The Boston Bruins are about to announce the hiring of Geoff Ward as an assistant coach under Claude Julien. Ward had been the head coach of the Springfield Falcons, the Edmonton Oilers' AHL affiliate. . . . You will recall that Jeff Truitt stepped down as head coach of the Kelowna Rockets and signed on as an assistant with the Falcons. No, Truitt apparently won't be named head coach. That job, instead, seems likely to go to Kelly Buchberger. . . . Also, the Oilers, it seems, are going to need an assistant coach with Craig Simpson said to be leaving the team for a spot on Hockey Night in Canada's telecast crew.
LW Mark Derlago, who came back from a broken neck to star for the Brandon Wheat Kings, has signed with the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors. Derlago, a nephew of former WHL scoring king Bill Derlago, led the WHL with 46 goals last season. He also had 35 assists. Derlago also served as the Wheat Kings' captain. He sat out the 2004-05 season after suffering a broken neck in a preseason game. . . . Amiga is out and the city of Kent, Wash., is looking for another deal for naming rights for the new arena that is to house the Seattle Thunderbirds. Amiga, which had agreed to pay US$10 million over 20 years for naming rights, didn’t place $2.5 million in an escrow account by Monday’s deadline, so that deal is off. . . . C Kyle Ross, who played out his WHL eligibility with the Regina Pats last season, will attend the U of Regina and play for the Cougars. Ross, who had 68 points 71 games last season, had a brief tryout with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals late last season. . . . D Alex Theriau, the sixth overall pick in the 2007 bantam draft, has signed with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Theriau, 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, is from Cowichan Valley, B.C., and played for the Burnaby Winter Club Bruins, who won the 2007 Western Canadian bantam championship. He had 45 points and 68 penalty minutes in 65 games. . . . The Pats have signed D Alex Pym, a 6-foot-1, 182-pounder from the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers. He was the 51st pick in the 2006 bantam draft. Pym had 45 points and 104 penalty minutes in 58 games last season. . . . The Tri-City Americans have signed another Winnipegger -- D Lane Werbowski, 16, who is 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds. He played for the midget AAA Winnipeg Monarchs, totaling 32 points and 48 penalty minutes in 35 games. He was the 113th pick in the 2006 bantam draft.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Desjardins on move
A source has told me that Willie Desjardins, the general manager and head coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers, has agreed to join the Phoenix Coyotes organization as head coach of the AHL's San Antonio Rampage. . . . If Desjardins leaves Medicine Hat, it is expected that Brad McEwen will take over the hockey operations with the Tigers and Shaun Clouston, the associate coach, will move up to head coach.
Monday's musings
1. There is speculation that Marc Habscheid could be the next head coach of the Portland Winter Hawks. Sorry, Portland, but the chances of that happening are slim and none. Habscheid, after all, is under contract to the Boston Bruins, which means he still is being paid. Which means -- if he doesn’t end up coaching the AHL’s Providence Bruins -- he will wait until next season is rolling and then he may get to pick and choose once coaches start falling by the wayside. The last time Habscheid was unemployed was in 1999. His contract as head coach of the Kamloops Blazers wasn’t renewed (all he had done was take them to the WHL final) and he didn’t sign with the Kelowna Rockets until Nov. 29.
2. The price of gas in Hope, which is two hours west of Kamloops, was 99.9 cents a litre on Sunday. The price in Kamloops was $1.12.9, which means the gouging continues. And just wait until the Canadian oil companies start declaring their profits. . . . In the U.S., Chevron announced Friday that it earned US$5.38 billion during the three months ending June 30. That was the best quarter in company history and was a 24-per-cent increase over the same quarter last year. The five big oil companies in the U.S. -- Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Conoco-Phillips, BP and Royal Dutch Shell -- combined to earn $32 billion in the second quarter.
3. Nice photo at tmz.com of NHLer Mike Comrie and Hilary Duff strolling hand-in-hand in Santa Monica, Calif. Yes, they are an item and how sweet is that? While she has a hockey name, she isn’t related to Hall of Famer Dick Duff, nor is she related to longtime hockey writer Bob Duff of the Windsor Star. She presently is on tour and is to stop in Edmonton on Wednesday. The betting here is that there will be boos. On second thought, forget that -- because no one in the crowd is likely to be old enough to remember Comrie’s messy departure from his hometown.
4. There is nothing better in the U.S. than Sunday morning -- coffee, breakfast and a nice, juicy Sunday newspaper. I’m talking about a Sunday sports section that has some meat in it -- a columnist or two who are able to put together meaningful sentences and know something about grammar and have the ability to provide some food for thought; stories that provide something in the way of analysis; good notes packages; perhaps an editorial cartoon. And you have to love the mix of columnists throughout the rest of Sunday papers, too.
5. Found it interesting that Tony Bennett, the Washington State men’s basketball coach, signed a seven-year deal at a guaranteed $800,000 per. According to the Seattle Times, he made 350 grand as a rookie head coach last season. At the same time, WSU football head coach Bill Doba, in his fifth year, earns $440,000.
6. The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that the new arena in Kent, Wash., isn’t likely to be ready before January 2009, meaning the Seattle Thunderbirds will have to remain in the KeyArena a while longer than planned. The Thunderbirds, who have agreed to a 30-year lease in Kent, had hoped to open the 2008-09 season in the new facility. Construction was to begin today (July 30). A problem getting steel delivered to the site is being blamed for the delay. There also would appear to be a problem with naming rights as Amiga Inc., the software maker that is based in Kent and New York City, has yet to come across with some cash. Amiga was to cough up $2.5 million by today to keep its 20-year, $10-million deal for naming rights. But the city hasn’t yet seen any money.
7. Jeff Bromley of the Kootenay News Advertiser has confirmed that former Ice assistant coach Brad Lauer has joined the coaching staff of the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Lauer left the Ice to become GM/head coach of the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. “It’s been quite a summer,” Lauer told Bromley. “With all the interviews in the WHL and then the Port Alberni job being offered to me . . . which I accepted. The job offer was under new ownership which was accepted (by the BCHL’s board of governors) Friday. But under the (Alberni Valley) deal I was allowed to pursue other jobs if something came up and out of the blue I got a call from Nashville and was told I was on a short list of five or six candidates on (Lane Lambert’s) list of possible assistants.” The Admirals are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Nashville Predators. Lambert and Lauer, both of whom are from Melfort, Sask., have been friends since playing together with the Cleveland Lumberjacks in the defunct IHL. Lauer, who spent five seasons with the Ice, admitted he was disappointed at not being considered as the next head coach, a position that opened up when Cory Clouston left for the AHL’s Binghamton Senators. Lauer told Bromley that Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth “wants the next guy to have head-coaching experience and that’s the thing I don’t have. I’m not 100 per cent sold on that but that’s not my call. It’s his decision and I’m fine with that.” All of which means that ex-Portland head coach Mike Williamson has to be the leading candidate to replace Clouston.
8. The San Antonio Rampage’s website shows the positions of general manager, head coach and assistant coach as being vacant. The Rampage, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, were coached by Pat Conacher last season. It’s expected that Brad Treliving, the Coyotes’ newly signed assistant GM, will be the Rampage’s GM. The Coyotes are believed to have offered the head coaching job to Willie Desjardins, the head coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers, who has yet to make a decision. I was told today that the Rampage has one year left on its affiliation agreement with the Coyotes, something that could be a problem in terms of Desjardins making a decision.
9. Chris Dilks at westerncollegehockey.blogspot.com reports that D Keith Seabrook is leaving the U of Denver and has signed with the Calgary Hitmen. The younger brother of Chicago Blackhawks D Brent Seabrook, Keith was a second-round selection by the Washington Capitals in the NHL's 2006 draft. Keith had 13 points in 37 games with Denver last season. He was the 109th pick in the 2003 WHL bantam draft.
