Laick (Moose Jaw, Seattle, 2000-03) has been nominated for a prestigious award — Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year.
Last spring, while on the way home after a Game 7 loss to the visiting Montreal
Canadiens, Laich stopped to help when he noticed a car with a flat tire on the side of a freeway.It turned out that the car belonged to a Capitals fan who was on the way home from the game.
In nominating Laich, Michael Farber of Sports Illustrated wrote: "Many of the men and women who have earned the award have changed their sports, their communities and sometimes even the world. This year there should be consideration for a man who changed a tire."
The winner is scheduled to be announced on Nov. 30.
Other nominees: Pitcher Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies, LPGA star Lorena Ochoa, Alabama Crimson Tide QB Greg McElory and the Butler University men’s basketball team.
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Former WHLer Jonathan Milhouse (Everett, 2005-07) made his professional debut with the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings in a 3-2 victory over the visiting Idaho Steelheads on Tuesday. F Mark Derlago (Brandon, 2003-07), playing his eighth game, scored his eighth goal of the young season for Idaho in that one. That gave him a share of the league lead. . . . F David Toews (high ankle sprain) may return to the Brandon Wheat Kings’ lineup tonight as they meet the visiting Spokane Chiefs. Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reports that Toews, who hasn’t played in a month, skated Thursday on a line with Mike Ferland and Scott Glennie. . . . The Wheat Kings also will have F Jens Meilleur (broken hand), D Ryley Miller (jaw, concussion) and F Shayne Wiebe (leg) available tonight. . . . However, Brandon has had illness in its dressing room and F Hampus Gustafsson and D Eric Roy didn’t practise Thursday. . . . One of the WHL’s best rivalries resumes tonight as the Moose Jaw Warriors visit the Regina Pats. Regina will be without F Andrew Rieder (shoulder), while the Warriors are listing F Joey Kornelson (shoulder) and F Brendan Rowinski (knee) as day-to-day. Rowinski, a 30-goal man last season, had major knee surgery over the offseason and is getting awfully close to returning. . . . This also is the first meeting between Moose Jaw and Regina since the Pats hired former Warriors general manager Chad Lang as their GM. . . . Regina hasn’t played since absorbing an 11-1 beating at the hands of the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Saturday night. . . . And, yes, the teams will meet again Saturday, this time in the Crushed Can. . . . Rowinski just may return to the Moose Jaw lineup on Saturday. . . . Spokane F Levko Koper had six points, including two goals, in that Saturday victory. The last Chiefs player to enjoy a six-point game? F Ned Lukacevic had three goals and three assists in a 7-4 victory over the visiting Portland Winterhawks on Dec. 15, 2004. . . . Spokane F Anthony Bardaro, who had 11 points in 63 games last season, is enjoying a six-game point streak. He has all four of his goals and seven of his nine assists over his last six games. . . . The Saskatoon Blades have assigned D Davis Vandane, 18, to the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers, while moving F Austin Daae, 17, to an as-yet-unnamed junior A team. . . . F Joel Ridgeway (Tri-City, Portland, 2006-10) of the Selkirk Steelers is the MJHL’s RBC player of the month. He put up 26 points, including 13 goals, in his first 18 games.———
The Saskatoon Blades introduced their Canadian tuxedo jerseys earlier this week. They certainly have been getting a lot of publicity, which can only be a good thing. And what kind of reaction has there been to the jerseys with the denim look. Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix checks that out right here.———
F Brendan Shinnimin of the Tri-City Americans is nearing the end of his 12-game suspension. You will recall that he was disciplined after a hit from behind on F Josh Nicholls of the Saskatoon Blades. Shinnimin will be eligible to return Nov. 13 when the Americans play the Chiefs in Spokane. . . . And what of Nicholls? He wasn’t seriously injured but it took him a few games to get back into the swing of things. Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star has that story right here.
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Eddie Litzenberger, who played in two Memorial Cups with the Regina Pats, died on Monday. He was 78. . . . His name is one of the magic ones and he captain the Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks in 1960-61. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has the Litzenberger story right here.———
Patrick Roy’s Quebec Remparts are the best team in the QMJHL to this point in the season and just may be the top club in the 60-team CHL. Roy, never one to say “No comment,” is in the headlines again after being somewhat critical of former
Drummondville Voltigeurs head coach Guy Boucher, who now is the head coach of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. Roy was critical of the defensive style of game coached by Boucher when he was in the QMJHL. Needless to say, there has been plenty of reaction. . . . Stephanie Myles, writing in the Montreal Gazette, noted that former NHL coach Bob Hartley, had a couple of good lines on a Montreal radio station. “I hope Patrick doesn’t light his barbecue too often because when he does, the entire province goes up in flames,” Hartley joked. . . . Hartley also noted: “And Patrick will never have an ulcer, because whatever he has in his gut, he lets it out.” . . . Myles’ complete story is right here and it’s a good read.gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
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