Broken this afternoon by Guy Flaming, host of The Pipeline Show - a great radio show about upcoming prospects - The Maple Leafs are hiring Tim Speltz away from the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs.
Tim Speltz has been the General Manager of Spokane for a long time. How long? Speltz hired Mike Babcock to coach the Chiefs in 1994, and would coach there for six years, moving on to the AHL’s Cincinatti Mighty Ducks in 2000.
Mike Speltz is also leaving a position with Hockey Canada, from the press release:
“. . . assisted the Program of Excellence management group at the 2014 U18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, helping Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team win a gold medal.