2. The price of gas in Hope, which is two hours west of Kamloops, was 99.9 cents a litre on Sunday. The price in Kamloops was $1.12.9, which means the gouging continues. And just wait until the Canadian oil companies start declaring their profits. . . . In the U.S., Chevron announced Friday that it earned US$5.38 billion during the three months ending June 30. That was the best quarter in company history and was a 24-per-cent increase over the same quarter last year. The five big oil companies in the U.S. -- Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Conoco-Phillips, BP and Royal Dutch Shell -- combined to earn $32 billion in the second quarter.
3. Nice photo at tmz.com of NHLer Mike Comrie and Hilary Duff strolling hand-in-hand in Santa Monica, Calif. Yes, they are an item and how sweet is that? While she has a hockey name, she isn’t related to Hall of Famer Dick Duff, nor is she related to longtime hockey writer Bob Duff of the Windsor Star. She presently is on tour and is to stop in Edmonton on Wednesday. The betting here is that there will be boos. On second thought, forget that -- because no one in the crowd is likely to be old enough to remember Comrie’s messy departure from his hometown.
4. There is nothing better in the U.S. than Sunday morning -- coffee, breakfast and a nice, juicy Sunday newspaper. I’m talking about a Sunday sports section that has some meat in it -- a columnist or two who are able to put together meaningful sentences and know something about grammar and have the ability to provide some food for thought; stories that provide something in the way of analysis; good notes packages; perhaps an editorial cartoon. And you have to love the mix of columnists throughout the rest of Sunday papers, too.
5. Found it interesting that Tony Bennett, the Washington State men’s basketball coach, signed a seven-year deal at a guaranteed $800,000 per. According to the Seattle Times, he made 350 grand as a rookie head coach last season. At the same time, WSU football head coach Bill Doba, in his fifth year, earns $440,000.
6. The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that the new arena in Kent, Wash., isn’t likely to be ready before January 2009, meaning the Seattle Thunderbirds will have to remain in the KeyArena a while longer than planned. The Thunderbirds, who have agreed to a 30-year lease in Kent, had hoped to open the 2008-09 season in the new facility. Construction was to begin today (July 30). A problem getting steel delivered to the site is being blamed for the delay. There also would appear to be a problem with naming rights as Amiga Inc., the software maker that is based in Kent and New York City, has yet to come across with some cash. Amiga was to cough up $2.5 million by today to keep its 20-year, $10-million deal for naming rights. But the city hasn’t yet seen any money.
7. Jeff Bromley of the Kootenay News Advertiser has confirmed that former Ice assistant coach Brad Lauer has joined the coaching staff of the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Lauer left the Ice to become GM/head coach of the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. “It’s been quite a summer,” Lauer told Bromley. “With all the interviews in the WHL and then the Port Alberni job being offered to me . . . which I accepted. The job offer was under new ownership which was accepted (by the BCHL’s board of governors) Friday. But under the (Alberni Valley) deal I was allowed to pursue other jobs if something came up and out of the blue I got a call from Nashville and was told I was on a short list of five or six candidates on (Lane Lambert’s) list of possible assistants.” The Admirals are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Nashville Predators. Lambert and Lauer, both of whom are from Melfort, Sask., have been friends since playing together with the Cleveland Lumberjacks in the defunct IHL. Lauer, who spent five seasons with the Ice, admitted he was disappointed at not being considered as the next head coach, a position that opened up when Cory Clouston left for the AHL’s Binghamton Senators. Lauer told Bromley that Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth “wants the next guy to have head-coaching experience and that’s the thing I don’t have. I’m not 100 per cent sold on that but that’s not my call. It’s his decision and I’m fine with that.” All of which means that ex-Portland head coach Mike Williamson has to be the leading candidate to replace Clouston.
8. The San Antonio Rampage’s website shows the positions of general manager, head coach and assistant coach as being vacant. The Rampage, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, were coached by Pat Conacher last season. It’s expected that Brad Treliving, the Coyotes’ newly signed assistant GM, will be the Rampage’s GM. The Coyotes are believed to have offered the head coaching job to Willie Desjardins, the head coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers, who has yet to make a decision. I was told today that the Rampage has one year left on its affiliation agreement with the Coyotes, something that could be a problem in terms of Desjardins making a decision.
9. Chris Dilks at westerncollegehockey.blogspot.com reports that D Keith Seabrook is leaving the U of Denver and has signed with the Calgary Hitmen. The younger brother of Chicago Blackhawks D Brent Seabrook, Keith was a second-round selection by the Washington Capitals in the NHL's 2006 draft. Keith had 13 points in 37 games with Denver last season. He was the 109th pick in the 2003 WHL bantam draft.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
From somewhere in Washington State
We are supposed to be in Yakima but ended up in Puyallup. We got to within 70 miles of Yakima before two rock slides forced us to turn around. And here we are on a Saturday night. Of course, there is a big-time car show here so it wasn't easy finding a hotel room . . . Anyway . . .
It seems former Kootenay Ice assistant coach Brad Lauer won't be joining the BCHL's Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Perhaps the restructuring took took long and he now appears headed to the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals as an assistant coach under head coach Lane Lambert.
Nothing new with the Portland Winter Hawks. Management apparently was down to two candidates but added two more on Friday or Saturday. They hope to have a decision within 10 days.
And it's official -- the Seattle Thunderbirds will be moving to Kent, with the city having OK'd the building of a 6,000-seat building that will cost almost $80 million. The Thunderbirds have agreed to a 30-year lease and should be in the new facility for 2008-09.
Dick Gibson will provide the analysis on Lethbridge Hurricanes broadcasts on 94.1 The Lounge this season. Gibson has a long history involving WHL teams, and has been the public address announcer for the Broncos and Hurricanes for 18 seasons. He also was the radio voice of the Brandon Wheat Kings when they went to the Memorial Cup in the spring of 1979. It's funny there's nothing in the press release announcing Gibson's appointment about the time he missed the Wheat Kings bus . . . likely just an oversight.
Former WHLer Wes Rypien has been named an assistant coach with the BCHL's Quesnel Millionaires. Rypien, 25, is the older brother of Rick, another former WHLer who now is in the Vancouver Canucks organization, and a nephew of ex-Super Bowl QB Mark Rypien.
It seems former Kootenay Ice assistant coach Brad Lauer won't be joining the BCHL's Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Perhaps the restructuring took took long and he now appears headed to the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals as an assistant coach under head coach Lane Lambert.
Nothing new with the Portland Winter Hawks. Management apparently was down to two candidates but added two more on Friday or Saturday. They hope to have a decision within 10 days.
And it's official -- the Seattle Thunderbirds will be moving to Kent, with the city having OK'd the building of a 6,000-seat building that will cost almost $80 million. The Thunderbirds have agreed to a 30-year lease and should be in the new facility for 2008-09.
Dick Gibson will provide the analysis on Lethbridge Hurricanes broadcasts on 94.1 The Lounge this season. Gibson has a long history involving WHL teams, and has been the public address announcer for the Broncos and Hurricanes for 18 seasons. He also was the radio voice of the Brandon Wheat Kings when they went to the Memorial Cup in the spring of 1979. It's funny there's nothing in the press release announcing Gibson's appointment about the time he missed the Wheat Kings bus . . . likely just an oversight.
