Friday, May 25, 2007

Making Hay to get back in NHL/ Could Luke's Bro be Kelowna Bound?

While everyone is focusing on the benefits of what a Memorial Cup appearance brings for a junior player, having led a team to the final four can't hurt the coaching resume either.
Which brings us to the future of Vancouver Giants head skipper Don Hay.
Hay is a quality coach and has proven without a shadow of a doubt he deserves another opportunity at the NHL level.

Hay is no stranger to the pro's with stints as an assistant with Anaheim, Phoenix and Calgary while having guided the Coyotes as a head coach in 1996 and again with the Flames in 2001.
Hay has to be considered for a pro job next season meaning his days are numbered behind the Giants bench.
Job openings in Columbus and now Tampa Bay may be just what Hay is looking for as he moves back into the NHL as an assistant.

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It looks like the Saskatoon Blades are set to bid for the 2010 Memorial Cup.
Owner Jack Brodsky is more interested in hosting the four team tournament than the World Junior Hockey Championships.
The last time the Blades hosted the M.C was in 1989, and what a tournament it was. Ok I am biased here by basking in the glow of the Swift Current Broncos win in overtime against the Marcel Comeau coached Saskatoon Blades.
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I can hear it now!
"Luke passes it to Brayden - Brayden back to Luke who joins the attack , he shoots and scoresssssss".
Could Luke Schenn and his younger brother Brayden be teammates with the Kelowna Rockets in the near future?
Word out of Brandon is the Wheat Kings are having a problem coaxing Luke's younger brother to join the Wheat Kings next season.
The Wheat Kings made Brayden Schenn the clubs first round bantam pick in the 2006 WHL bantam draft yet Schenn has hinted he would either like to play in Kelowna with his brother or play in his hometown of Saskatoon.
The Wheat Kings website had a press release Thursday outlining prospects that will attend a camp this weekend and Schenn's name is no where to be found.
If Brayden would join the Rockets, it would mark the 6th time brothers have played for the organization.
The McLeod's - Cuthbert's - Ferguson's - Deschamps' and Bloodoff's have worn a Rockets uniform.
Only the McLeod and Bloodoff brothers have worn the jersey as teammates though.
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The radio phone in shows in Vancouver are buzzing with the boredom the Western Hockey League had on display Wednesday night at the Memorial Cup in the Medicine Hat Tigers 1-0 win over Vancouver.
It was defense-first type of hockey against two teams that can light it up and entertain, but with so much on the line believe that keeping the cards close to their chest gives them a better chance of winning.
Wednesday's game was boring, but if you speak to someone who called the game you will likely get a different opinion.
Which brings me to my point about watching a hockey game as a spectator and calling a game as a broadcaster.
When you are calling the game you are so enthralled and focused on what is happening that you often mistake what you perceive as a good game for one as a spectator which is bland and boring.
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I got it in the mail yesterday.
An invite to the wedding of my former color analyst on Swift Current Bronco broadcasts Everett Hindley.
After living in sin for so many years he's decided to make it official this summer.
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A great quote from former NHL'er Basil McRae.
"Fifty percent of the game is mental and the other fifty percent is being mental. I've got that part down no problem".

2 comments:

Rod Pedersen said...

Regarding the interviews, believe it or not Regan football players aren't too bad. It DOES depend on whom you're interviewing and what outlet you're representing.

If you're doing the interview for The Score, they jump at it to get the national exposure whereas if you're doing it for local radio they are less than enthusiastic.

But I've never had any problems with football players.

I'm having more of a problem in recent years with the junior hockey players. A lot of them try to 'big time' me on their way to talk to their agents or whatever.

The WHL player has changed immensely in the time I've been in the league (going on 15 years).

Regan Bartel said...

I would assume the football players (mature athlete) would be better to talk to but find it interesting that some junior players are becoming less accessable.
I've hear stories about Ty Wishart in PG and Ian White in Swifty who both thought they were to big for local radio.