Yukon Klipper

A chance meeting at a rink last year led to Prince George Assistant General Manager and head scout Wade Klippenstein flying north to Whitehorse, Yukon this past weekend.

While scouting for the Cougars last year, Klippenstein got chatting with a fellow who was involved with Team Yukon for the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax this coming February. Once it was discovered that scouting hockey is what Klippenstein did for a living one thing lead to another and Klippenstein found himself on a plane north several months later.

This past weekend the former Quebec Nordique draft pick helped evaluate hockey players that will represent their territory in Halifax.

"It was a pleasure to be part of the selection process for Team Yukon, a truly unique experience that combined community and athletics. Their is nothing quite like northern hospitality" Klippenstein told TPS, and he should know. The Dauphin, Manitoba product spent 3 years as a player with the Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks of the CCHA, and returned to the NCAA team in 2004 for another 3 year stint on the coaching staff.

Klippenstein will no doubt be keeping an eye on some of the players he watched over the weekend, and the fine folks of Whitehorse will get another visit from the WHL this February when Vancouver and Kamloops play a regular season game in the Yukon capital as part of CBC's Hockey Day in Canada.