C Joel Broda leads the WHL in -scoring with 35, and was slides in as a no-doubt-about-it first- Klippenstein will choose between (Monday). He stayed out for about quite correctly named player-of-the-week for scoring nine times and adding two assists in four line player, and the team’s most dan- Joe Caligiuri and Joel Danyluk for half, nothing dangerous, and nothing games. Broda, who had 28 goals all of last season, is the hot topic for the trade deadline, which gerous forward. With Dana Tyrell out tonight because Kevin Armstrong will happened so we told him to head in hits Saturday, and Moose Jaw GM Chad Lang has said all the division leaders have called to in- for the season, Connolly is the team’s miss at least one more game with a just to be safe. We had three goalies quire about the former Tri-City first-rounder, who is from Prince Albert. Broda has 35 goals and leading scorer with 16 goals and 34 knee problem. Caligiuri started both there, and if we’d only had two goalies 12 assists, so don’t expect to see him pass when he’s within firing range. Most impressive is that points in 34 games. weekend games, 5-2 losses to the Tri- he’d have practiced the whole time.” Broda only has seven power-play goals among those 35 tallies... Among the Warriors to watch is “Brett really enjoyed the experience, City Americans, although Danyluk, a At the very worst, the Cougars hope centre Quinton Howden, a native who played for Team West at the under-17 tour- and what was so encouraging to hear recall from the SJHL where he has Armstrong will be ready to go for week- nament. Howden was the top pick in the 2007 bantam draft, and he has seven goals and 16 points in 33 games... D Travis Hamonic was a late cut from Team Canada for the world ju- was what a great group the kids were,” played sparingly for the Yorkton Terri- end road games in Everett, Kelowna niors... C Jason Bast has 13 goals and 36 points, second on the team to Broda... said head coach Wade Klippenstein. ers, handled the third period on Satur- and Seattle. The trip starts Friday. P.G. minor hockey product enjoying ice life in Tri-City by JIM SWANSON school,” said Asuchak, who plays for Citizen Sports Editor a Prince George native in head coach Unlike many of his Tri-City Ameri- Don Nachbaur. cans teammates, Spencer Asuchak “I remember playing for an atom found the surroundings quite familiar development team, and for the pee- Brodsky this weekend. wee Cougars, before we moved to The rookie winger, a 17-year-old al- Salmon Arm. This was my first time ready filling in at six-foot-four and back, and I love it — it brings back 193 pounds, was at home for a West- good memories. I keep in touch with changes ern Hockey League doubleheader at a lot of friends from here, talk to CN Centre. them on MSN or on Facebook. I Asuchak, who now calls Kamloops know a few of the Cougars, too, home, spent four years in Prince from hockey — Tyler Halliday and her title George and was a peewee rep player Matt Cumming, and I played against before his father Warren, a former Art Bidlevskii. by JIM SWANSON manager of the city’s pools, moved the “It’s nice to look around and see this Citizen Sports Editor family to Salmon Arm. place again. I’m glad to be in Tri-City, It’s a change in title, but not in Returning to Prince George was a it’s a good place to play.” duties. thrill for Asuchak — even moreso Asuchak played for the Thompson The Prince George Cougars have when he scored a goal against the Blazers major midget hockey team undergone a minor restructuring, if Cougars, his second of the season, and last season, with 10 goals and 25 it even qualifies as that, with Brandi helped the Americans to a pair of 5-2 points, along with 66 min- Brodsky having to order new busi- victories. utes, in 35 games. Because of a late ness cards. Asuchak’s first WHL goal came on birthday, he’s not eligible for the NHL Brodsky, the daughter of owner New Year’s Eve in a 6-1 win over the draft until 2010. Rick Brodsky and the wife of gener- Spokane Chiefs. He then tallied in his Nachbaur said Asuchak is slowly get- al manager Dallas Thompson, is no very next game, and now has three ting a grasp on what it takes to be suc- longer the team’s business manager. points on the season, in 18 games. The cessful in the WHL. Instead, she’s taken on the title of lefty shooter is minus-1 with eight “He’s a young guy, pretty raw, and vice-president. penalty minutes. he’s still got lots to learn because it’s It’s a