THE Stanley Cup final will have somewhat of a local flavour to it.
Thunder Bay native Scott Bradley serves as director of player personnel for the Boston Bruins who are in search of their first NHL championship since 1972.
His father, the late Bart Bradley was a long-time scout for the Bruins serving with the organization for over 30 years.
Meanwhile Adam Creighton, son of another Lakehead product in Dave Creighton, is also employed by Boston as a member of the club’s scouting department.
Both Bart Bradley and Dave Creighton were members of the 1948 Memorial Cup champion Port Arthur West End Bruins.
U OF T BOUND: The many accomplishments of the Thunder Bay Queens program continue to pay dividends.
The latest of the ever-growing list of players earning an opportunity to compete at a higher level is forward Courtney Tougas who has been successfully recruited by the University of Toronto where she’ll attend school and skate for the Varsity Blues women’s hockey team.
Tougas had spent the past three seasons playing for very successful Sportop midget AA Queens’ program and helped play a pivotal role in the team’s overall accomplishments including both provincial and national championships in 2009-10.
She’ll be joining a U of T squad that also boasts another Thunder Bay native in Stephanie Lockert, who was a former all-star netminder for the Blues and now serves as their goaltender coach.
TULSA TIME: After helping lead the Central Hockey League’s Tulsa Oilers to their longest playoff run in 17 years, the club’s ownership has rewarded Bruce Ramsay with a contract extension.
The Dryden native and former fan favourite from his playing days in Thunder Bay has inked a two-year deal that will seen him remain as Tulsa’s head coach until at least the end of the 2012-2013 campaign.
This past season he led the Oilers to a 35-26-6 overall record leading the team to the playoffs for the first time in six years and also winning their first playoff series since 1994.
They would go on to fall in the postseason to the eventual CHL champion Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in a series that would go the limit.
Ramsay will be embarking on his eighth season as a head coach posting an all-time record of 260-185-49 in 494 career games behind the bench.
ALL DECC TEAM: Prior to moving in their new arena midway through this past season the University of Minnesota-Duluth men’s hockey team played their home games in the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center.
The DECC had served as the host venue for Bulldogs hockey since 1966-67.
Awhile back the school’s hockey alumni voted to formulate a list of the All-DECC team to recognize the success of some of past stars that sported the UMD maroon and gold all those years.
After all the ballots were tabulated two former Bulldogs standouts from the area were among those who were recognized.
Named to that list were Norm Maciver of Thunder Bay and Keith “Huffer” Christiansen of Fort Frances.
Maciver, who also had a lengthy NHL career, was the first-ever Bulldog player to be named All-WCHA three times and was also a two-time All-American on defence in the early and mid 1980s.
Back in the 1960s Christiansen became the first UMD skater to lead the WCHA in scoring and earn conference most valuable player laurels. He too was rewarded with All-American status.
The duo are also members of the UMD Athletic Hall of Fame.