Coaches selected
The Canadian Hockey League announced the names of the coaches who will assist celebrity coaches Don Cherry and Bobby Orr in the 2000 Home Hardware CHL Top Prospects Game. Roger Dejoie of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, the Calgary Hitmen’ Dean Clark and Brian Kilrea of the Ottawa 67’s will serve as the coaches for the game that features 40 of the CHL’ top prospects for the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. The game will be played at Toronto’ Air Canada Centre on Wednesday, February 2 at 7:00 p.m.
Dejoie, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’ representative, is in his second season with the Titan. In 1998-99 Dejoie and his team captured the QMJHL championship and participated in the 1999 Memorial Cup. Dejoie is in his third season as a coach in the CHL and this will be his first appearance in a Top Prospects Game.
The Western Hockey League’ coach of the year in 1997-98, Clark is making his second consecutive appearance in the CHL Top Prospects Game. Clark led the Hitmen to the WHL title last season and was an assistant coach with Canada’ bronze medal team at the 2000 World Junior Hockey Championships. The Hitmen have been ranked as the top team in the CHL for the past nine consecutive weeks.
Brian Kilrea returns to the CHL Top Prospects Game for the fifth consecutive year. Kilrea was selected as the Coach of the All-Time CHL Team in 1999 and with 877 wins he leads all CHL coaches. Kilrea is a four-time winner of the Matt Leyden Trophy as the Ontario Hockey League’ Coach of the Year and he was selected as the CHL Coach of the Year in 1996-97. Kilrea led the 67’s to Memorial Cup titles in 1984 and 1999.
In the 2000 Home Hardware CHL Top Prospects Game Dejoie and Clarke will assist Hockey Hall of Fame member Bobby Orr behind the bench. Kilrea will join Don Cherry, the star of Coach’ Corner, for the fifth consecutive year. Orr and Cherry will be out to break the deadlock in the series. Last year in Calgary Orr’ squad posted a 4-3 to tie the series at two wins apiece. The teams will be selected at a 12 noon luncheon on Monday, January 31 at the Hot Stove Lounge in the Air Canada Centre.
