It’s late but I just got finished watching Game 1 of the NHL conference final between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. . . . The highlight, at least for me, was seeing Mike Hasenfratz as one of the two referees working the game. . . . Hasenfratz, one of my all-time favourite WHL referees, has come a long way since the 1998 Memorial Cup in Spokane during which he was informed by the NHL that it no longer was interested in having him as part of its development program. That spring was not kind to Hasenfratz as he also had to deal with the death of his mother. . . . He refused to take “no” for an answer, though, even if it did come from the NHL. He worked his way back into the NHL’s good graces and is in the eight-man rotation for the NHL’s conference finals. . . . Also in the rotation are WHL products Kelly Sutherland and Brad Watson. . . . It’s worth noting that Hasenfratz, at one time, was following his father, Tony, into the Regina police department. Hasenfratz also spent some time working as a private investigator. . . .
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The Philadelphia Flyers have signed Saskatoon Blades F Garrett Klotz to a three-year NHL contract. Klotz, 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, was a third-round pick in the 2007 NHL draft. In 160 games with the Blades, he has 10 points and 229 penalty minutes. He turns 20 on Nov. 27. . . . Klotz was one of those rare WHL specimens – a Regina native who found success in ‘Toontown. . . .
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The May 10 edition of The Globe and Mail includes an obituary for former WHL president Ed Chynoweth. It was written by Eric Duhatschek, a Calgary-based writer who was in attendance at Monday’s celebration of Chynoweth’s life. . . . It also is available here. . . .
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The Memorial Cup field has been finalized. The Gatineau Olympiques won the QMJHL title on Friday night, beating the host Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 7-3 to win the best-of-seven affair in five games. . . . The Olympiques have won three of the QMJHL’s last six titles. . . . Gatineau F Claude Giroux set a franchise record with 51 points in these playoffs. . . . The OHL will have two representatives – the Kitchener Rangers and Belleville Bulls. The Rangers, the host team, lead the championship series 3-2 going into Game 6 in Belleville on Saturday night. . . . The WHL will be represented by the Spokane Chiefs, who completed a four-game sweep of the Hurricanes in Lethbridge on Wednesday night. . . .
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You’ve got to wonder what the Pittsburgh Penguins’ management has against the Kamloops Blazers. When this season began, the Penguins had three players on their roster with ties to the Blazers, none of whom are still in Pittsburgh. C Erik Christensen, the last Kamloops player to win a WHL scoring championship, was dealt to the Atlanta Thrashers in an exchange that took F Marian Hossa to Pittsburgh. RW Mark Recchi, one of the Blazers’ five owners, was placed on waivers early in the season and ended up in Atlanta. D Darryl Sydor, also one of the Blazers’ owners, signed with the Penguins as a free agent last summer but has yet to dress for even one game in these playoffs. . . .
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On the topic of WHL owners, word is that goaltender Olaf Kolzig, who owns a chunk of the Tri-City Americans, has played his last game with the Washington Capitals. The first hint of that came following the game in which the Caps were eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kolzig took his nameplate off his locker before leaving the dressing room. . . . F Stu Barnes of the Dallas Stars, who also owns a chunk of the Americans, is out with a concussion, although he may get back in during the Western Conference final against the Detroit Red Wings. . . .
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Hope you’re enjoying the Memorial Cup history that has been available almost every day on this blog. If so, you’ll want to watch for the story on the 1953 Memorial Cup final. That series included the one and only Don Cherry. . . .
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Interesting matchup in the NHL’s western final between the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars. . . . Detroit head coach Mike Babcock, who played with the Saskatoon Blades and, yes, the Kelowna Wings, has WHL coaching experience with the Moose Jaw Warriors and Spokane Chiefs. Todd McClellan, Babcock’s lead assistant, played in the WHL with the Blades, and coached the Swift Current Broncos for six seasons before entering the pro ranks. . . . Detroit GM Ken Holland was a goaltender with the Medicine Hat Tigers, while assistant GM Jim Nill also played for the Tigers. . . . Dallas assistant coach Rick Wilson spent six seasons on the staff of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders and has been with the Stars since 1993-94. Also on Dave Tippett’s staff is Mark Lamb, who played in the WHL for the Billings Bighorns, Nanaimo Islanders and Medicine Hat Tigers. He is in his fifth season on the Stars’ coaching staff. As well, Andy Moog, who played goal for Billings, is the Stars’ goaltending coach and is involved in player development. . . . And let’s not forget that Les Jackson, who coached in the WHL with the Great Falls Americans and Brandon Wheat Kings, is one of the Stars’ two general managers. The other one half of the two-headed GM is Brett Hull. So we’ll leave you to figure out which one does the heavy lifting. . . .
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The Atlanta Thrashers are in the market for a head coach and the buzz in hockey circles is that their management wants to talk with Kitchener Rangers head coach Peter DeBoer. . . . The Thrashers’ players would like to see associate coach Brad McCrimmon, the former Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman, promoted to head coach. . . .
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Time out for a baseball question. . . . If Richie Sexson of the Seattle Mariners charges the mound after a high pitch that was right in the middle of the plate, what would he do were an opposing pitcher to throw behind him? . . .
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Don Dietrich was a fine defenceman during his career with the Brandon Wheat Kings. And if anyone has lived a life worth telling, it is this man from Deloraine, Man., who had two sons play in the WHL this season. The 47-year-old Dietrich has Parkinson’s disease and continues to fight cancer. . . And, yes, Dietrich has written a book, with help from his wife, Nadine, and writer Brad Bird. The book, No Guarantees, is available here. Check it out.
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