Daily Dose

Daily Dose of the DUB: WHLers become WJC leadership group, Paetsch retires and more

Written by Paul Figler on

WHLers earn all three leadership positions with Team Canada

With Kirby Dach leading the team and Bowen Byram and Dylan Cozens serving as assistants, Team Canada has gone with a full leadership compliment of WHLers. Dach played the entire 2019-20 season with the Chicago Blackhawks. Byram (Colorado Avalanche) and Cozens (Buffalo Sabres) will be using the opportunity to make an impression on their NHL clubs before the start of NHL Training Camps. Both are returnees to Team Canada’s U20 team.

10 positive tests among teams at 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship bubble

With eight German players and two staff from Sweden returning positive COVID-19 tests while in the bubble, the two teams will need to be quarantined. Team Germany will be in quarantine until December 24th and Team Sweden until December 21st. Changes will need to be made to the pre-tournament games but it is currently expected that the tournament will go on as scheduled.

Skapski joins BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs coaching staff

Mackenzie Skapski (141GP, 74-52-7, 2.81GAA, .909sv% with Kootenay ’10-’14) has been hired as the goaltending coach for the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs. Skapski enjoyed five seasons of professional hockey, reaching hockey’s pinnacle for two games with the New York Rangers in 2014-15. His last season, 2018-19, was spent playing for HKM Zvolen of Slovakia’s top professional league. This is his first coaching position at any level.

Nathan Paetsch hangs up the skates

Nathan Paetsch (258GP, 48G, 164A with Moose Jaw ’98-’03) has called it a career following a 17-year professional career. Paetsch played 167 NHL games and 651 AHL games as well as 52 games in one DEL season. Twice Paetsch won a silver medal at the IIHF World Junior Championships and he also won two Calder Cup Championships with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Howden signs with Malmo Redwings

Quinton Howden (244GP, 111G, 128A with Moose Jaw ’07-’12) has signed with the Malmo Redwongs of the SHL. Last season the Winnipeg, MB product split between Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod and Vityaz Podolsk of the KHL, scoring 11 goals and adding nine assists in 55 games. The 28-year-old forward has 97 games of NHL experience, an Olympic games bronze medal, as well as a silver and bronze medal from the IIHF World Junior Championships.

Benson returns from loan with GCK Lions

Tyler Benson (190GP, 61G, 123A with Vancouver ’13-’18) has been returned to the Edmonton Oilers organization following a loan assignment with the GCK Lions of the Swiss League. In 15 games, Benson scored twice and added 17 assists. Benson will be heading to Oilers training camp in hopes of adding to his seven games on the team’s roster last season.

Shayne Harper signs with Brynas IF

Shane Harper (335GP, 100G, 114A with Everett ’05-’10) has signed with Brynas IF of the SHL. Harper has already played two seasons in the SHL, both with Orebro HK. Harper has also played 14 games in the NHL, 398 in the AHL and 63 in the ECHL.

Roman moves from Liiga to Czech League

Ondrej Roman (174GP, 29G, 112A ith Spokane ’06-’09) has signed with HC Dynamo Pardubice after starting the season with Ilves of Liiga in Finland. The Ostrava, CZE native returns to the Czech league after just 12 games with Ilves. Last season with HC Vitkovice Roman scored 14 goals and added 19 assists in 45 games. Roman won a bronze medal at the 2005-06 U18 World Championships and the Ed Chynoweth Cup and Memorial Cup with the Chiefs in 2007-08.

Three former WHLers make Birmingham Bulls Training Camp roster

Alec Baer (342GP, 86G, 101A with Vancouver, Lethbridge, and Kootenay ’12-’18), Logan Nelson (179GP, 60G, 99A with Victoria ’11-’14), and Mackenzie Dwyer (35GP, 1G, 3A with Saskatoon and Everett ’13-17) have been added to the Birmingham Bulls (SPHL) training camp roster. Nelson has spent the last six seasons playing in the ECHL with eight different teams. Baer has spent the last four seasons split between the ECHL and SPHL. Dwyer spent last season with the Steinbach Huskies of the Carillon Senior Hockey League.

Bethune on Macon Mayhem Training Camp roster

Jared Bethune (276GP, 65G, 110A with Prince George ’14-’18) has been added to the training camp roster of the SPHL’s Macon Mayhem. Bethune spent the last two seasons with Queen’s University, scoring 12 times and adding 21 assists in 52 games.