Former Kootenay Ice forward Jason Jaffray (1997-98 to 2001-02) is a German league champion after his Red Bull Munich (EHC Munchen) captured the Deutsch Eishockey Liga (DEL) crown with a four-game sweep of Grizzlys Wolfsburg on Friday, April 22.
Red Bull Munich completed the sweep with a 5-3 triumph in Game 4 Friday night, with centre Keith Aucoin striking for the game- and series-clinching tally 7:42 into the third period.
Jaffray, a 34-year-old native of Rimbey, Alta., was in his first campaign in Europe following an extended career in North America that featured 49 NHL regular season contests (4-7-11), 602 American Hockey League regular season tilts (193-280-473) and 277 Western Hockey League regular season outings (107-128-235).
The veteran forward split his WHL career between the Ice and Swift Current Broncos, spending 236 games in Cranbrook (84-102-186). He was a member of the 2000 Ed Chynoweth Cup champion Ice squad.
Jaffray struck for 21 goals and 39 points through 52 regular season games in his first tour with Red Bull Munich, adding two goals and 10 points in 14 playoff appearances.
Red Bull Munich featured a number of North American-born players, including goaltender David Leggio (USA), Aucoin (USA), Jaffray, defencemen Jeremy Dehner (USA), Matthew Smaby (USA), Frederic St-Denis (Canada), Richie Regehr (Canada) and right winger Jerome Samson (Canada).
The club not only claimed the league’s playoff title, but rolled through the regular season as well, finishing atop the DEL with a record of 31-14-1-6 (94 points).
