Monday, March 1, 2010

Team Canada's connection to Kelowna/Okanagan

I think it's well documented that the Kelowna Rockets were represented on Team Canada's men's hockey team by Shea Weber and Duncan Keith. But it goes far beyond that. Here are five other examples of connections to the gold medal game.

1) Did you know that Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock played one season of hockey in Kelowna? Babcock was a defenceman with the Kelowna Wings in 1982-83.
2) Ken Holland, a member of Team Canada's management team is from nearby Vernon.
3) Kelowna Rockets head coach Ryan Huska is a former teammate of Team Canada captain Scott Niedermayer. Huska and Niedermayer won a couple of Memorial Cups together. Oddly enough, Niedermayer was the teams best defenceman in the gold medal game.
4) Rockets assistant coach Ryan Cuthbert won a WHL title with Duncan Keith in 2003.
5) What Kelowna resident was on the ice when Team Canada was awarded their gold medals? Wayne Pansengrau, operations manager at Prospera Place, had the pleasure of being the ice crew for the gold medal game.

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