MEMORIAL CUP FLASHBACK: 1987 CHAMPIONSHIP PART 1
Medicine Hat, AB — The Medicine Hat Tigers have been privileged to have raised the Memorial Cup twice in their franchise history and it came on back to back occasions, making the Tigers the only Alberta based team to have accomplished the feat, ultimately being entered in the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. Friday night will mark the opening of the 2016 edition of the annual tournament which honors the men and women in the armed forces.
In Part 1 of this feature we take a look at half of the 1987 Champion roster and where they are today!
1987 Championship Roster
Ron Bonora
Bonora came to the Tigers in his final year of eligibility after playing 2 full seasons with the Calgary Wranglers prior to joining the club. Bonora had productive years with the Wranglers collecting 116 points in 142 games. In the only season with the Tabbies, Bonora put up 64 points, a career high, along with a career best 31 goals playing all 72 games. Bonora was key in the playoffs providing depth scoring, chipping in with 11 points in 20 playoff games and had 4 points in 5 games at the Memorial Cup, capping off a great career.
Ron is currently a scout for the Swift Current Broncos. Bonora never played any professional hockey after his WHL career and now resides in Northern Alberta.
Tigers Career: 72GP/31G/33A/64PTS/91PIM
Neil Brady
Brady joined the Tigers during the 1985 playoffs, appearing in 3 games as a 17 year old rookie before playing a full season for the 1985-86 campaign. Brady did not disappoint the Tigers organization as he came into the WHL recording 81 points, including 60 assists as a rookie, Brady also chipped in with 20 points in 21 playoff games that season.
In the summer of 1986, the New Jersey Devils made Brady the 3rd overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft. The following season Brady set new career highs with 83 points and 64 assists in just 57 games on route to the WHL Championship and a Memorial Cup Championship.
In the 1987-88 season Brady’s numbers dipped, however he was apart of the same core of players who won the Memorial Cup, putting up 51 points in 61 games. Brady is known as one of the handful of Tigers who were back to back champions.
After his Tigers career Brady played with the Devils AHL team in Utica, before making a 19 game appearance in 1989, recording 5 points in those games. Brady couldn’t stick at the NHL level in New Jersey despite 96 and 42 point seasons in the AHL and later was traded to the expansion Ottawa Senators. Brady made history in his first full season with the Sens, scoring the first goal in franchise history.
Brady’s NHL career would end after a 5 game stint in 1993-94 with the Dallas Stars, finishing his career with 6 different clubs in the IHL. Neil now resides in Calgary.
Tigers Career: 190GP/56G/159A/215PTS/340PIM
Dean Chynoweth
Chynoweth came to the Tigers on a 2 game stint as a 17 year old in 1984-85 season before playing his first full season a year later. Chynoweth was a bruising defenceman in the WHL, never once in 3 full seasons dipping below the 200 penalty minute mark. Not known for his offensive game, Chynoweth still managed to record back to back 22 point seasons. Dean was captain in 1988, the club who captured their second consecutive Memorial Cup.
Chynoweth’s mean streak caught the eye of the New York Islanders as the NHL club selected him with the 13th overall pick in 1987. Dean finished his Tiger career after winning back to back Memorial Cups and made his way to Long Island to join the NHL club soon after.
For four and a half seasons Chynoweth split time in the AHL and NHL with the Islanders, recording his best season on Long Island in 1993 when he played in 39 games, recording 4 points and amassing 122 penalty minutes. During the 1995-96 season, Chynoweth made his way to the Boston Bruins via trade and played in a NHL career high 57 games for the Bruins.
His rough and tough style of game however resulted in 13 on-ice concussions, prematurely ending Chynoweth’s career in 1998 at the prime age of 28.
Post hockey, Chynoweth has made a name for himself in the coaching ranks, having taken over the Seattle Thunderbirds and Swift Current Broncos head coaching jobs in the WHL starting in the 2000-01 season. Chynoweth headed back to the team that drafted him in 2009 when he was named an assistant coach of the Islanders, a title he held for 3 seasons before taking the Head Coach position with the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL.
