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Saskatoon Blades

Blades Hire Lorne Molleken

May 21, 2004 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


The Saskatoon Blades look to the Past for the Future!!! Saskatoon Blades Governor & President Jack Brodsky this afternoon at a Media Conference in Saskatoon introduced Lorne Molleken as the clubs new General Manager & Head Coach. Lorne joins the Blades coming from Player/Owner Mario Lemeuix's Pittsburgh Penquins, where he was an assistant coach under Ed Olczyk. The term of the agreement with the Saskatoon Blades is for the period of 5 seasons.

Molleken joins the Blades for the second time after guiding the Blades as Head Coach in 1991 through until 1995. From there he joined the professional ranks of coaching. Molleken remains today in the Blades record book as the coach with the highest winning percentage at .591. While in Saskatoon Lorne coached and developed the likes of Mark Deyell, Paul Buczkowski, Frank Banham, Ryan Fujita, David Struch, Richard Matvichuk, Norm Maracle, Clarke Wilm, Rhett Warrener, Chad Allen and Wade Belak to name a few. During his four seasons with the Blue & Gold Molleken led the Blades to no less than a 38 win season and into the play-offs all 4 seasons, coming 1 game short of a Memorial Cup birth, in 1992 and 1994 to the eventual Memorial Cup Champion Kamloops Blazers. Most recently in the Western Hockey League Lorne coached the Memorial Cup host Regina Pats in 2000-01 and was the General Manager of the Moose Jaw Warriors for 6 months in 2003. During the Memorial Cup year with the Regina Pats he led his team to a 40-27-3-2 record with Memorial Cup tournament game wins over the Ottawa 67's and eventual Memorial Cup winners, the Red Deer Rebels. In his four years with the Blades he accumulated a 170-101-17 record.

Molleken played seven years of professional hockey as a goaltender. He was an IHL Turner Cup Champion with Toledo in both 1982 & 1983. Three times Lorne was named the IHL Goaltender of the Year. As a professional coach Lorne has been the Head Coach for three seasons in the AHL (Cape Breton & Hamilton) and part of two seasons with the National Hockey League Chicago Black Hawks. Lorne spent the better part of two seasons as an Assistant Coach in San Jose with the Sharks working with Darryl Sutter, before his most recent role with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Lorne Molleken is joining the Blades following the 2003-04 season in which the Blades went just 7-52-11-2 and did not extend the contracts of General Manager Brent McEwen and Head Coach Jamie Reeve.

Blades Governor & President Jack Brodsky, "We are extremely pleased with today's announcement. Lorne has a history of success in the Western Hockey League and at the professional level. He has a reputation of being a great motivator and teacher. Lorne brings with him a tremendous wealth of experience & knowledge. We look forward to having Lorne & Patsy rejoin the Blades family. "

Making the move along with Lorne from Pittsburgh to Saskatoon is his wife Patsy and son Jason. Lorne also has family, Tawna & Trisha (daughters) along with granddaughter Lori Lynn in the area. Lorne is expected to join the Blades on a full-time basis beginning June 1st. Bruno Baseotto remains as the clubs assistant coach through until his contract expires May 31st. No immediate decision is expected on his future with the club.

General Manager & Head Coach Lorne Molleken, "In the past it was a very difficult decision to leave the Western Hockey League, as I hold the league in very high regards. I'm very pleased to be returning to the Saskatoon Blades, a place the Brodsky Family afforded me four great years which gave me the opportunity to enter the professional ranks of coaching. After coaching a number of years of professional hockey I'm pleased to be making a commitment back to the Saskatoon Blades. The reason for my leaving the National Hockey League is a desire to be a Head Coach again and work with elite young hockey players. I thank the Brodsky Family for providing this outstanding opportunity. We have a lot of work to do here in Saskatoon, but we have a great foundation. This is one of the proudest franchises in the Western Hockey League.

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