Former Blazers captain retires

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Ajay Baines, a former captain of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, has retired from professional hockey.
Baines said Friday night while watching his old team play the visiting Prince George Cougars that he decided over the summer that it was over.
“I’m not going to play,” said Baines, 31. “I had offers from Europe and I heard from a few AHL teams.
“I was going to say something earlier . . . but this is it.
“I’m fine with it. I really am.”
Baines, who is from Kamloops, is back living here. He said he plans on taking some correspondence courses via the Internet and also will work with his father, who owns rental properties.
“I’m coming off my best season in five years,” said Baines, who played last season with the Iowa Chops, an AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. “I had knee problems the season before, but I’m healthy now.
“I thought about it the whole summer but I didn’t want to make it too much of a deal.”
Baines admitted that he expects to “always miss it” but right now “I’m enjoying it as a fan.”
Baines played four seasons (1995-99) with the Blazers and is one of the franchise’s most popular all-time graduates. He played 10 seasons as a professional, one with the ECHL’s Greenville Grrrowl and the rest in the AHL. The highlight was in 2006-07, when he captained the Hamilton Bulldogs to the Calder Cup as AHL champions.
Baines even brought the Calder Cup back to Kamloops.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
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