nivek_wahs
02-01-2007, 04:28 AM
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/sports/story.html?id=b7b5c6d3-3224-4c4d-998c-9874ed8cb1b9
Lubiniecki's legacy: Former Blades' coach, GM to be honoured by team Saturday
Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix
Published: Thursday, February 01, 2007
Daryl Lubiniecki presided over the Saskatoon Blades for 17 years and he assembled some of the franchise's most entertaining teams.
The man himself was also worth the price of admission.
During a game in Prince Albert more than 20 years ago, Lubiniecki seethed as his players piled up the penalty minutes early.
"Lubie was all over the referee," said Dennis Beyak, who was the Blades' assistant general manager at the time. "Then, in the third period, it was the Raiders who started taking the penalties. The crowd started chanting, 'We want a ref!'
"Lubie waited until everything calmed down and then he turned to the fans behind him and said: 'I told you guys that in the first period.' "
Lubiniecki made a habit of walking atop the boards to get a referee's attention. He also prowled the bench. One night in Regina, he was so engrossed in the play that he walked off the end of the plank.
"He bounced right back up as if nothing had happened," says Beyak.
Lubiniecki chuckles as his colourful history is revived. He swears he didn't know he was that animated.
"A lot of the NHL (scouts) said that if the game wasn't very good, they'd just watch me."
- - -
Lubiniecki, 65, will be the centre of attention again Saturday when the Blades celebrate their former coach and general manager at Credit Union Centre.
Prior to a game between the Blades and Lethbridge Hurricanes, Lubiniecki will be enshrined as a Blade builder.
The previous inductees are Blades founder Jim Piggott, longtime owner Nate Brodsky and the franchise's winningest coach, Jack McLeod.
"Every time I run into guys who played for (Lubiniecki)," says Beyak, "one of the first questions they ask me is: 'How's Lubie?' The players very much enjoyed playing for him."
Several former pupils -- including Wendel Clark, Kelly Chase, Brian Skrudland and Trent Yawney -- plan to attend Saturday's ceremony. Beyak, the radio voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs, will serve as MC.
"With Lubie, what you see is what you get; there's no pretension there," says Rick Brodsky, who served as the Blades' governor from 1980 until he left to purchase the Victoria Cougars in 1992.
During Lubiniecki's 17-year tenure, the Blades posted a record of 641-534-53 (a .543 winning percentage). He debuted behind the bench on Dec. 5, 1980 -- the same night the Blades first donned Cooperalls -- and he spent the next 31/2 seasons pacing the pine.
In his second full season, Lubiniecki led the Blades to their best regular-season showing with a 52-19-1 record. As GM, Lubiniecki built teams that advanced to Game 7 of the WHL final in both 1992 and 1994, only to lose to Kamloops both times.
A 1989 Memorial Cup loss also haunts Saskatoon. The Blades gained entry as the host team, but earned their way to the final before falling to the Swift Current Broncos in overtime.
"Lubie worked hard enough, he was smart enough and he was good enough that he should have had a Memorial Cup ring," says Rick Brodsky.
- - -
Lubiniecki's Blade legacy could have been far less colourful -- and much shorter.
He was on the job for barely a month when he swung a blockbuster deal with the Billings Bighorns on Jan. 11, 1981. Talented forward Rocky Trottier had requested a trade and Lubiniecki accomodated him -- against the orders of Blades owner Nate Brodsky, who was in Florida at the time.
"We thought we'd do it and suffer the consequences," says Lubiniecki, who had Rick Brodsky, son of the owner, as a co-conspirator.
In return for Trottier, the Blades acquired six players: Pat Rabbit, Dave Brown, Brad Duggan, Dave Chartier, Al Acton and Lyndon Byers. Lubiniecki later flipped Byers to Regina for Todd Strueby.
"It turned out to be a terrific move," says Beyak, who worked as a CFQC television reporter at the time of the trade. "They got some depth into the organization and certainly brought in some toughness."
The Blades iced their best mix of talent and toughness in 1981-82. Bruce Eakin, Marc Habscheid, Lane Lambert and Strueby all surpassed 100 points. Four of their teammates -- Brown, Bruce Gordon, Leroy Gorski and Donn Clark -- posted at least 250 penalty minutes each.
"At times," says Beyak, "Lubie would get calls from the league office, saying, 'Hey, the game has passed you by. That's not the way you play anymore.' And yet, the building was full."
Those teams regularly played to standing-room-only crowds of 3,800 at the old Saskatoon Arena. Brawls were not uncommon, especially with the New Westminster Bruins and the rival Regina Pats.
"If they smelled weakness, they would jumped on it," says Lubiniecki, "but if you had enough missiles, everything was usually quiet."
- - -
Lubiniecki remains a regular at Credit Union Centre.
Rick Brodsky hired him as GM of the Prince George Cougars in 1997. Lubiniecki now works out of Saskatoon as the Cougars' director of hockey operations.
Lubiniecki says he regrets not bringing a championship to Saskatoon, but he recognizes that this ride has not been all about hockey.
