It’s a cliche, but home really is where the heart is, which is why hockey fans can again chew on Ken Hitchcock’s insights in the second “Lunch With Hitch” to raise money for The Brick Sport Central–the folks who have helped about 200,000 kids with new and refurbished sports gear for over 20 years.
The St. Louis Blues’ coach, who once sold skates at United Cycle and got his start as a bench boss in minor hockey here, will be at the Chateau Louis Hotel Aug. 9 for a meet and greet, then a meal. That’s the 25th anniversary of the Wayne Gretzky trade, too, and the Chateau Louis has always had a warm spot in my heart because that’s where the Hall of Fame Oilers’ voice Rod Phillips and I spirited a 17-year-old Gretzky for a secret interview in June of 1978–to talk of the kid signing his first pro contract with Nelson Skalbania’s Indianapolis Racers in the World Hockey Association.
But we digress…
Hitchcock, who won a Stanley Cup in Dallas with other NHL coaching stops in Philadelphia and Columbus, is well equipped to talk about the Olympics along with leadership being a learned skill. Hitch has been an associate coach four times in the Olympics, winning gold in 2002 in Salt Lake City with head man Pat Quinn and gold again in Vancouver with head coach Mike Babcock. He was also in Turin, Italy in 2006, and will be back on Babcock’s staff in Sochi next February.
While many people feel leaders are born in sport, like Mark Messier who wore the C in Edmonton and New Yorik with the Rangers taking both clubs to the Stanley Cup, Hitchcock says leadership can also be taught. He’ll talk about Sochi and maybe his current Blues’ captain David Backes, who will be on the U.S. team in Sochi, at the lunch Aug. 9.
Maybe he’ll discuss the acquisition of former Oilers’ winger Magnus Paajarvi, too, in that trade for David Perron. Hitch forsees Paajarvi, who just signed a two-year contract for $1.2 million a season, as a third-liner in St. Louis
Tickets for the lunch are $100 or $1000 for a table and can be purchased in person at Sports Central or United Cycle or online at http://www.sportcentral.org or by phone 780-477-1166. It’s a good cause; lots of kids would never have had sports equipment without people bringing them in to Sport Central, across from Rexall Place.