somewhat cosmetic change “I lived here from Grade 2 to Grade his first year,” said the veteran coach, that reflects what’s on her plate, 7, and went to Hart Highland ele- who surpassed the 400-game mark she said. mentary and Heather Park middle earlier this season. “We finalized it (Monday), and “He’s got some size, skates really the main reason is that I’m dealing Citizen photo by Chuck Nisbett well, and once he figures it out he with people nationally and people Spencer Asuchak, who played pee- should be a pretty good player. He’s in the United States,” said Brod- wee rep hockey in Prince George, been in and out of our lineup, but sky. returned to his former hometown since the world junior and under-17 “Different organizations have on the weekend and scored his opened up some spots he’s been tak- their own title structures, and second WHL goal, helping the Tri- ing a regular shift and he’s shown re- business manager is one that City Americans to a pair of wins al well. He’s contributed to some means different things to different over the Cougars at CN Centre. wins for us.” people, to different companies and in different markets. Identify- ing myself as the business manag- er was not reflecting what my po- Cougars goalie coach has a special student — his son sition was anymore. by JASON PETERS to play. He competes and he never quits. He does his daily basis with goalies Kevin Armstrong and Joe “Over the years, my job has Citizen staff best — that’s all you can ask.” Caligiuri. changed a little bit and I’ve been Bailey De Palma is insistent. In the eight-team tournament, the Raiders made it “They need a sounding board — they need given more responsibilities than I His dad, Dan, has not passed any bad goaltending to Sunday’s final but fell 3-2 to the Kelowna Junior somebody they can talk to and that’s really my had when I started. We felt this title habits down to him. Rockets. One of the tournament highlights for Bailey most important job,” Dan said. would be more representative of Bailey is an 11-year-old goalie for the Kamloops was picking up a shutout victory in a round-robin “It’s less technical and more about giving them what my job actually is. I’m now in- Players Bench Raiders, who were in town this contest against Dawson Creek. In that game, played a sounding board and giving them support and volved in things like lease negotia- past weekend to skate in the Up the Creek Gar- Friday, the Raiders won 8-0. being honest with them. That’s what I try to do. tions with the city, working on con- ment Company peewee Tier 2 hockey tourna- Bailey was born in Prince George but has moved From a distance you can do that. tracts with Ticketmaster, some of ment. Dan, who grew up guarding nets in the around a lot with his family. He started his goaltend- “I try to come up here as much as I can,” Dan the bigger items, and I’m working Prince George minor hockey system, is part of the ing career about four years ago in Maple Ridge. added. on more of the financial issues with Raiders coaching staff. “In (the) Initiation A (division) we had to take “I’ll tie in my trips with work and I’ll take the odd my dad.” “Him and (Raiders head coach) Wayne (Kirbyson) turns but the coach would let me be goalie most of day off to do it. It’s busy, but I enjoy it. And I’ll There will not be a job posting for are the best coaches I’ve ever had,” Bailey said. the time,” he said. hook up with them when they’re through the the business manager position, “He has shown me half-butterfly slides — he has Dan, who has helped coach Bailey basically Okanagan on road trips. We’re lucky now with (as- which is now gone. shown me everything I know.” since the beginning, became a netminder at a sistant coach and former junior goalie) Jeff (Bat- “There are things I’m now able Dan, 37, is also the goaltending coach for the slightly more advanced age. He was 11 when he tah) there too. We’ve got some good people that to delegate, making more room WHL’s Prince George Cougars. He enjoys his work took up residence in the net and played rep hock- can help our goaltenders.” for myself to do some of these with the Cats, but absolutely beams when he talks ey all the way up. Despite the tough times the Cougars are currently additional things,” said Brodsky. about sharing ice space with his boy. Five years ago, the De Palma family moved to Kam- enduring, Dan sees better days ahead. “Amy Erickson and Andy Neal are And Dan can already see that Bailey possesses the