"We've got doctors and lawyers and teachers," he says. "I'm really proud of the guys we put through our system."
cwolfe@sp.canwest.com
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007
Lubiniecki's legacy: Former Blades' coach, GM to be honoured by team Saturday
Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix
Published: Thursday, February 01, 2007
Daryl Lubiniecki presided over the Saskatoon Blades for 17 years and he assembled some of the franchise's most entertaining teams.
The man himself was also worth the price of admission.
During a game in Prince Albert more than 20 years ago, Lubiniecki seethed as his players piled up the penalty minutes early.
"Lubie was all over the referee," said Dennis Beyak, who was the Blades' assistant general manager at the time. "Then, in the third period, it was the Raiders who started taking the penalties. The crowd started chanting, 'We want a ref!'
"Lubie waited until everything calmed down and then he turned to the fans behind him and said: 'I told you guys that in the first period.' "
Lubiniecki made a habit of walking atop the boards to get a referee's attention. He also prowled the bench. One night in Regina, he was so engrossed in the play that he walked off the end of the plank.
"He bounced right back up as if nothing had happened," says Beyak.
Lubiniecki chuckles as his colourful history is revived. He swears he didn't know he was that animated.
"A lot of the NHL (scouts) said that if the game wasn't very good, they'd just watch me."
- - -
Lubiniecki, 65, will be the centre of attention again Saturday when the Blades celebrate their former coach and general manager at Credit Union Centre.
Prior to a game between the Blades and Lethbridge Hurricanes, Lubiniecki will be enshrined as a Blade builder.
The previous inductees are Blades founder Jim Piggott, longtime owner Nate Brodsky and the franchise's winningest coach, Jack McLeod.
"Every time I run into guys who played for (Lubiniecki)," says Beyak, "one of the first questions they ask me is: 'How's Lubie?' The players very much enjoyed playing for him."
Several former pupils -- including Wendel Clark, Kelly Chase, Brian Skrudland and Trent Yawney -- plan to attend Saturday's ceremony. Beyak, the radio voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs, will serve as MC.
"With Lubie, what you see is what you get; there's no pretension there," says Rick Brodsky, who served as the Blades' governor from 1980 until he left to purchase the Victoria Cougars in 1992.
During Lubiniecki's 17-year tenure, the Blades posted a record of 641-534-53 (a .543 winning percentage). He debuted behind the bench on Dec. 5, 1980 -- the same night the Blades first donned Cooperalls -- and he spent the next 31/2 seasons pacing the pine.
In his second full season, Lubiniecki led the Blades to their best regular-season showing with a 52-19-1 record. As GM, Lubiniecki built teams that advanced to Game 7 of the WHL final in both 1992 and 1994, only to lose to Kamloops both times.
A 1989 Memorial Cup loss also haunts Saskatoon. The Blades gained entry as the host team, but earned their way to the final before falling to the Swift Current Broncos in overtime.
"Lubie worked hard enough, he was smart enough and he was good enough that he should have had a Memorial Cup ring," says Rick Brodsky.
- - -
Lubiniecki's Blade legacy could have been far less colourful -- and much shorter.
He was on the job for barely a month when he swung a blockbuster deal with the Billings Bighorns on Jan. 11, 1981. Talented forward Rocky Trottier had requested a trade and Lubiniecki accomodated him -- against the orders of Blades owner Nate Brodsky, who was in Florida at the time.
"We thought we'd do it and suffer the consequences," says Lubiniecki, who had Rick Brodsky, son of the owner, as a co-conspirator.
In return for Trottier, the Blades acquired six players: Pat Rabbit, Dave Brown, Brad Duggan, Dave Chartier, Al Acton and Lyndon Byers. Lubiniecki later flipped Byers to Regina for Todd Strueby.
"It turned out to be a terrific move," says Beyak, who worked as a CFQC television reporter at the time of the trade. "They got some depth into the organization and certainly brought in some toughness."
The Blades iced their best mix of talent and toughness in 1981-82. Bruce Eakin, Marc Habscheid, Lane Lambert and Strueby all surpassed 100 points. Four of their teammates -- Brown, Bruce Gordon, Leroy Gorski and Donn Clark -- posted at least 250 penalty minutes each.
"At times," says Beyak, "Lubie would get calls from the league office, saying, 'Hey, the game has passed you by. That's not the way you play anymore.' And yet, the building was full."
Those teams regularly played to standing-room-only crowds of 3,800 at the old Saskatoon Arena. Brawls were not uncommon, especially with the New Westminster Bruins and the rival Regina Pats.
"If they smelled weakness, they would jumped on it," says Lubiniecki, "but if you had enough missiles, everything was usually quiet."
- - -
Lubiniecki remains a regular at Credit Union Centre.
Rick Brodsky hired him as GM of the Prince George Cougars in 1997. Lubiniecki now works out of Saskatoon as the Cougars' director of hockey operations.
Lubiniecki says he regrets not bringing a championship to Saskatoon, but he recognizes that this ride has not been all about hockey.
"We've got doctors and lawyers and teachers," he says. "I'm really proud of the guys we put through our system."
cwolfe@sp.canwest.com
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007