Thursday . . .

Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun spent some time in Red Deer with New Jersey Devils head coach Brent Sutter the other day. Originally, Jones’ mission was to see if he might get Sutter to at least hint at being interested in the then-vacant head-coaching position with the Oilers. Later that same day, the Oilers hired Pat Quinn as head coach and Tom Renney as associate coach. . . . But if you read Jones’ column you are left wondering why Sutter is in New Jersey and not in Red Deer. You can read it right here.
———
According to Joe Pelletier’s Greatest Hockey Legends (there’s a link over there on the left), former Medicine Hat Tigers F Darren Helm set an NHL record when he scored in OT for the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night. That was Helm’s fifth NHL playoff goal; he has yet to score in 23 regular-season games. Helm had shared the record (most playoff goals before scoring in the regular season) with Eddie (Spider) Mazur, who scored two goals for the Montreal Canadiens in the 1952 playoffs and two more in 1953 before cracking their roster in 1953-54. Mazur, in fact, played 14 playoff games over three springs before getting into a regular-season game with the Habs. . . . I got to know Spider a bit in the mid-1970s while working at the Winnipeg Tribune. He was with Molson at the time — a lot of hockey players worked as brewery reps in the offseason in those days — and was one of the really good guys on the Winnipeg sporting scene.
———
THE COACHING GAME: The Portland Winter Hawks have signed Tyler Love as goaltending coach. Love, who played in the WHL (Moose Jaw, Prince George and Saskatoon, 1993-97), is a co-owner and instructor with the World Pro Goaltending School in Calgary. He has worked with numerous well-know goaltenders, including Chris Mason, Carey Price and Jason LaBarbera. . . . Dean Blais, the head coach of hte USHL’s Fargo Force, will be the head coach of the U.S. entry at the 2010 world junior championship. USA Hockey made the announcement Thursday. The tournament, to be held in Regina and Saskatoon, runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. Blais, who spent 10 years as head coach of the U of North Dakota Fighting Sioux, was saluted as the USHL’s coach of the year for 2008-09. He took the expansion Force all the way to the Clark Cup final, where it lost the best-of-five final in four games to the Indiana Ice.
———
JUST NOTES: The Edmonton Oilers have signed Calgary Hitmen D Alex Plante to a three-year NHL contract. Plante was selected 15th overall in the NHL’s 2007 draft. Plante, who turned 20 on May 9, has spent four years with the Hitmen. . . . The USHL has approved the sale of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders from Mercantile Capital Partners I.L.P. to Newco Riders, LLC. Jeff Jauch, the son of former CFL head coach Ray Jauch, is the president and CEO of Newco Riders, LLC. Ray Jauch was once an assistant football coach at the U of Iowa under the legendary Forest Evashevski. Jeff Jauch and GM/head coach Mark Carlson, who signed a 10-year contract, are the group’s managing partners. Included on Newco’s advisory board are Mark Chipman, the chairman and governor of the AHL's Manitoba Moose; former pro defenceman Rory Cava, president of the Lakehead U Thunderwolves; former NHLer Doug Smail; and, Doug Ploen, the president of D/P Film and Video. I’ve got to think that Ploen is related to Ken Ploen, the former Winnipeg Blue Bombers' quarterbacking great who once played at Iowa.
———
It’s no secret that the newspaper business is searching to find its way in this Internet universe in which we now live and operate. But if you’re wondering what it was like in the glory days of this business, take a look at this gem from the late Jim Murray, who was a columnist with the Los Angeles Times. They don’t come any better than this.
It’s your lucky day, because here’s another Murray column, and, yes, it’s another great one. They were all great.
While you're there, please free to make a donation to the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation.