D Brett Palin (Kelowna, 2000-05) signed a one-year contract with Chomutov (Czech Republic, 1.Liga). He had four goals and 14 assists in 80 games with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) last season.
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Glen Hanlon, the red-headed former WHL goaltender known throughout the hockey world as ‘Carrot,’ has signed a two-year contract to work as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Giants.Hanlon, who lives with his family in Point Roberts, Wash., has worked as a professional coach since 1995, says he was interested in the Vancouver opportunity for family reasons.
Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun has the story right here.
According the Giants, they are the only team in the CHL to have two former NHL head coaches on their coaching staff.
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Hanlon, 54, played three seasons (1974-77) with his hometown Brandon Wheat Kings. In 1976-77, he went 49-7-7 and that may well be the WHL single-season record for single-season victories by a goaltender.
It was while he was with the Wheat Kings that Hanlon was involved in a scrap with F Rocky Saganiuk of the Lethbridge Broncos.
Legend has it that Saganiuk, who may have been 5-foot-8 at the time, ran Hanlon. When none of his teammates rode to his rescue, Hanlon took matters into his own hands.
That led to Brandon head coach Dunc McCallum blasting his charges for not backing up the goaltender. What made things especially bad, McCallum said, was that Hanlon had been hit by a guy who was “a foot shorter than a duck.”
That type of thing never happened again during McCallum’s reign with the Wheat Kings.
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THE COACHING GAME: Dave Cameron and Mark Reeds, who opposed each other as head coaches in the 2011 Memorial Cup, have been named assistant coaches with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. Cameron was with the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, while Reeds was head coach of the Owen Sound Attack. . . . Paul MacLean, a former Detroit Red Wings assistant coach, is the new head coach in Ottawa. . . . Former Tri-City Americans assistant coach Terry Virtue is an assistant in Owen Sound. Attack GM Dale DeGray has told Bill Walker of the Owen Sound Sun Times that he considers Virtue a candidate to replace Reeds. “I think we have a tremendous candidate in Terry Virtue, there’s no question,” DeGray told Walker. “We'll go through the process because quite honestly, you don't know what you're going to get as far as applicants who might be interested. I would be doing a disservice to the organization if I didn't look at applications." . . . The OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs have added two goaltending coaches to their staff in former NHL G Curtis Joseph and David Franco. Franco has coached goaltenders for more than 20 years and included Joseph among those he has tutored. . . . Jim Midgley, who was head coach of the New Brunswick at the 2011 Canada Winter Games, has joined the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads as an assistant coach. He has QMJHL experience as an assistant coach with the Saint John Sea Dogs.
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The U of Lethbridge Pronghorns have landed former WHL goaltenders James Reid and Dylan Tait. Reid, who played three seasons with the Spokane Chiefs, was the WHL Western Conference’s nominee as goaltender of the year. Tait, who is from Lethbridge, played last season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Pronghorns starter Scott Bowles is heading into his final season of eligibility. . . . F Todd Robinson (Portland, 1994-99) has signed a two-year contract with the Central league’s Evansville IceMen. Robinson, 33, put up 99 points in 62 games with the Central league’s Odessa Jackalopes last season. He is one of the most prolific scorers in minor pro history. Former Portland head coach Rich Kromm is Evansville’s GM and head coach. . . . Former Red Deer Rebels assistant coach Dallas Gaume is the new general manager of the Red Deer Minor Hockey Association. gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
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