Wheat Kings Have Endured Some Heartache by PERRY BERGSON Coach Dunc Mccallum at Age 84
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Friday, July 30, 2021 brandonsun.com REPORT GAME RESULTS BEFORE 9 P.M. PHONE 204.571.7442 FAX 204.727.0385 Sports EMAIL [email protected] TRY TO BEAT THAT!: THE 1978-79 BRANDON WHEAT KINGS Wheat Kings have endured some heartache BY PERRY BERGSON Coach Dunc McCallum at age 84. Yaroslavl, Russia, forward made their own impact. Mc- ern Hockey League star a year died of brain cancer on Three of the 21 players are Darren Gusdal passed on Crimmon was the superstar de- after the magic season. The passage of years has cer- March 31, 1983 at age 43, also gone. June 21, 2014 and Don Diet- fender, Gusdal was the well-liked What follows is a brief look tainly brought more than its and general manager and Defenceman Brad Mc- rich succumbed on Feb. 16, penalty killer and energy player at their lives, and how their fair share of heartache for the eventual owner Jack Brockest Crimmon died in a plane 2021. and Dietrich was the youngster Brandon teammates remem- 1978-79 Brandon Wheat Kings. passed away on Nov. 10, 2011 crash on Sept. 7, 2011 near Each of the three players who would blossom into a West- ber them. Brad McCrimmon set tone for teammates BY PERRY BERGSON They didn’t carry any extra defence- men, so when somebody went down There simply aren’t many people like — and there were times they ended up Brad McCrimmon. with four — they would actually be one A product of Plenty, Sask., and older plus three because Brad would be play- brother of Kelly, Brad was the leader of ing a whole lot of extra minutes. There the 1978-79 Brandon Wheat Kings on had to be games that season when he and off the ice. played 45 minutes … There was a rea- At age 15, McCrimmon joined the son his nickname was The Beast.” Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s KELLY McCRIMMON: “The amount Prince Albert Raiders and in his second he played was unprecedented then or season in 1975–76, he was named the now.” Brad McCrimmon salutes the crowd SJHL’s top defenceman. WES COULSON: “The stamina he at the MasterCard Memorial Cup He moved to the Wheat Kings for the had was incredible.” semifi nal game at Westman Place on 1976-77 season and didn’t skip a beat, KELLY ELCOMBE: “(Brad) was off May 21, 2010. (Brandon Sun fi le photo) managing 18 goals and 66 assists in 72 the charts as far as respect went.” games. Those point totals rose to 97 RICK KNICKLE: “Brad really orga- and 98 in his last two seasons in the nized a lot of stuff for us, and that was Brad McCrimmon league. why we were a good team because he He was named an all-star in the made sure guys showed up. He would thrilled to be back 1977-78 and 1978-79 seasons, and was phone you up and ‘Why aren’t you the WHL’s 1978 defenceman of the year. here? Everybody is here, come on, BY JAMES SHEWAGA Not surprisingly, McCrimmon was you’re coming.’ You had to have a good selected 15th overall in the fi rst round reason.” This story originally appeared in 1979 by the Boston Bruins. RAY ALLISON: “Brad just wouldn’t in the May 22, 2010 edition of the McCrimmon had a sensational Na- let you go by him. He was a good skat- Brandon Sun. tional Hockey League career, playing in er and could turn real well but he just It has been three decades since more than 1,200 games for the Boston wouldn’t let you go by him. He would Brad McCrimmon last played for the Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary fi nd a way to get a piece of you, fi nd a Brandon Wheat Kings, but the great- Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford way to poke you, he hated to be beat- est defenceman in club history will Brad McCrimmon wore an A, along with Tim Lockridge and Ray Allison, Whalers and Phoenix Coyotes between en.” never forget the place where it began. and was renowned for his leadership qualities and his ability to play a lot of 1979 and 1997. STEPHEN PATRICK: “He would stay The 52-year-old former member of minutes in any game. (Brandon Sun fi le photo) In 1989, he helped the Calgary out after practice with us. I remember Brandon’s brilliant 1979 WHL cham- Flames win their only Stanley Cup him teaching me how to do a saucer pionship squad and Memorial Cup championship. the NHL was Sarge, we didn’t call him pass.” fi nalists returned to the Wheat City After retirement, he joined the New that in junior — but