Hi this is Fred Wallace with Off the Wire, brought to you by Auto Logic, the Logical Choice.
The Canadian entry for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament has departed and will commence tournament play on Monday afternoon with a game against the host Czech Republic.
Owen Sound Attack General Manager Dale DeGray is with Canada’s management team, largely responsible for selecting the players to be on this National Under 18 squad.
I noted with both irony and disdain that the sole OHL defender on the squad was……..Victor Mete.
I know, I know, I should let this go, but I can’t help but remember the acting performance delivered by the reluctant Mete a year ago when he balked at coming to Owen Sound and, with a great deal of aid, manipulated a trade to the London Knights.
I also can’t help remember a story Mike Brophy told me when he was working for the Peterborough Examiner and covering the Petes.
Somewhere in the early 1990’s, the Petes were interested in drafting a goalkeeper named Chad Lang.
Lang, like Mete 20 years later, claimed he had other options yata, yata, yata…….
The suspicion was that Chad Lang really was trying to orchestrate a move that would see him land in North Bay with the Centennials who coincidentally had his older brother, Billy, on the roster.
Dick Todd, the Petes coach & GM of the day, was also a Gold Medal winning coach with Canada’s National Junior team.
According to Mike Brophy, Dick Todd told Chad Lang over the phone that he understood options, but………….if he discovered Lang was fibbing about these ” options “, then as long as Todd was connected to Hockey Canada, Chad Lang would have a very difficult time making any national team program.
Long story short, Chad Lang played 150 games in goal in the OHL……for Peterborough.
I can’t say this tale is accurate, but I trusted Mike Brophy then, I trust him now and in my heart I wish Dale DeGray applied the same ” options ” to the reluctant Victor Mete.
I’m Fred Wallace