Former WHLer Wes Rypien has been named an assistant coach with the BCHL's Quesnel Millionaires. Rypien, 25, is the older brother of Rick, another former WHLer who now is in the Vancouver Canucks organization, and a nephew of ex-Super Bowl QB Mark Rypien.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
More . . . from Portland
Above the fold on the front page of the Oregonian today: Lindsay Lohan, Michelle Wie and NBA commissioner David Stern. . . . Best line about Lindsay Lohan came from sports writer Ryan White: “Lindsay Lohan is our Tour de France.” . . . There were three Lohan-related stories in Wednesday’s paper. . . . Michelle Wie? She has accepted a sponsor’s exemption for the Safeway Classic in Portland, Aug. 24-26. After she misses the cut, perhaps she’ll visit the Winter Hawks’ training camp. . . . Stern was moaning about referee Tim Donaghy. “I feel betrayed by what happened on behalf of the sport,” Stern is quoted as saying. “What we have here is a rogue, isolated criminal.” . . . Interesting that Stern doesn’t mention the fans -- maybe they feel betrayed, too -- nor does he talk of innocent until proven guilty. . . . You have to think it was a quiet day in Portland if Lohan, Wie and Stern were the three biggest stories!
There are two Shell gas stations kitty corner from each other near our hotel in Portland. . . . One is selling unleaded for $2.85.9, $2.98.9, and $3.11.9, and diesel for $2.99.9. . . . The other’s prices are $2.89.9, $3.02.9, $3.15.9 and $3.09.9. . . . Gee, gasoline at different prices. What a novel idea! . . . It really does pay to shop around, and that certainly isn’t the case in the part of Canada I’m from.
Best part of Portland? Has to be Powell’s Books. Been there twice in two days and dropped some heavy coin.
Sorry. No hockey news today. You really are out of the loop when you visit here.
There are two Shell gas stations kitty corner from each other near our hotel in Portland. . . . One is selling unleaded for $2.85.9, $2.98.9, and $3.11.9, and diesel for $2.99.9. . . . The other’s prices are $2.89.9, $3.02.9, $3.15.9 and $3.09.9. . . . Gee, gasoline at different prices. What a novel idea! . . . It really does pay to shop around, and that certainly isn’t the case in the part of Canada I’m from.
Best part of Portland? Has to be Powell’s Books. Been there twice in two days and dropped some heavy coin.
Sorry. No hockey news today. You really are out of the loop when you visit here.
Live . . . from Portland
A couple of thoughts after a day spent searching for the Portland Winter Hawks' head coach, followed by a dip in the hot tub . . .
No real surprise that Ryan Huska now is the head coach of the Kelowna Rockets. GM Bruce Hamilton, never one to rush into anything, took his time, explored all of his options, couldn’t land Marc Habscheid and went with Huska. And regular readers here won’t have been surprised at the signing of Jeff Finley as assistant coach. Finley was mentioned here a couple of weeks ago.
What’s with the Calgary Herald and Sportsnet reporting Jarome Iginla’s involvement with River City Hockey Inc., as though it’s fresh news? Sheesh, should we tell those folks that story is at least two weeks old.
As reported here last week, Jim Hammett has left Hockey Canada and now is the New York Rangers’ head amateur scout. He replaces Gordie Clark, who now is director, player personnel. . . . As of Tuesday night, Hockey Canada’s website listed Hammett as head scout, but you’ve got to know that HC is looking.
Is anyone else amazed at how many trades are made in junior A hockey that involve players moving from a league in one province to a league in another province? The BCHL website shows some of its teams involved in seven transactions this month, all seven involving teams in other provinces -- Estevan, Kindersley, Notre Dame, Markham, Bancroft, Okotoks and Brooks. Hey, just asking . . .
The NFL has Michael Vick. The NBA has referee Tim Donaghy. Baseball has Barry Bonds. The NHL has . . .
I’m in Portland for a couple of days. Ikea is opening a store here today, one that is located near the airport. People have been camped out in anticipation. So many people are expected to show up that traffic patterns are expected to be altered.
The best part of traveling is seeing different newspapers. Portland readers may not know it but they are lucky to have three to absorb. The Oregonian, of course, is one of the best. The Portland Tribune, which publishes twice a week, is a real gem. And there also is The Columbian, a daily that is based across the river in Vancouver, Wash. Competition and different ownership, it would seem, makes each of these newspapers better. And each is an enjoyable read, so enjoyable, in fact, that I haven't even looked at USA TODAY.
Noel Freedman, a Seattle Times reader, made this point in a letter to the editor: “I’ve come to believe a perfect marriage would be a deaf man hitched to a blind woman.”
My wife and I headed south from Everett on I-5 at 4 p.m. And we lived to tell about it. But it was a good thing we didn’t have to be at a Thunderbirds’ game by 7. We might have missed the start. Now that’s traffic . . .
No real surprise that Ryan Huska now is the head coach of the Kelowna Rockets. GM Bruce Hamilton, never one to rush into anything, took his time, explored all of his options, couldn’t land Marc Habscheid and went with Huska. And regular readers here won’t have been surprised at the signing of Jeff Finley as assistant coach. Finley was mentioned here a couple of weeks ago.
What’s with the Calgary Herald and Sportsnet reporting Jarome Iginla’s involvement with River City Hockey Inc., as though it’s fresh news? Sheesh, should we tell those folks that story is at least two weeks old.
As reported here last week, Jim Hammett has left Hockey Canada and now is the New York Rangers’ head amateur scout. He replaces Gordie Clark, who now is director, player personnel. . . . As of Tuesday night, Hockey Canada’s website listed Hammett as head scout, but you’ve got to know that HC is looking.
Is anyone else amazed at how many trades are made in junior A hockey that involve players moving from a league in one province to a league in another province? The BCHL website shows some of its teams involved in seven transactions this month, all seven involving teams in other provinces -- Estevan, Kindersley, Notre Dame, Markham, Bancroft, Okotoks and Brooks. Hey, just asking . . .
The NFL has Michael Vick. The NBA has referee Tim Donaghy. Baseball has Barry Bonds. The NHL has . . .
I’m in Portland for a couple of days. Ikea is opening a store here today, one that is located near the airport. People have been camped out in anticipation. So many people are expected to show up that traffic patterns are expected to be altered.
The best part of traveling is seeing different newspapers. Portland readers may not know it but they are lucky to have three to absorb. The Oregonian, of course, is one of the best. The Portland Tribune, which publishes twice a week, is a real gem. And there also is The Columbian, a daily that is based across the river in Vancouver, Wash. Competition and different ownership, it would seem, makes each of these newspapers better. And each is an enjoyable read, so enjoyable, in fact, that I haven't even looked at USA TODAY.
Noel Freedman, a Seattle Times reader, made this point in a letter to the editor: “I’ve come to believe a perfect marriage would be a deaf man hitched to a blind woman.”
My wife and I headed south from Everett on I-5 at 4 p.m. And we lived to tell about it. But it was a good thing we didn’t have to be at a Thunderbirds’ game by 7. We might have missed the start. Now that’s traffic . . .
Monday, July 23, 2007
It's Huska
I interrupt this vacation to bring you a quick note . . . Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier reports that the Kelowna Rockets will name Ryan Huska as their head coach at a morning news conference.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Gone Fishin'
Firstly, I want to thank y’all for dropping by this site over the last couple of weeks. When I started this blog, I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction there would be. The number of visitors has been amazing and it has been great to hear from so many people who have found it to be an enjoyable stop. . . . I am going on vacation and you can bet I’ll continue here when I return. You can also rest assured that we are going to have some fun here once the hockey season gets rolling . . . In the meantime, Taking Note is on hiatus but will return . . . sometime around the August long weekend, if not sooner. See you then . . .
In the meantime . . .
If you read between the lines, it sounds as though Mike Williamson, the former head coach of the Portland Winter Hawks, wants to stay in the game. “I’ve enjoyed my time immensely,” he told the Columbian, a newspaper based in Vancouver, Wash. “Even in the tough times it’s such a great job. You get to work with and influence the lives of young people, which is gratifying. I’ve been able to work with so many great people, both on and off the ice.” . . . Williamson told the paper that, at least for now, he and his family will stay in Portland. He also said he will “hit the pavement” in search of a job. The Columbian added: “He said that at this point he isn’t a candidate for other coaching jobs.” . . . “I’m not sure now,” Williamson said. “(Hockey) is all I’ve ever done. If there’s an opportunity to stay in it, I’ll look at that.” . . . Write it down then -- if he hasn’t spoken with Kootenay GM Jeff Chynoweth by now, he will this week. And you’ve got to think that Williamson will have a word with Kelowna GM Bruce Hamilton, too. . . . I would hire Williamson in a flash to coach my hockey team. But I would hire an older, more mature assistant coach to work alongside him, one who at times could take some of the flame out of Williamson's fire.