Chynoweth recently was the Head Coach of the San Antonio Rampage this season, but was just relieved of his duties.
Tigers Career: 202GP/7G/52A/59PTS/559PIM
Rob DiMaio
DiMaio had a four-year junior career, which began at age 16 with the Kamloops Blazers in 1984, his rookie season he showed his potential, despite being smaller in stature recording 27 points in 55 games. DiMaio would play 6 games the following season with the Blazers before coming over to the Tigers via trade as the Tabbies sent 2 prospects the Blazers way.
In his draft year, DiMaio averaged exactly a point a game, scoring 27 goals and 43 assists for 70 points in 70 games. His 130 minutes in penalties showed he was willing to mix it up with the bigger players if need be, and being a major contributor in winning the Memorial Cup didn’t hurt his big-league aspirations, either. As a 19-year-old in his final year of junior, DiMaio put together a season of 47 goals and 44 assists for 91 points and, along with 17-year-old Trevor Linden, was a big reason why the Tigers were able to repeat as Memorial Cup champs, where he was named MVP of the tournament.
Rob DiMaio was selected 118th overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders and suited up for the club during the 1988-89 season, appearing in 16 games, scoring his first career goal just 5 nights after his debut. DiMaio would finally play full time in the NHL during the 1991-92 season suiting up in 50 games, recording 7 points.
DiMaio would bounce between the Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars over an 894 game NHL career.
Tigers Career: 179GP/94G/116A/210PTS/332PIM
Rocky Dundas
Dundas was a late addition to the Tabbies from the Spokane Chiefs in the 1986-87 season as he was acquired via trade after spending 4 seasons split with the Chiefs and Kelowna Wings. Dundas was coming off of a 101 point season in 1985 as the Tigers sent 19 year old goaltender Troy Gamble back to Spokane in the deal.
Dundas did not disappoint the Tigers brass as Dundas would go on to record 46 points in 29 games and collect another 12 points in 20 games during the post season. In the Memorial Cup Dundas would record 2 assists in the 5 games, on his way to the championship.
Rocky was selected in the 3rd Round, 47th overall by the Montreal Canadiens as a member of the Kelowna Wings. After his Championship winning season, Dundas joined the Canadiens organization, playing 2 seasons before signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1989.
Dundas was unable to crack the NHL roster, appearing in just 5 games with the Leafs, unable to record a point. Dundas left the game of hockey following the season and now resides in Toronto.
Tigers Career: 29GP/22G/24A/46PTS/63PIM
Mark Fitzpatrick
Kelly Hitchins
Hitchins was just in his 2nd season in the WHL when he was apart of the Memorial Cup Champion squad. Hitchins was acquired from the Brandon Wheat Kings after the Troy Gamble trade to Spokane to acquire Rocky Dundas and Keith Van Rooyen.
Hitchins played in 17 games as he backed up All-Star and goaltender of the year award recipient Mark Fitzpatrick during the postseason. Hitchins would record a tidy 3.84 GAA with the Tigers.
Medicine Hat would then trade the netminder to the Swift Current Broncos the following season as Hitchins would return to the Wheat Kings to finish his WHL career. Hitchins would not play professional hockey.
Tigers Career: 17GP/3.84GAA
Jamie Huscroft
Tagged as one of the toughest and meanest blueliners in the Western Hockey League, Huscroft was another late addition at the trade deadline, coming over in a deal with the Seattle Thunderbirds for 17 year old centre Mike Schwengler. Not known for his offense at all, Huscroft made an impact with the Tabbies, playing 14 regular season games, sitting 71 minutes in the penalty box. In 20 post season games, Huscroft recorded 125 penalty minutes.
Huscroft would bring his bruising 6’2 frame to the Memorial Cup in 1987, recording 25 penalty minutes during the tournaments 5 games.
