1998-1999 Season

A New Look

On July 9, a party was held for season-ticket holders. This party introduced the fans to the brand-new Blades logo, looking suspiciously like the New York Rangers logo and designed by a New York firm. Hmmm…

August 21 saw the Blades name Gary Emmons their new assistant coach. While acting as Paul MacLean’s assistant, he saw the head coach rack up his 200th coaching win.

Since the Blades changed their logo and their jersey look, it was only appropriate that they decide to have an alternate jersey for the first time in team history. In March, the team wore green St. Patrick’s Day versions of the jerseys as a fundraiser for MDA. Scratch cards were sold for $1. If fans were lucky, the won a sharp looking jersey off one of the players’ backs. The alternate jersey scratch card contest raised $16,300.

In April, the Blades earned their fifth consecutive trip to the IHL playoffs. Unfortunately, they were eliminated by the Long Beach Ice Dogs in the first round.

Jersey NumberPosition    PlayerSeasons with Team
30GJean-Sebastien Aubin1998-1999
24, 42DBrent Bilodeau1997-1999
11CBrian Bonin1998-1999
34CJason Cirone1996-2000
19, 26, 22, 29CDale Craigwell1991-1994, 1996-1999
5DAndrew Ference1998-1999
11, 14C/RWPat Ferschweiler1994-2000
8DTuomas Gronman1998-1999
5DDan Harrison1998-1999
1GRyan Hoople1998-1999
22DJason Kelly1998-1999
28, 44, 21DVlastimil Kroupa1993-1996, 1998-1999
29GPatrick Lalime1998-1999
1GBrian Leitza1998-1999
17RWDavid Ling1998-2000
33LWLonnie Loach1998-1999
22DSteven Low1998-1999
18RWWalker McDonald1998-1999
5DMarty Melnychuk1998-1999
23, 25RWRyan Mulhern1998-1999
17CMatt Oates1998
2DDan Ratushny1998-1999
25DGrant Richison1998-2000
11DJon Rohloff1998-2000
7DEric Rud1998-1999
3, 26DTrevor Sherban1997-2000
1GGreg Smith1998-1999
23RWBrian Sullivan1998-1999
28, 16LWDavid Vallieres1998-2001
7, 19DRocky Welsing1998-1999
16, 18, 13LWDody Wood1992-1995, 1996-1997, 1998-2001
10LWBrendan Yarema1998-2000