I was told Sunday that Medicine Hat Tigers GM/head coach Willie Desjardins has been offered the head coaching position with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage by the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes and that a decision is expected this week. Desjardins, who treats the media like bats with rabies, will deny everything in Monday’s Medicine Hat News, has been on a vacation with his family. Guess where they have been vacationing? Yes, Phoenix.
Desjardins may also deny this but it seems that the Tigers may have nabbed a good one in F John Stampohar Jr., a 17-year-old from Hibbing, Minn. Stampohar, 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, was an honourable mention on the 2007 Associated Press all-state team. His father, John Sr., played a season with the Flin Flon Bombers (1976-77, getting three points and 172 penalty minutes). A lot of folks expected Junior to play one more season of high school hockey and then go the U.S. college route. Instead, he has chosen the Tigers.
Former WHLer Brad Wells, who spent the last seven seasons as an assistant coach with the Brandon Wheat Kings, will coach the midget AAA Wheat Kings this season. Wells, who also is a letter carrier for Canada Post, left the Wheat Kings earlier this month when he and Kelly McCrimmon, the team’s owner, GM and head coach, disagreed on the role Wells would fill. Wells may have this two sons -- Kyle, 17, and Taylor, 15 -- on his roster. The boys, both of whom will go to camp with the Kamloops Blazers, are roster candidates for the midget AAA team. Wells replaces Craig Anderson, who stepped aside after four seasons as head coach. The midget AAA Wheaties won the Canadian championship in 2004.
Next time you think you're having a bad day, think about whoever was responsible for CBC-TV's coverage of Sunday's FIFA U-20 World Cup final telecast from Toronto. It was Argentina vs. Czech Republic and it was 1-1 with the second half winding down. The Czech goaltender made a terrific save, so CBC showed us a replay. And, yes, while we were watching the replay, Argentina scored the championship-winning goal. CBC came back from the replay in time for viewers to watch the ball cross the goal-line but with no idea as to how it got there. Now that's a bad day! . . . That's kind of like televising all the games through the Stanley Cup playoffs and missing the Cup-winning goal because you're showing a replay.
In the meantime . . .
If you read between the lines, it sounds as though Mike Williamson, the former head coach of the Portland Winter Hawks, wants to stay in the game. “I’ve enjoyed my time immensely,” he told the Columbian, a newspaper based in Vancouver, Wash. “Even in the tough times it’s such a great job. You get to work with and influence the lives of young people, which is gratifying. I’ve been able to work with so many great people, both on and off the ice.” . . . Williamson told the paper that, at least for now, he and his family will stay in Portland. He also said he will “hit the pavement” in search of a job. The Columbian added: “He said that at this point he isn’t a candidate for other coaching jobs.” . . . “I’m not sure now,” Williamson said. “(Hockey) is all I’ve ever done. If there’s an opportunity to stay in it, I’ll look at that.” . . . Write it down then -- if he hasn’t spoken with Kootenay GM Jeff Chynoweth by now, he will this week. And you’ve got to think that Williamson will have a word with Kelowna GM Bruce Hamilton, too. . . . I would hire Williamson in a flash to coach my hockey team. But I would hire an older, more mature assistant coach to work alongside him, one who at times could take some of the flame out of Williamson's fire.
I was told Sunday that Medicine Hat Tigers GM/head coach Willie Desjardins has been offered the head coaching position with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage by the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes and that a decision is expected this week. Desjardins, who treats the media like bats with rabies, will deny everything in Monday’s Medicine Hat News, has been on a vacation with his family. Guess where they have been vacationing? Yes, Phoenix.
Desjardins may also deny this but it seems that the Tigers may have nabbed a good one in F John Stampohar Jr., a 17-year-old from Hibbing, Minn. Stampohar, 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, was an honourable mention on the 2007 Associated Press all-state team. His father, John Sr., played a season with the Flin Flon Bombers (1976-77, getting three points and 172 penalty minutes). A lot of folks expected Junior to play one more season of high school hockey and then go the U.S. college route. Instead, he has chosen the Tigers.
Former WHLer Brad Wells, who spent the last seven seasons as an assistant coach with the Brandon Wheat Kings, will coach the midget AAA Wheat Kings this season. Wells, who also is a letter carrier for Canada Post, left the Wheat Kings earlier this month when he and Kelly McCrimmon, the team’s owner, GM and head coach, disagreed on the role Wells would fill. Wells may have this two sons -- Kyle, 17, and Taylor, 15 -- on his roster. The boys, both of whom will go to camp with the Kamloops Blazers, are roster candidates for the midget AAA team. Wells replaces Craig Anderson, who stepped aside after four seasons as head coach. The midget AAA Wheaties won the Canadian championship in 2004.
Next time you think you're having a bad day, think about whoever was responsible for CBC-TV's coverage of Sunday's FIFA U-20 World Cup final telecast from Toronto. It was Argentina vs. Czech Republic and it was 1-1 with the second half winding down. The Czech goaltender made a terrific save, so CBC showed us a replay. And, yes, while we were watching the replay, Argentina scored the championship-winning goal. CBC came back from the replay in time for viewers to watch the ball cross the goal-line but with no idea as to how it got there. Now that's a bad day! . . . That's kind of like televising all the games through the Stanley Cup playoffs and missing the Cup-winning goal because you're showing a replay.
Ten questions . . .
1. Whatever did Saskatchewan Roughriders fans do to deserve the pain and suffering to which their favourite CFL team constantly subjects them. Only the Roughies would take a 20-1 lead over the hated Edmonton Eskimos and ultimately lose the game 21-20, which is what happened Friday in the Alberta capital.
2. With a different officiating crew, would the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have beaten the B.C. Lions in Vancouver on Thursday night?
3. If you own the Portland Winter Hawks and you’re going to dump your veteran head coach in mid-July, why don’t you do it in April and allow yourself the extra time to find a successor? Now, with training camp about five weeks away, you’re without a head coach and a director of player personnel. The good news is that your two assistant coaches are signed for another season.
4. If you are Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi and you’re heading up River City Hockey Inc., and you are trying, again, to purchase the Kamloops Blazers, why do you allow ex-Blazers president Colin Day to hitch his wagon to your show? During Day’s presidency, funny things happened, like the office manager defrauding the organization of about $1 million. You may recall that Day was forced to resign as president after Loy Hoffbeck, a member of the board of directors, brought it to the board’s attention that Day had been writing cheques to himself from team accounts. The money apparently was repaid but . . .
5. Why did the Blazers’ board of directors decide not to swallow a poison pill? Blazers president Murray Owen announced Wednesday that GM/head coach Dean Clark, assistant GM/assistant coach Shane Zulyniak, assistant coach Andrew Milne and director of marketing Dave Chyzowski had signed new contracts. The Blazers issued a press release announcing the “signing” of the foursome “to three-year contracts which run until the end of the 2009-10 WHL season.” Sources told me that all four contracts were to run for two years, with the team holding an option on a third year, if the franchise wasn’t sold, and that the third year in each contract was to be guaranteed if the franchise was sold. Asked at the time if the contracts, which would be worth more than $1 million in total, were a poison pill, Owen said that he couldn’t say anything and that the wording “was under review.” Gaglardi expressed dismay and called the deals a poison pill. Now a source with knowledge of the situation has told me that the board has reversed its field and has refused to guarantee the third year under any circumstances. That being the case, you’ve got to wonder just how long the current Kamloops coaching staff will remain in place.
6. If you’re Mike Williamson and you’ve got a degree in marketing from the U of Portland, do you take a break from coaching, find work in another field and discover what family life is like during hockey season? Or do you push hard for the job as head coach of the Kootenay Ice?
7. What is the over-under in weeks of general manager Ken Hodge’s remaining shelf life in Portland?
8. When the Providence Bruins already have a head coach (Scott Gordon), why are there so many rumours about Marc Habscheid being named head coach of Boston’s AHL affiliate?
9. The Calgary Flames are having scout Al Tuer relocate from Cowtown to Vernon, B.C. It’s worth pointing out that Glen Cochrane, another NHL scout, works out of Kelowna. When they were players, they didn’t come any tougher than those two hombres, so how much would you have paid to watch those two battle for puck in a corner during the prime of their careers?
10. How many current WHL coaches have spoken with Phoenix Coyotes GM Don Maloney, who is looking for a head coach for the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage?
2. With a different officiating crew, would the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have beaten the B.C. Lions in Vancouver on Thursday night?
3. If you own the Portland Winter Hawks and you’re going to dump your veteran head coach in mid-July, why don’t you do it in April and allow yourself the extra time to find a successor? Now, with training camp about five weeks away, you’re without a head coach and a director of player personnel. The good news is that your two assistant coaches are signed for another season.
4. If you are Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi and you’re heading up River City Hockey Inc., and you are trying, again, to purchase the Kamloops Blazers, why do you allow ex-Blazers president Colin Day to hitch his wagon to your show? During Day’s presidency, funny things happened, like the office manager defrauding the organization of about $1 million. You may recall that Day was forced to resign as president after Loy Hoffbeck, a member of the board of directors, brought it to the board’s attention that Day had been writing cheques to himself from team accounts. The money apparently was repaid but . . .
5. Why did the Blazers’ board of directors decide not to swallow a poison pill? Blazers president Murray Owen announced Wednesday that GM/head coach Dean Clark, assistant GM/assistant coach Shane Zulyniak, assistant coach Andrew Milne and director of marketing Dave Chyzowski had signed new contracts. The Blazers issued a press release announcing the “signing” of the foursome “to three-year contracts which run until the end of the 2009-10 WHL season.” Sources told me that all four contracts were to run for two years, with the team holding an option on a third year, if the franchise wasn’t sold, and that the third year in each contract was to be guaranteed if the franchise was sold. Asked at the time if the contracts, which would be worth more than $1 million in total, were a poison pill, Owen said that he couldn’t say anything and that the wording “was under review.” Gaglardi expressed dismay and called the deals a poison pill. Now a source with knowledge of the situation has told me that the board has reversed its field and has refused to guarantee the third year under any circumstances. That being the case, you’ve got to wonder just how long the current Kamloops coaching staff will remain in place.
6. If you’re Mike Williamson and you’ve got a degree in marketing from the U of Portland, do you take a break from coaching, find work in another field and discover what family life is like during hockey season? Or do you push hard for the job as head coach of the Kootenay Ice?
7. What is the over-under in weeks of general manager Ken Hodge’s remaining shelf life in Portland?
8. When the Providence Bruins already have a head coach (Scott Gordon), why are there so many rumours about Marc Habscheid being named head coach of Boston’s AHL affiliate?
9. The Calgary Flames are having scout Al Tuer relocate from Cowtown to Vernon, B.C. It’s worth pointing out that Glen Cochrane, another NHL scout, works out of Kelowna. When they were players, they didn’t come any tougher than those two hombres, so how much would you have paid to watch those two battle for puck in a corner during the prime of their careers?
10. How many current WHL coaches have spoken with Phoenix Coyotes GM Don Maloney, who is looking for a head coach for the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage?
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Keeping Score
From The Daily News of Saturday, July 21:
The Philadelphia Phillies lost their 10,000th game last weekend and Harold Herman, a 90-year-old fan, knows what went wrong. "It figures we
got Vince (DiMaggio), not Joe or Dom,” he told Sports Illustrated. “When
brothers played in the majors, the Phillies usually wound up with the one
who produced less. We had Harry Coveleski instead of Stan, Irish Meusel
instead of Bob, Frank Torre instead of Joe, Ken Brett instead of George,
Mike Maddux instead of Greg, Rick Surhoff instead of B.J., and Jeremy Giambi
instead of Jason. If there had been a Zeppo Alou, the Phillies would have
signed him.” . . . After loss No. 10,000 -- sheesh, think about that for a
moment or two -- the Philadelphia Daily News headlined its story: Distink
Honor.
Earlier this season, the Los Angeles Dodgers had Victoria Beckham throw out
the ceremonial first pitch at one of their home games. And what do you think
Mr. Dodger, Tommy Lasorda, had to say to Posh? According to the L.A. Times,
Lasorda offered: "You're a beautiful lady, but you're even more beautiful
wearing that Dodgers jacket." . . . No word on whether she was buying
whatever it was he was selling. . . . Mike Bianchi, in the Orlando Sentinel:
"The 2014 Winter Olympics have been awarded to Sochi, Russia, which sits on
the Black Sea and is referred to by locals as 'the Russian Riviera.' Russian
Riviera? That might be the worst oxymoron since 'family vacation.' ” . . .
When TRU’s soccer teams move to the CIS for the 2009 season, you’ve got to
think there’s a pretty good chance that Tom McManus will be involved with
coaching the women’s team, don’t you?
Darcy Tucker, the little ball of hate who once played for your Kamloops
Blazers, did some acting last week and it wasn’t on the ice. He taped an
episode of CBC’s Little Mosque on the Prairie that is to be shown at a
future date. . . . The Denver Post’s Jim Armstrong isn’t sold on David
Beckham as soccer’s saviour over here. “Come on,” Armstrong writes. “Haven’t
we been there, done this? Unless David Beckham walked here from England, he
isn’t about to turn soccer into the next big thing in the U.S.” . . .
Comedian Argus Hamilton has his own take on Beckham's arrival to boost
interest in soccer on this side of the big pond: "Just another example of
hiring an immigrant to do a job Americans refuse to do."
Gary Player, at 71 years young, plays on the Champions Tour and, ’tis said,
he still does as many as 1,000 abdominal crunches each day. Noted Joe Garvey
of the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot: "John Daly, 41, looks like he does at
least 1,000 Nestle Crunches a day." . . . Congrats to Kamloops Blazers
assistant coach Andrew Milne and Erin Breitkreutz, who are to be married
tomorrow. It’s all happening at Spruce Meadows near Calgary -- yes, the
horses will all have been put away. Nothing like a new three-year contract
as a wedding present, either. . . . With the Seattle Mariners paying big
money to Ichiro, Florida Marlins president David Samson wasn't happy. "It's
a joke, it's inexcusable, it's complete mismanagement," said Samson. "It
can't be true." Gee, who would have known that Samson's weakness was a
US$90-million contract?
Notah Begay III and Tiger Woods were teammates on the Stanford golf team.
"One thing I tease Tiger about is that I did graduate with my degree,” Begay
told the Los Angeles Times. “He didn't, but he got his Masters a lot earlier
than I have." . . . After he graduates from Beverley Hills High next year,
Romeo Miller, the starting point guard on school’s basketball team, will
head for USC. Romeo Miller? He's the 17-year-old son of rapper Master P.
Romeo also is known as Lil' Romeo. Oh, and the kid tells People magazine
that because of those four albums he has on shelves, and that TV show he
does and that clothing line, well, he's got US$50 million in the bank. . . .
The New York Mets juggled their coaching staff during the all-star break,
firing hitting coach Rick Downs and replacing him with Howard Johnson. . . .
Headline at Fark.com: Howard Johnson named batting coach for N.Y. Mets.