Jamie was drafted in the 9th Round by the New Jersey Devils while a member of the Thunderbirds in which it saw the BC native rack up 273 penalty minutes in that season.
His reputation for being a tough customer was cemented when he managed to pile up 318 minutes in penalties during his first season as professional after his Championship season.
During his second season, the 1988-89 campaign, Huscroft split his season between the farm club in Utica and big team in New Jersey. The next two seasons followed this same pattern with Huscroft unable to become a full time NHL player, though he did earn praise for his hard hits and ability to clear the front of his team’s net.
Huscroft would bounce around to 7 different NHL teams including New Jersey, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes and Washington Capitals in what was a 352 game NHL career, amassing 1065 penalty minutes during that time.
Huscroft resides in Washington state, continuing to be involved in hockey coaching and running educational systems for amateurs.
Tigers Career: 14GP/3G/3A/6PTS/71PIM
Wayne Hynes
Hynes was a 4 year Tiger and had lots of success while a member of the orange and black. Hynes was a member of the back to back championship squads and during the 1987 edition Hynes recorded 81 points in 72 games and added another 15 points in 20 post season games. His 81 points were good for 3rd on the Tabbies that season, just behind Neil Brady and Mark Pederson.
Hynes’ best season as a Tiger came in his 20 year old year as he recorded 135 points, including 81 assists to lead the Tigers in scoring. The combination of Kirby Lindal, Jason Miller and Hynes was deadly as the trio amassed 363 points combined.
Once Hynes’ WHL career ended, the forward headed overseas to begin a lengthy career in Germany. Hynes played 15 seasons in Germany, recording 30 or more points in 9 of those years. Wayne also competed for Team Germany in the 2001 and 2002 IIHF World Championships and represented Germany at the Olympics in 2002.
Hynes currently resides in Germany.
Tigers Career: 282GP/143G/181A/324PTS/238PIM
Kevin Knopp
Knopp was just a rookie when he won the Memorial Cup in 1987 with the Tigers. In his first season in the league Knopp recorded 16 points in 65 games but just appeared 3 times in the post season, quite typical for a rookie with a star studded lineup.
Knopp (according to records) was released the following season and was picked up by the Seattle Thunderbirds. Kevin would play one full season with the T-Birds before being traded 6 games into the 1988-89 season.
He would eventually find his way back in a Tigers uniform in his final season in the WHL as he was acquired alongside Jeff Knight in a trade with the Broncos for Lloyd Pelletier. In that season Knopp scored 10 goals and 45 points in 30 games.
Knopp would attend Acadia University post WHL for 2 years before heading to the ECHL in which he played with 6 different clubs.
In 2014, Knopp and his 1991-92 Acadia Axemen team was inducted into the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame.
Tigers Career: 95GP/14G/47A/61PTS/62PIM
Mark Kuntz
Kuntz, a Medicine Hat native, played for his hometown team as a rookie in 1985-86 before becoming a Memorial Cup Champion the following season. In the Championship year Kuntz recorded 18 points in 66 games to go along with 149 penalty minutes.
A regular on the Tigers blueline, Kuntz was known for a tough and gritty style game, something the Tigers did not lack during their run to the Cup.
Kuntz would just play the two full seasons with the Tigers before heading West to the New Westminster Bruins the following season. During that year the Bruins sent Mark to the Lethbridge Hurricanes where he would end up finishing his career with the Tigers rivals.
After finishing his WHL career, Mark went on to play pro hockey in the ECHL and WCHL before retiring from the game in 2002-2003.
Tigers Career: 129GP/9G/23A/32PTS/228PIM
In part 2 of this series, we will feature the other 11 players of the 1987 Memorial Cup Champion Tigers squad. Player’s careers that will be featured include the likes of Trevor Linden, Wayne McBean and Mark Pederson!
Best of luck to the 2016 Teams of the Mastercard Memorial Cup which begins Friday night!
