Wednesday News Bits

Fort McMurray (AJHL), is 275 miles the other side of Edmonton (that is to say, WAY the Hell north)... It also happens to be the nearest civilization to the Alberta Tar Sands and with current crude price it's a boomtown. So much so, there is some consideration to replace the 1,800 seat Thickwood Heights Arena with a new 7,500 seat facility, perhaps as an overture to the WHL... Here's some more news on the effort to place a BCHL team in Wenatchee, WA and Dawson Creek... The funding for the 5,300 seat arena in Wenatchee is tied to a bill in the Washington State Legislature (pdf)... Two Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL), are expecting to be drafted by NHL teams this weekend... Gravenhurst (GMHL) pushing ahead with junior hockey plans... Michigan Tech adds a pair from Bozeman and Waterloo... USHL releases their schedule...