Orange dugout roof scheduled to be installed this weekend.
With the Chicago White Sox in the midst of an abysmal season, fingers are
starting to point. “It gets to the point where you just laugh,” left-hander
Mark Buehrle said. “Knowing (general manager Kenny Williams), I wouldn't be
surprised if the whole bullpen goes. They need to ship some guys out soon.”
. . . You’ve got to wonder if the bullpen goes before ranting manager Ozzie
Guillen does. . . . Bob Molinaro of the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot writes that Mark
Cuban won’t ever be allowed to own the Cubs. “Baseball's fuddy-duddy power
structure will never allow Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to buy the
Chicago Cubs," noted Molinaro. "Whatever else you think of him, Cuban is a
21st-century thinker trying to break into a sport that, in some ways, still
embraces the ’90s. The 1890s." . . . You may have noticed that Baltimore
Orioles southpaw Erik Bedard struck out 15 Texas Rangers a couple of weeks
ago. Neil Munro of North Bay, Ont., has that as a record for a Canadian in the major leagues.
Ferguson Jenkins struck out 14 on three occasions. . . . That same weekend,
Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau had a three-home run game,
something that fellow-Canadian Larry Walker did three times during his
career, according to the Toronto Sun's Bob Elliott.
Mike Lupica, in the New York Daily News: "You know who's a happy guy,
despite the Yankees' mediocre record? A-Rod. Because it's all about him
now." . . . One more from Lupica: "Until Prince William officially patches
it up with Kate Middleton, I think Prince Fielder is having a much better
year." . . . Greg Cote, in the Miami Herald: “Dallas Mavericks owner Mark
Cuban has applied to buy the Chicago Cubs. To show he’s serious, Cuban
already has begun criticizing NL umpires.” . . . The last word this week
goes to Cote: “Had the weirdest dream last night. Dreamt that Pacman Jones
was bitten by Michael Vick’s dog while trying to steal Tank Johnson’s gun.”
The Philadelphia Phillies lost their 10,000th game last weekend and Harold Herman, a 90-year-old fan, knows what went wrong. "It figures we
got Vince (DiMaggio), not Joe or Dom,” he told Sports Illustrated. “When
brothers played in the majors, the Phillies usually wound up with the one
who produced less. We had Harry Coveleski instead of Stan, Irish Meusel
instead of Bob, Frank Torre instead of Joe, Ken Brett instead of George,
Mike Maddux instead of Greg, Rick Surhoff instead of B.J., and Jeremy Giambi
instead of Jason. If there had been a Zeppo Alou, the Phillies would have
signed him.” . . . After loss No. 10,000 -- sheesh, think about that for a
moment or two -- the Philadelphia Daily News headlined its story: Distink
Honor.
Earlier this season, the Los Angeles Dodgers had Victoria Beckham throw out
the ceremonial first pitch at one of their home games. And what do you think
Mr. Dodger, Tommy Lasorda, had to say to Posh? According to the L.A. Times,
Lasorda offered: "You're a beautiful lady, but you're even more beautiful
wearing that Dodgers jacket." . . . No word on whether she was buying
whatever it was he was selling. . . . Mike Bianchi, in the Orlando Sentinel:
"The 2014 Winter Olympics have been awarded to Sochi, Russia, which sits on
the Black Sea and is referred to by locals as 'the Russian Riviera.' Russian
Riviera? That might be the worst oxymoron since 'family vacation.' ” . . .
When TRU’s soccer teams move to the CIS for the 2009 season, you’ve got to
think there’s a pretty good chance that Tom McManus will be involved with
coaching the women’s team, don’t you?
Darcy Tucker, the little ball of hate who once played for your Kamloops
Blazers, did some acting last week and it wasn’t on the ice. He taped an
episode of CBC’s Little Mosque on the Prairie that is to be shown at a
future date. . . . The Denver Post’s Jim Armstrong isn’t sold on David
Beckham as soccer’s saviour over here. “Come on,” Armstrong writes. “Haven’t
we been there, done this? Unless David Beckham walked here from England, he
isn’t about to turn soccer into the next big thing in the U.S.” . . .
Comedian Argus Hamilton has his own take on Beckham's arrival to boost
interest in soccer on this side of the big pond: "Just another example of
hiring an immigrant to do a job Americans refuse to do."
Gary Player, at 71 years young, plays on the Champions Tour and, ’tis said,
he still does as many as 1,000 abdominal crunches each day. Noted Joe Garvey
of the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot: "John Daly, 41, looks like he does at
least 1,000 Nestle Crunches a day." . . . Congrats to Kamloops Blazers
assistant coach Andrew Milne and Erin Breitkreutz, who are to be married
tomorrow. It’s all happening at Spruce Meadows near Calgary -- yes, the
horses will all have been put away. Nothing like a new three-year contract
as a wedding present, either. . . . With the Seattle Mariners paying big
money to Ichiro, Florida Marlins president David Samson wasn't happy. "It's
a joke, it's inexcusable, it's complete mismanagement," said Samson. "It
can't be true." Gee, who would have known that Samson's weakness was a
US$90-million contract?
Notah Begay III and Tiger Woods were teammates on the Stanford golf team.
"One thing I tease Tiger about is that I did graduate with my degree,” Begay
told the Los Angeles Times. “He didn't, but he got his Masters a lot earlier
than I have." . . . After he graduates from Beverley Hills High next year,
Romeo Miller, the starting point guard on school’s basketball team, will
head for USC. Romeo Miller? He's the 17-year-old son of rapper Master P.
Romeo also is known as Lil' Romeo. Oh, and the kid tells People magazine
that because of those four albums he has on shelves, and that TV show he
does and that clothing line, well, he's got US$50 million in the bank. . . .
The New York Mets juggled their coaching staff during the all-star break,
firing hitting coach Rick Downs and replacing him with Howard Johnson. . . .
Headline at Fark.com: Howard Johnson named batting coach for N.Y. Mets.
Orange dugout roof scheduled to be installed this weekend.
With the Chicago White Sox in the midst of an abysmal season, fingers are
starting to point. “It gets to the point where you just laugh,” left-hander
Mark Buehrle said. “Knowing (general manager Kenny Williams), I wouldn't be
surprised if the whole bullpen goes. They need to ship some guys out soon.”
. . . You’ve got to wonder if the bullpen goes before ranting manager Ozzie
Guillen does. . . . Bob Molinaro of the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot writes that Mark
Cuban won’t ever be allowed to own the Cubs. “Baseball's fuddy-duddy power
structure will never allow Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to buy the
Chicago Cubs," noted Molinaro. "Whatever else you think of him, Cuban is a
21st-century thinker trying to break into a sport that, in some ways, still
embraces the ’90s. The 1890s." . . . You may have noticed that Baltimore
Orioles southpaw Erik Bedard struck out 15 Texas Rangers a couple of weeks
ago. Neil Munro of North Bay, Ont., has that as a record for a Canadian in the major leagues.
Ferguson Jenkins struck out 14 on three occasions. . . . That same weekend,
Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau had a three-home run game,
something that fellow-Canadian Larry Walker did three times during his
career, according to the Toronto Sun's Bob Elliott.
Mike Lupica, in the New York Daily News: "You know who's a happy guy,
despite the Yankees' mediocre record? A-Rod. Because it's all about him
now." . . . One more from Lupica: "Until Prince William officially patches
it up with Kate Middleton, I think Prince Fielder is having a much better
year." . . . Greg Cote, in the Miami Herald: “Dallas Mavericks owner Mark
Cuban has applied to buy the Chicago Cubs. To show he’s serious, Cuban
already has begun criticizing NL umpires.” . . . The last word this week
goes to Cote: “Had the weirdest dream last night. Dreamt that Pacman Jones
was bitten by Michael Vick’s dog while trying to steal Tank Johnson’s gun.”
