The Regina Pats have selected an assistant coach to work with head coach Curtis Hunt. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post is reporting that that Pats and Shaun Sutter are finalizing a two-year deal and his hiring could be announced as soon as Monday. Sutter, who doesn’t have any coaching experience, is the son of Brian Sutter.
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Rich Kromm, the former head coach of the Calgary Hitmen and Portland Winter Hawks, is back in the coaching game. He has been hired as head coach of the IHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks. Kromm previously coached in Muskegon with the Fury (1998-2001). Kromm replaces Bruce Ramsay, who left to take over as coach of the Central league’s Tulsa Oilers. Kromm, 45, was replaced as head coach of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks early last season when the franchise went through an ownership change.
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JUST NOTES: The OHL’s Sudbury Wolves have signed D Kristoff Kontos, the 38th overall selection in the OHL’s 2009 draft. He is the son of former NHLer Chris Kontos, who also played for the Wolves. . . . The Kalamazoo Wings have left the IHL and become the 30th franchise in the ECHL. The K-Wings are heading into their 36th season as a hockey franchise. The best quote involving the switch came from Kalamazoo GM Wade Welsh. When asked by Pam Shebest of the Kalamazoo Gazette about what’s involved in making the jump from one league to another, he replied: “Our owner stands by the adage that stuff like that is what lawyers get paid for, so we'll let the lawyers battle the lawyers. We're moving forward and not focusing on that aspect."