It’s a time-honored tradition that the coaches of the teams that meet in the CHL Finals each year coach the All-Star teams the following year. However, after the Fargo Flickertails made a surprise run to the Finals last year, some wondered if the league might make an exception. Because the Flickertails’ coach – and therefore in line to coach the Western All-Stars – is the infamous Harvey Williams, whose previous exploits include insulting reporters, mooning referees, and urinating on the ice during practice.
“I figured there was no way in hell they’d let me coach in this,” said Williams. “I figured there had to be a morals clause. Or they’d invent one, anyway. But here I am! I’m as shocked as you bastards are.”
For the first half of Thursday’s 2024 CHL All-Star Game, it looked as though Williams, the unlikeliest All-Star coach, was going to be a winner. But the East rallied from a 3-1 deficit to post a 5-3 win in front of a happy crowd at Cincinnati Gardens.
“I guess me coaching in the All-Star Game, the league could handle that,” said Williams. “But me winning the game, obviously that was a bridge too far. Kind of like how they’d let me coach in the Finals, but not actually win. I’m sure if the commish had to hand me the trophy, he’d have a heart attack.”
The game got off to a fast start, with both teams firing shots and both goalies – the West’s Cecil Healy and the East’s Versan Dusic – turning them all aside. It wasn’t until past the midpoint of the first period that the East’s David Austin Rose scored on the power play to break the scoreless tie. The West struck back with just under 6 minutes remaining in the first, with RWs Ritchie Fields and Quinn Courtney scoring 32 seconds apart to put the West in front 2-1.
A minute and a half into the second period, LW R.T. Rosenthal – Fields’ teammate on the Indianapolis Redline – scored to put the West ahead 3-1. As the minutes ticked away, it looked increasing as though CHL Commissioner Denny McNerny might have to present Williams with the winner’s trophy after all.
But with just over 12 minutes remaining in the middle frame, C Grigoriy Demianovich scored on the East’s second shot of the period to start the comeback. Then with less than 5 minutes left in the second, D Harold Braintree scored the tying goal on the last of just six shots that the East managed in the period.
Both teams swapped goalies for the third period: Morgan Moore took over in net for the East, while rookie Davis Kingston stepped in for the West. The third period was less active than the first two, but with 7:27 remaining in regulation, LW Maurice Coutard scored on a blistering slapshot to put the East up 4-3.
The West got a break with 1:32 remaining, when East D Everett Martin was penalized for tripping, giving the visitors a late power play with a chance to tie the game. But Demianovich took off on a breakaway and scored a shorthanded goal to seal the victory for the home team.
Demianovich, a rookie for the Scranton Electric Mules, was not even supposed to be on the All-Star team. He was a last-minute substitution for Cincinnati Bluebirds C Wilson Grace, who missed the game due to injury. But with his two-goal performance, the rookie center wound up receiving the MVP honors.
“It is great honor for me to have this award,” said Demianovich. “I never imagined to be here.”
Along with the MVP award, Demianovich received a living room suite supplied by American Signature Furniture, as well as a supply of Skyline Chili and Graeter’s ice cream, two signature Cincinnati-based products.
As for Williams, he took the loss in stride. “I just want you all to notice that I really behaved myself this week,” the coach said. “I kept my pants on the whole time, I stayed basically sober, I didn’t try to slug anybody, and I barely swore at all. So it turns out I can be a good little boy when I need to be. Color me shocked, too.”
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