Friday, July 20, 2007
Friday's happenings
As expected, the Swift Current Broncos have signed Tim Kehler as their assistant coach, replacing Drew Hunchak, who now is the head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors. Kehler spent the last three seasons as the general manager/head coach of the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters, going 88-61-21 in the process.
The Kamloops Blazers have signed F Brendan Ranford, their first pick, 15th overall, in the 2007 bantam draft. A nephew of former WHL/NHL G Bill Ranford, Brendan had 108 points, including 58 goals, with the bantam AAA Edmonton CAC Canadians last season.
There is another coaching vacancy in the WHL with word that Sean Crowther has left the Vancouver Giants “to pursue other opportunities,” according to the team. He had been with the Giants for two seasons. . . . The Giants also have announced the hiring of Grant Ferguson as equipment manager. He had been with the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings. Earlier, Ferguson spent seven seasons as trainer/equipment manager with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
There is an opening in the OHL with Mike Stothers, the Owen Sound Attack’s head coach since 2002-03, having been named head coach of the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins earlier this week. And there continue to be rumblings that Medicine Hat Tigers GM/head coach Willie Desjardins is close to a deal with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes to take over as head coach of their AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. Should that happen, the Tigers are expected to name Brad McEwen as general manager, with associate coach Shaun Clouston becoming head coach. . . . McEwen once was the Tigers’ head coach, signing on Aug. 8, 1995 -- he replaced Perry Pearn -- and lasting five months before GM Dennis Polonich fired him and assistants Brian Varga and Ryan Switzer. The Tigers were 12-24-4 at the time. Joe Canale, who had been fired Dec. 26, 1995, by the QMJHL’s Beauport Harfangs, replaced McEwen behind the bench.
No news out of Portland concerning a head coach; at least, not yet. Mike Williamson, whose contract as head coach wasn’t renewed earlier this week, has yet to comment publicly, at least not in print. Also interesting is that the two assistant coaches, Brian Pellerin and Kyle Gustafson, are under contract for the 2007-08 season.
The Brandon Wheat Kings Alumni Association, along with the Wheat Kings, have scheduled a barbecue for Aug. 14 with all proceeds going to help Rob Stouffer, the WHL team’s trainer. The Bud, Spud and Steak Barbecue goes Aug, 14, 5 to 9 p.m., in the Great Western Road House Bar and Grill at Canad Inns Brandon. Tickets are $15 a pop. Stouffer, who has been with the Wheat Kings since 2000, was diagnosed with liver cancer in February. He is in Winnipeg undergoing treatment. Call the Wheat Kings’ office -- 204-726-3535 -- for tickets or more info, like how to make a donation if you can’t get there.
Former WHL D Ross Lupaschuk (Prince Albert/Red Deer) has signed to play for Avangard Omsk in the Russian Superliga. He played in Finland’s top league last season, helping his club win the Finnish championship. Former WHL G Alexander Fomitchev (Calgary/Seattle) also plays for Avangard, a club that is owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Among Abramovich‘s holdings is the Chelsea soccer club. . . . By the way, our Russian correspondent reports that F Zigmund Palffy has ended his retirement and will join former Regina D Filip Novak with HK 36 Skalica in Slovakia. That is Palffy’s hometown team.
With Jim Hammett leaving as Hockey Canada’s head scout to join the New York Rangers (watch for that announcement next week), you have to wonder if Sheldon Ferguson won’t go back to Hockey Canada. Ferguson, who once was HC’s head scout, left the Carolina Hurricanes to sign on as GM of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit earlier this month. But he vacated that position five days later citing personal reasons.
The Kamloops Blazers have signed F Brendan Ranford, their first pick, 15th overall, in the 2007 bantam draft. A nephew of former WHL/NHL G Bill Ranford, Brendan had 108 points, including 58 goals, with the bantam AAA Edmonton CAC Canadians last season.
There is another coaching vacancy in the WHL with word that Sean Crowther has left the Vancouver Giants “to pursue other opportunities,” according to the team. He had been with the Giants for two seasons. . . . The Giants also have announced the hiring of Grant Ferguson as equipment manager. He had been with the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings. Earlier, Ferguson spent seven seasons as trainer/equipment manager with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
There is an opening in the OHL with Mike Stothers, the Owen Sound Attack’s head coach since 2002-03, having been named head coach of the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins earlier this week. And there continue to be rumblings that Medicine Hat Tigers GM/head coach Willie Desjardins is close to a deal with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes to take over as head coach of their AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. Should that happen, the Tigers are expected to name Brad McEwen as general manager, with associate coach Shaun Clouston becoming head coach. . . . McEwen once was the Tigers’ head coach, signing on Aug. 8, 1995 -- he replaced Perry Pearn -- and lasting five months before GM Dennis Polonich fired him and assistants Brian Varga and Ryan Switzer. The Tigers were 12-24-4 at the time. Joe Canale, who had been fired Dec. 26, 1995, by the QMJHL’s Beauport Harfangs, replaced McEwen behind the bench.
No news out of Portland concerning a head coach; at least, not yet. Mike Williamson, whose contract as head coach wasn’t renewed earlier this week, has yet to comment publicly, at least not in print. Also interesting is that the two assistant coaches, Brian Pellerin and Kyle Gustafson, are under contract for the 2007-08 season.
The Brandon Wheat Kings Alumni Association, along with the Wheat Kings, have scheduled a barbecue for Aug. 14 with all proceeds going to help Rob Stouffer, the WHL team’s trainer. The Bud, Spud and Steak Barbecue goes Aug, 14, 5 to 9 p.m., in the Great Western Road House Bar and Grill at Canad Inns Brandon. Tickets are $15 a pop. Stouffer, who has been with the Wheat Kings since 2000, was diagnosed with liver cancer in February. He is in Winnipeg undergoing treatment. Call the Wheat Kings’ office -- 204-726-3535 -- for tickets or more info, like how to make a donation if you can’t get there.
Former WHL D Ross Lupaschuk (Prince Albert/Red Deer) has signed to play for Avangard Omsk in the Russian Superliga. He played in Finland’s top league last season, helping his club win the Finnish championship. Former WHL G Alexander Fomitchev (Calgary/Seattle) also plays for Avangard, a club that is owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Among Abramovich‘s holdings is the Chelsea soccer club. . . . By the way, our Russian correspondent reports that F Zigmund Palffy has ended his retirement and will join former Regina D Filip Novak with HK 36 Skalica in Slovakia. That is Palffy’s hometown team.
With Jim Hammett leaving as Hockey Canada’s head scout to join the New York Rangers (watch for that announcement next week), you have to wonder if Sheldon Ferguson won’t go back to Hockey Canada. Ferguson, who once was HC’s head scout, left the Carolina Hurricanes to sign on as GM of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit earlier this month. But he vacated that position five days later citing personal reasons.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Thursday's update
Might the Medicine Hat Tigers need a general manager and head coach before too long? There are rumblings that GM/head coach Willie Desjardins has had discussions with the Phoenix Coyotes, who are looking for a head coach for their AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage.
Yes, Mike Williamson is the leading candidate to replace Cory Clouston as head coach of the Kootenay Ice. Clouston was introduced today as head coach of the AHL’s Binghamton Senators.
Boaz Herzog, writing in today’s Oregonian, following Williamson’s departure from the Portland Winter Hawks: “Jim Goldsmith, the team's principal owner, said he initiated ‘deep discussions’ Wednesday morning with three potential candidates to replace Williamson. (Goldsmith) said he expects to name a new head coach within one week to 10 days, well before the club's training camp begins the third week of August.”
Barry Trapp, who has a long history of involvement with hockey in Western Canada, is back in the game. Trapp, a former Regina Pats coach whose game has long been scouting, will be touring the west again, this time on behalf of Phoenix. Trapp’s last coaching job was with the Toronto Maple Leafs but he is perhaps best known for his work as Hockey Canada’s head scout. It’ll be great to see Trapper back in the rink.
