Summer Classic Audio: Drake, Quinn, Pogge, Mikkelson, Bennett

This is a picture of Rossland's Dallas Drake that I took at the Stanley Cup Celebration for him back in the summer of 2008. Drake was inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame in Penticton on the weekend. I had the chance to chat with him before and after the induction. I also was lucky enough to help broadcast the Penticton Summer Classic charity hockey game on Saturday. The game included the likes of Drake, Dany Heatley, Duncan Keith and Trail Smoke Eater Wade Bennett. Wade looked good out there and even stopped Heatley on the door step. Thanks to Ryan Pinder and everyone at the event for inviting me for a second straight year. I had a blast.

Here is some audio I got from the game:

Dallas Drake on Friday

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Dallas Drake on Saturday

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Pat Quinn

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Justin Pogge

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Meaghan Mikkelson

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Wade Bennett

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Here are a couple of photos of Wade from the game. Thanks to Beth Harding for sending them!

Drake to Retire? (Updated)

UPDATE: Drake and the Red Wings made it official this afternoon.

http://redwings.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=368431

DETROIT – After 15 grinding NHL seasons, Dallas Drake has heard the message that his aging 39-year-old body was telling him.

“I love the game as much as I ever have,” Drake said. “Mentally, I think I
really want to play, but my body has just gotten to the point where I just don’t
recover very well anymore and I don’t play up to a level that you become used to
playing, a physical level that I was used to playing. I think the years kind of
wore me out a little bit. You keep telling yourself to play as long as you can,
and I think I’ve done that.”

---

It looks like Rossland's Dallas Drake has played his final NHL game. He isn't making an announcement yet, but told Mountain FM it's almost a sure thing. Drake says he'll let the Red Wings make it official. He told me that winning the Stanley Cup is the best possible way to end his career. Drake has a one year old son and wants to spend a lot more time with his wife and all four of his children. The 16 year NHL veteran will parade with the Cup in Rossland on Wednesday. He'll be a guest on Mountain FM's Overtime Tuesday night.

"I'm pretty sure. There's probably going to be an announcement in
the next couple of days what I'm going to do. I'm just going to let the
Red Wings handle that though, I've talked to them. I've played a long time
now... 16 years. Being away from my family last year was hard, and I
won a Stanley Cup. That was something I always wanted to do. If I do
leave, which most likely that's going to be the case, then there's no better
way to end. I'd hate to come back and just not win again. It's so
hard to repeat. If you ask me Detroit's the favourite to win it again
next year. But I think it's time for me to sail off into the
sunset." - Dallas Drake

• Click here for the clip of Drake discussing possible retirement on Overtime

Rollheiser Interview

I'm still in Ottawa continuing my well earned vacation in the beautiful nation's capital. If you've never had a Beaver Tail you've got to try one. Hope you're enjoying Overtime with Jeff, I hear things are going well.

Mountain FM's Greg Nesteroff had a chance to talk to former Smokies goaltender Grant Rollheiser just a couple of hours after he was drafted over the weekend by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Trail's Co-MVP in 2007-08 is understandably thrilled, but still looking at things in a very practical way. You get the sense that the draft hadn't even sunk in by the time Greg talked to him.

CLICK HERE FOR THE INTERVIEW

I've had the chance to talk to him a bit myself since it all went down. The Leafs will be bringing Rollheiser a Toronto jersey with his name on it down to Boston University. I think that's a nice trophy for any drafted player. Clearly the journey isn't over, but this moment in and of itself is a giant accomplishment for any hockey player. Six players from the BCHL got drafted this season. Our league continues to develop more NHL and NCAA players than any Junior A league in Canada. Keep up the good work! Everyone in the BCHL should be proud of guys like Justin Schultz (Anaheim), Zac Dalpe (Carolina), Derek Grant (Ottawa), Taylor Stefishen (Nashville), Brett Hextall (Phoenix) and Rollheiser (Toronto).

I did an interview with a Hockey News Leafs blog on Rollheiser. You can check that out by clicking on this link. Pretty cool to see the Smoke Eaters name and Grant's name all around different spots of the internet.

Congrats again, Grant!

DRAKE

Just a note, Dallas Drake is bringing the Stanley Cup to Rossland for a parade on July 16th. Mountain FM is proud to be a part of this event that is being put together by Drake's family, the city and the local chamber. Hopefully many of you can come join us in Rossland that day to celebrate a wonderful achievement in a local man's life.

Talk to you all soon! Keep listening to Overtime with Jeff from 6pm to Midnight and to Mountain FM for your sports news every hour from 6am to 6pm.

More Trade Details and Audio! Audio! Audio!

Coach Jim Ingram called me again tonight to let me know there was more to the Trail/Merritt deal than originally reported. In addition to Cameron Brodie, the Smoke Eaters also gave up hard nosed 88 forward Brad Davis. In exchange, Trail gets skilled 88 forward Chad Gehon and defencemen Tyler Johns (89) and Shane Oatway (90).

Ingram waited on announcing the full deal so he could contact Davis directly. It's clear in talking to him that moving Davis was one of the last things the coach wanted to do. Brad was loved in the locker room and will do anything for his teammates. However, Merritt saw those same characteristics and made sure they got their man. The Centennials lost some serious skill, but they just became a lot tougher to play against. Cam Brodie and Brad Davis are going to punish road teams in that small barn.