that’s the perfect DAVE CHARTIER: “He had lots of this week for the MasterCard Memo- York Islanders as an assistant coach. description. It tells you all you need confi dence. He was a helluva hockey rial Cup and was the latest former After two seasons, he returned to the to know. He was tough to hell, had his player and played for lots of years. He Wheat King great to receive a stand- WHL to coach the Saskatoon Blades for game face on and was ready for action. fought, and was a tough kid.” ing ovation on Friday night as the the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons. He was a great leader. It was amazing WES COULSON: “He was a great club honours its former stars. McCrimmon subsequently went to watch a guy like that day in and day guy. He was the heart and soul of our “I wear my Wheat King alumnus back to the NHL to coach with the Cal- out.” defence, as much as Ray and Brian and status pretty strong and I bump into gary Flames, Atlanta Thrashers and De- KELLY McCRIMMON: “Brad and Bosch made the offence run. Brad was guys throughout the league, whether troit Red Wings. Dunc had a great relationship, so Dunc a great skater, he could pass the puck, I played with them or against them On May 29, 2011, he was named always took the pulse of the team he was tough in the corners, tough in or even the young guys now and I head coach of the Kontinental Hockey through Brad. Dunc would be away front of the net. That was built into his always make sure I mention I’m a League’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. How- for practice, which happened on more National Hockey League career too. Wheat King alumni guy,” said Mc- ever, on Sept. 7, 2011, the unimagi- than one occasion, and Brad would run He had some good offensive numbers Crimmon, now an assistant coach nable happened when the team plane practice until Dunc got there. You say at the junior level but when he got to with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. crashed on take-off near Yaroslavl, that today and it sounds crazy (laughs), the pro level it was more like he was the “But coming home to this rink, I had Russia as the team was making its to Brad McCrimmon but that’s how we did it. Brad would defensive guy and his nickname was great years here, great teammates Minsk, Belarus to begin the 2011–12 start practice and then Dunc would Sarge. He demanded that we be bet- and a lot of great memories. So for season. Forty-four died, including Mc- that the car didn’t work that well, and come out.” ter than we were when we were play- sure coming back I always have little Crimmon. to boot, we run out of gas somewhere BRUCE PENTON (Brandon Sun): ing poorly. What can you say about the fl ashbacks.” As a Wheat King, he was the player about 20 miles out. We had to walk “(Brad) was a very, very quality individ- guy? The last game at the Memorial In one of those stones that takes who sometimes wore the whistle in through the snow and borrow gas from ual. His dad Bryon would show up for Cup in Montreal, he plays the whole on legendary status, McCrimmon practice when coach Dunc McCallum someone. We get back to practice 10 games quite frequently at the Keystone game.” played almost the entire game in the wanted to watch from above. minutes late and Dunc walks through Centre and you could tell he came from DAVE STEWART: “Brad was always 1979 Memorial Cup fi nal, a game He was also the perfect teammate, a the dressing room and sees us putting good stock. Byron was a no-nonsense a good guy. He and I used to go to the in which the injury-riddled Wheat fact illustrated by something that hap- our gear on and everyone is out on the type of guy, a farm guy who believed community centre and he would talk Kings dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker in pened to forward Brant Kiessig in his ice. He doesn’t say anything but we get in hard work, and passed that on to to the kids. He liked to get involved. As overtime to the Peterborough Petes. rookie season. bag skated after practice and I think Brad and Kelly. They both were similar. far as his talent, I never played with a Thirty-one years have passed, but Kiessig’s girlfriend, who was in high we threw up. Brad, on his own, did Whatever you see in Kelly, Brad was a guy who had more talent. The thing is the pride in being a member of that school in Thunder Bay, unexpectedly all the skating with us, and I remem- lot similar.