loops. There, Dan is general manager of northern op- “People need to understand that this club is going up to speed and handling that most important qualities for developing his skills as erations for a trucking company, Arrow Transporta- to be good,” he said. “I know they’ve been real pa- (sales) area well.” a stopper. tion Systems. Three years ago, he contacted Prince tient but I guess we’re asking them to be a little more Brodsky said no other major orga- “He wants to learn and he’s real easy to coach,” George Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson patient because we’re going to make this a good club nizational changes are planned for Dan said. about scouting for the Cats. Dan still evaluates talent for the town. We care about the city and we want to the Cougars. “Already he is (better than I was),” the dad added for the club but is now in his second season as the make it work. The proof is on the ice and we’ve got to with a grin. “He works really hard and he just loves goaltending guru. These days, he talks on almost a do our job.” Rockets expected to add Swedish star by IAN WALKER Speculation was rampant that Back- will be accomplished.” CanWest News Service lund would not return to Vasteras, in Hamilton, who is in Ottawa, said he The look to have the second tier of the Swedish Elite is taking a wait-and-see approach. turned up the heat in advance of the League, upon completion of the world “No one’s informed me of anything,” trade dead- junior hockey championship in Ottawa. said Hamilton, who selected Backlund SET OF 2 JACK STANDS line. The Vancouver Sun has learned Reports out of Sweden indicated there in the 2007 CHL Import Draft. “I’m ex- SAVE UP TO $30 talented Swedish centre Mikael Back- was a rift between the 19-year-old and pecting to meet with Darryl sometime • “Positive Lock” handle lund will indeed join the B.C. Division the club, with Vasteras threatening to today and I haven’t talked with the • Welded inside & out for added club sometime this week. cut Backlund due to poor play. He has player at all. We haven't been involved strength Backlund, a first-round pick of the four goals and eight points in 17 games. in anything here out of respect for him. • Load must be off saddle column Calgary Flames, is considered one of Pedestrian on first glance, his stats “We took a risk when we drafted him before column can be lowered the best NHL prospects not playing in don’t tell the full story. Despite ex- and if it happens it would be great.” 1090554-3 ton North America. His addition would be celling in the playoffs with Vasteras last Backlund, 6-1, 190-pounds, scored Min. height: 11-1/4” similar to Mats Sundin joining the season, Backlund had his ice-time re- twice in Sweden's 5-3 semi-final victo- Max. height: 16-3/4” Canucks — only cheaper. In Backlund, duced this season, playing mostly on ry over Slovakia to earn a date with Wt. 15.2 lbs $ 99 Kelowna adds a big-bodied first-line the team’s third line. His reduced role is Canada in the gold medal game of Reg 24.99/pair SALE 18 centre to its roster for nothing. believed to be punishment for wanting Monday’s world junior finale. He was a 1090011-12 ton “We’re trying to figure everything to play in North America next season. member of the Swedish team that won Min. height: 20” out right now, the main issue is if Cal- Backlund, Barry, Flames GM Darryl silver at last year’s world juniors, scor- Max. height: 30” gary can properly recall him if neces- Sutter and Rockets president Bruce ing the game-winner in overtime in Wt. 70.0 lbs $ 99 sary,” said J.P. Barry, Backlund’s agent. Hamilton were to meet today to deter- their semi-final against Russia. Reg 129.99/pair SALE “Realistically, Calgary has the right to mine the future of the 24th overall pick Kelowna has until Saturday’s WHL 99 bring him to Calgary, Quad Cities (the in the 2007 NHL entry draft. trade deadline to sign the talented 651459 Flames’ AHL affiliate) or Kelowna. “We’re all going to get together after Swede. Kelowna (23-16-0-0) sits fourth WE ARE OPEN 3330 MASSEY DRIVE Probably the best situation for him to the tournament and make a final deci- in the Western Conference and trails

play a lot of games and a lot of minutes sion,” said Barry. “More than likely it the Giants (32-3-0-3) by 21 points for SALE STARTS TUESDAY JAN 6, 2009 6, JAN TUESDAY STARTS SALE SUNDAY UNTIL 6PM 250-563-3113 would be in Kelowna.” looks like that (joining the Rockets) top spot in the B.C. Division.