I don't know a tremendous amount about Johns and Oatway. Johns is a 19 year old listed at 6' and 200 pounds. He apparently plays a solid game in his own zone with a physical element. He scored 11 points last year and 10 the season before so he's not going to put up huge numbers. Oatway is 6'1 and 180lbs at 18 years old. He scored 11 points in his rookie BCHL season. There should be room for him to grow and add some muscle there. Both guys hover at around 50 penalty minutes so they clearly aren't goons. Ingram likes the depth and size these guys bring to the Smokies. Hopefully they can help the team replace some of the things they lose with a talent like Brodie.

Interesting note about Gehon; he played Junior B hockey in the KIJHL with Smokies Captain Ryan Bulach. Playing on a line together in Sicamous in 05-06, Bulach put up 1.4 points per game while Gehon scored at 1.5 points per game clip. Kevin Walrod was also a part of a dangerous group of forwards that took Sicamous to the KIJHL title. Maybe Bulach and Gehon can find that magic together again.

Another question that will come out of this trade is how the Smokies will address toughness. Davis, Brodie and Patrick Martin probably accounted for 90% of Trail's fighting majors last year. With Brodie and Davis in Merritt who is going to pick up that slack? Ingram says he's got some irons in the fire on that front. He also believes they've added a lot of size and grit in their recruiting this off season. However, he is looking to bring in some tough guys to battle for a spot on the team.

This is the second trade Ingram has made with Merritt. The Smokies also sent Dylan Herold to the Cents as the future considerations for Kevin Koopman. There will be some familiar faces in the line-up when Trail takes on Merritt a early next season.

OVERTIME AUDIO

• New York Rangers Coach Tom Renney on the Smokies banquet, the Rangers and his history in Trail (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
• Smokies Goaltender Coach Pasco Valana on Grant Rollheiser's draft chances and his strengths (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
• Smokies Coach Jim Ingram on their trade with Merritt (Part 1, Part 2)
• New Smokies forward Chad Gehon on the trade from Merritt (Part 1)
• Smokies President Tom Gawryletz on the new schedule and the banquet/golf tournament weekend (Part 1, Part 2)
• New Smoke Eater Andrew Pickering discusses the trade from Victoria (Part 1, Part 2)
• New Smokies gaoltender Marco Raimondo discusses the trade from Cowichan Valley (Part 1, Part 2)
• Jim Ingram Interview (re: Andrew Pickering trade, re: Steve Ourosov to WHL, re: Stefan Decoss Div 3)
• Former NHLer from Trail, Ceasar Maniago dicusses the Smokies banquet on July 11th and his career (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
• Former NHLer from Nelson, Pat Price discusses the induction of his one time Oilers teammate Glenn Anderson into the Hockey Hall of Fame (Part 1, Part 2)
• Castlegar Rebels Coach Brent Heaven discusses Tony Johnston's return, retaining his coaching staff, a new deal with Selkirk College and players moving on (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
• Beaver Valley Nitehawks GM Terry Jones on their coaching change and new players (Part 1, Part 2)
• Trail's Travis St. Denis on U17 try outs and joining the Beaver Valley Nitehawks (Part 1, Part 2)
• Trail's Ashton Florko gets drafted by MLB's Chicago Cubs (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

NOTES

...Just received word that Dallas Drake will be bringing the Stanley Cup to Rossland on Wednesday, July 16th. Mark that down! There will apparently be a parade. I'll let you know when I hear more.

...From the BCHL website: "The Quesnel Millionaires Hockey Club transfer the playing rights of Tanner Hlookoff (88)(F) to the Souix Lookout Flyers Hockey Club of the SIJHL for future considerations." Hlookoff is a West Kootenay native so the SIJHL is a long way from home. Hopefully he finds a good place there.

...No Dalpe in the first round. That surprises me a little given what I think is his enormous potential. Someone will have a nice pick in the second round that's for sure. Consider the leaps he's made from Junior B in Ontario to the World Jr A Challenge gold and a BCHL championship. That shot could make him famous.

...A lot of trades in the NHL today. Most of them felt like minimal impact moves. We'll see. Tanguay to the Habs sure seems to limit their hopes of landing a big name free agent this summer, but at least they have someone.

...Everyone cross your fingers for Grant Rollheiser. Lets hope he gets picked up tomorrow. That being said, being a free agent at the end of his college career wouldn't be a bad thing necessarily. You can pick the right fit in that case. We'll see what happens. For those at Boston U who were wondering about Rollheiser's talents the audio above with Pasco Valana gets into it. I'll make a seperate post later.

...Another reminder that if you want tickets to the banquet you can get them at Re-Max All Pro Realty, AM Ford and Gerick Cycle. Get on that fast because you don't want to miss this. Brian Burke, Tom Renney, Ceasar Maniago, Danny Gare, Harold Snepts, Pat Price, the list goes on and on!

...Season tickets on sale Monday!

...With Decosse getting a Div 3 scholarship we're now up to seven guys from last year's team locking up spots to play at school. That's a great compliment to the organization and mostly to the players and young men themselves. Great job guys and good luck at the next stage of your lives. College goes by way too fast so enjoy it.

...I'm going on holidays for a couple of weeks and Jeff Sargeant will be filling in. He'll keep you up to date on everything in local sports and everything Smokies related. I should still be able to put a couple of posts up here when I'm away though.