D Clinton Atkinson (Moose Jaw, Tri-City, 2008-11) signed a one-year contract with Miskolci Jegesmedve (Hungary, MOL Liga). He had nine goals and 50 assists in 60 games with Coquitlam Express (BCHL) last season. The new head coach in Miskolc is Tim Kehler, who was GM and head coach of Salmon Arm (BCHL) the past two seasons and was an assistant coach in Swift Current for three seasons prior to moving to Salmon Arm.
———
Something is rotten in Innsbruck.
So writes John Leake in what is, in fact, an additional chapter to the already published book Cold a Long Time: An Alpine Mystery.
If you are a regular here, you will recall that a short time ago I highly recommended Leake’s book, which deals with the disappearance of former Saskatoon Blades D Duncan MacPherson and the subsequent trials and tribulations with which his parents, Lynda and Bob, had to deal as they sought the truth about what had happened to their son.
With this piece — Something is rotten in Innsbruck — Leake revisits three other cases, each of which involved a body and each of which also involved Dr. Walter Rabl, the president of the Austrian Society of Forensic Medicine.
Lynda and Bob MacPherson dealt quite a lot with Dr. Rabl who, as Leake found out once he began looking into the situation, wasn’t nearly everything he had pretended to be.
Read this right here and you will agree that, yes, something is rotten in Innsbruck. Really, really rotten. And if you haven’t yet read the book, do so. You won’t be disappointed.
———
THE COACHING GAME:
Rob Miller is the new head coach of the Augusta RiverHawks of the Southern Professional Hockey League. He takes over from Brad Ralph, who now is head coach of the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. . . . Miller, 33, spent the last two seasons as head coach of the Federeal league’s Brooklyn Aviators. . . .
Marc Crawford is leaving the TSN studio to go back behind the bench. He has signed on as head coach of the ZSC Lions, who play out of Zurich in the Swiss National League A. He most recently coached in the NHL with the Dallas Stars, who dropped him after the 2010-11 season. . . . Crawford replaces Bob Hartley, who left the Lions to take over as head coach of the NHL’s Calgary Flames.
———
Now here is a giant can of worms. . . .
Jacob Trouba was the ninth overall selection in last month’s NHL draft. He was taken by the Winnipeg Jets.
Trouba was a third-round selection by the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL’s 2010 draft.
Trouba, meanwhile, has said he will attend the U of Michigan and play for the Wolverines.
Recently, however, there have been reports that Trouba is wavering and that he may join the Rangers.
On Monday, Matt Slovin of The Michigan Daily reported that a source has told him that “Kitchener has presented the Trouba family with a ‘huge offer’ that remains on the table. The source added that he ‘believes it will happen.’ ”
According to Slovin, “In place of an education package, the source said Trouba could be compensated to about $200,000.”
Slovin’s piece is right here.
———
F Marek Tvrdon of the Vancouver Giants has signed with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. He was a fourth-round selection in the NHL’s 2011 draft. A natural scorer, Tvrdon, 19, had 74 points, including 31 goals, with the Giants last season. In 2010-11, he had 11 points in 12 games when a shoulder injury brought his season to an end. Tvrdon is from Nitra, Slovakia.
———
Brent Sutter has been an NHL head coach for the last five seasons. Right now, however, he is unemployed. Should that continue into the 2012-13 season, Sutter says he will help out with the management side of the Red Deer Rebels, the WHL franchise that he and his family own.
“We’ve always had good people in place here and I’m going to help Jesse (Wallin, the Rebels’ GM and head coach) out with the management part,” Sutter told Greg Meachem, the sports editor of the Red Deer Advocate.
Sutter also told Meachem that the time has come for the Rebels “to get back on board as far as making the playoffs” and “back to being a elite team in the league.”
Meachem’s story is right here.
———
He’s 47 years old and estimates that he was knocked unconscious about 100 times during his football career.
John Glennon of The Tennessean has more right here.
———
Howie Meeker was in Vernon, B.C., the other day and had some interesting things to say to Kevin Mitchell of the Vernon Morning Star.
On the L.A. Kings winning the Stanley Cup: “I was kind of delighted they won. I was disappointed that the Canadian clubs weren’t in there until the end. I think what they’ve done is really changed the whole history of the game. Defence now comes way, way ahead of offence.”
On skill versus size: “Here in Canada and the rest of the world, we’re not developing enough skilled hockey players to sell the game on speed, skill and finesse. So, if I draft anywhere after 10, I don’t get anything but big, tough, hard-working, honest guys. They’ve taken over.”
On shot-blocking coming to dominate the game: “An ant couldn’t crawl through (the scrums in front). Guys are making millions of dollars a year by being a target in a shootin’ gallery. God bless ’em. They’re crazy but it’s spoiled the game.”
On Don Cherry: “Nobody can give him advice so as long as he wants to stay there, let him stay there. I don’t watch him. I admire him for what he does. He’s got a circus act going, him and his buddy (Ron MacLean) and he’s got a great following but I wanna know what’s going on out on the ice, I don’t wanna know about his buddies and all this other baloney. I don’t think he’s done anything for the game of hockey, but he’s done well for himself.”
Mitchell’s complete story is right here.
There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
Posts
