Add yet another honor and title to Lewiston Maineiacs’ coach Clem Jodoin’s already illustrious coaching record.
Hockey Canada announced Friday that Jodoin will join returning head coach Brent Sutter and Craig Hartsburg of the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, on the staff of the 2006 Canadian National Junior Team.
“This is a big thing, a very big thing all over Canada,” said Jodoin when reached by phone in London, Ontario at the Memorial Cup. “Everything in hockey here revolves around that tournament. Junior hockey is great hockey, and this is a chance to see the best players in the world.”
According to Jodoin, he had a chance seven years ago to be an assistant on the Canadian Junior team, but instead opted to take a job with the Montreal Canadiens.
“When I went to the interview, I wanted to just do the Under-18s this year. I thought, OK maybe next year I can do the Under-20s’, but it didn’t work out that way. This is a great tournament and a great opportunity.”
Sutter, the head coach last year as Canada took home the gold medal, is head coach, general manager and majority owner of the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League.
He won two Stanley Cups during his 18-year NHL career (both with the New York Islanders in the early 1980s), and in 2001 led the Rebels to a Memorial Cup title.
Jodoin is not expected to miss any of the Maineiacs’ training camp in August, though the national team’s camp is also scheduled then.
He will, however, miss an undetermined number of games in December and January during the World Championship Tournament, being held this year in Vancouver, Kelowna and Kamloops, British Columbia.
“I have complete confidence in my coaching staff that they can do the job when I am gone,” said Jodoin.
On the radio
The Maineiacs and the Gleason Radio Group have renewed their contract for the 2005-06 season, and all of the Maineiacs’ 35 road games will again be available to local listeners on three stations: CNN 1240-AM, WKTQ 1450-AM and WTME 780-AM.
In addition, the radio station will be broadcasting live pre- and post-game shows from the Colisee at all home games.
“Expanding our radio broadcasts to include home pre- and post-game shows will certainly add to our fans’ entertainment experience,” said Maineiacs’ Vice President and Governor Matt McKnight in a press release. “Players, coaches, staff and special guests will all be available for these live interactive broadcasts designed to satisfy our fans thirst for information on our team, our league and our great sport.”
The Maineiacs also announced Friday that Jeff Mannix, who for five years has been broadcasting University of Maine hockey games on the student radio station in Orono, and was a color commentator and replacement radio broadcaster for the Maineiacs last year, will serve as next season’s full-time, play-by-play radio announcer.
In addition, the radio broadcasts will also be streamed live to the Web at www.cnn1240.com thanks to a partnership with Oxford Networks.
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