On the subject of Hockey Canada, sources confirm that its head scout, Kelowna-based Jim Hammett, is about to make a move to the New York Rangers. Look for an announcement from the Rangers sometime next week. Hammett was the Colorado Avalanche's head scout before moving to Hockey Canada.
D David Schlemko, who has played three seasons with Medicine Hat, has signed a three-year deal with Phoenix. Schlemko, 20, had 58 points and 78 penalty minutes in 64 games with the Tigers last season and was named to the Eastern Conference‘s second all-star team.
The Coyotes also signed Brad Treliving to a multi-year deal as assistant general manager, under GM Don Maloney. Treliving, 37, has been president of the Central Hockey League for seven years. You may recall that Treliving and former WHL coach Rick Kozuback founded the Western Professional Hockey League in 1996. Treliving, who is from Penticton, had WHL stints with Portland, Brandon, Spokane and Regina.
Yes, Mike Williamson is the leading candidate to replace Cory Clouston as head coach of the Kootenay Ice. Clouston was introduced today as head coach of the AHL’s Binghamton Senators.
Boaz Herzog, writing in today’s Oregonian, following Williamson’s departure from the Portland Winter Hawks: “Jim Goldsmith, the team's principal owner, said he initiated ‘deep discussions’ Wednesday morning with three potential candidates to replace Williamson. (Goldsmith) said he expects to name a new head coach within one week to 10 days, well before the club's training camp begins the third week of August.”
Barry Trapp, who has a long history of involvement with hockey in Western Canada, is back in the game. Trapp, a former Regina Pats coach whose game has long been scouting, will be touring the west again, this time on behalf of Phoenix. Trapp’s last coaching job was with the Toronto Maple Leafs but he is perhaps best known for his work as Hockey Canada’s head scout. It’ll be great to see Trapper back in the rink.
On the subject of Hockey Canada, sources confirm that its head scout, Kelowna-based Jim Hammett, is about to make a move to the New York Rangers. Look for an announcement from the Rangers sometime next week. Hammett was the Colorado Avalanche's head scout before moving to Hockey Canada.
D David Schlemko, who has played three seasons with Medicine Hat, has signed a three-year deal with Phoenix. Schlemko, 20, had 58 points and 78 penalty minutes in 64 games with the Tigers last season and was named to the Eastern Conference‘s second all-star team.
The Coyotes also signed Brad Treliving to a multi-year deal as assistant general manager, under GM Don Maloney. Treliving, 37, has been president of the Central Hockey League for seven years. You may recall that Treliving and former WHL coach Rick Kozuback founded the Western Professional Hockey League in 1996. Treliving, who is from Penticton, had WHL stints with Portland, Brandon, Spokane and Regina.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Is it all about the constitution?
From The Daily News of Thursday, July 19
The future of the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society appears to hinge on one
paragraph in its constitution, a paragraph that was inserted through a
special resolution of members on June 7, 1989.
That clause reads:
“The purpose of the society (is) to own, manage and operate the Kamloops
Junior Hockey Club and to promote amateur and junior hockey in and around
the City of Kamloops.”
The society is the not-for-profit organization that operates the local WHL
franchise.
Murray Owen, the society’s president, told a news conference Wednesday in
the WHL team’s boardroom at the Interior Savings Centre that the board of
directors has called an extraordinary general meeting of members for Aug. 7
to deal specifically with that part of its constitution.
“We feel very strongly that if we are going to entertain the sale of the
Blazers, we need to change our constitution,” Owen said. “We don’t feel that
we can look at offers until that happens.”
The society’s membership will be asked at that meeting if it wishes to have
the constitution changed, a move that would then open the franchise up for
offers.
“If the constitution is changed,” Owen said, “it will most likely be focused
on the fact that the membership feels it is time to sell the club. If the
society sells the hockey club, then the purpose of this society will
drastically change because it will no longer operate the Kamloops Blazers.”
A letter including a notice of meeting and explaining its purpose has been
sent to all members.
Owen was adamant that the Aug. 7 meeting will deal with one topic.
“We’ll try to control the meeting in such a way that we will deal with one
issue and that is the constitution, whether we alter it or whether we keep
it as is,” he said.
While Owen was speaking, an offer to purchase the club arrived in the
Blazers’ office from River City Hockey Inc., the group headed up by
Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi.
This is the second offer RCH has made for the franchise. Its first offer,
made June 21, 2006, was for $6 million. The offer that arrived yesterday,
which RCH has posted on its website, is for $6,100,176 “less sums payable to
the shareholders of Kamloops Blazers Holdings Ltd.”
The $100,176 difference in the offers equals the value of a debenture held
by Kamloops Blazers Holdings Ltd., something that would be paid off by RCH.
Gaglardi’s lawsuit against Vancouver Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini and
former Canucks owner John McCaw, which is in recess, is to resume in
Vancouver on Aug. 7. However, Gaglardi, said “I think I’ll be (in
Kamloops).”
Gaglardi said RCH has received a different legal opinion than the society on
the constitutional matter.
According to Gaglardi, RCH got an opinion from Alan McEachern, the retired
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of B.C., “on whether the constitution of
the Blazers would permit the sale of the club.”
“He gave us an unconditional opinion without reservation that the team could
be sold without any changes required to its constitution,” Gaglardi said.
Since last summer, Gaglardi has purchased a share in Kamloops Blazers
Holdings Ltd., and now is a member of the society, as is former Blazers star
Mark Recchi, who is one of five partners in RCH. Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla
and Darryl Sydor, the other ex-Blazers involved, are believed to be in the
process of becoming members. Gaglardi also has support from an untold number
of other members.
The fact that society members are working to privatize the organization
concerns the board.
“I’m not a lawyer,” Owen said, “however, when you read the constitution and
members take action in such a way that would ultimately give them beneift, I
think they should look at their motives.”
The board, however, hasn’t asked for legal advice on the matter.
“We haven’t taken it to that level,” Owen said. “The legal advice we got was
centred around us having a constitution that we are obliged to uphold. The
only way we can change that is through our membership.”
Gaglardi said RCH hasn’t done anything wrong.
“It’s disappointing to us . . . to have to read in the paper that our acts
may be illegal,” he said. “We’ve done our homework to make sure that they’re
not.
“This is a desperate measure by the board. Hiding behind the constitution is
a joke.”
Yesterday’s news conference was attended by two people with ties to RCH.
Frank Quinn, a partner in the Kamloops law firm Bilkey Quinn, represents
RCH. Quinn took notes throughout the
news conference. Asked why he was in attendance, he replied: “I’m not going
to make any comment about why I’m here.”
Kate Stebbings of Communication Solutions Inc., a local media and public
relations firm which is working for RCH, also was there. Among Communication
Solutions’ responsibilities is the management of RCH’s website.
The future of the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society appears to hinge on one
paragraph in its constitution, a paragraph that was inserted through a
special resolution of members on June 7, 1989.
That clause reads:
“The purpose of the society (is) to own, manage and operate the Kamloops
Junior Hockey Club and to promote amateur and junior hockey in and around
the City of Kamloops.”
The society is the not-for-profit organization that operates the local WHL
franchise.
Murray Owen, the society’s president, told a news conference Wednesday in
the WHL team’s boardroom at the Interior Savings Centre that the board of
directors has called an extraordinary general meeting of members for Aug. 7
to deal specifically with that part of its constitution.
“We feel very strongly that if we are going to entertain the sale of the
Blazers, we need to change our constitution,” Owen said. “We don’t feel that
we can look at offers until that happens.”
The society’s membership will be asked at that meeting if it wishes to have
the constitution changed, a move that would then open the franchise up for
offers.
“If the constitution is changed,” Owen said, “it will most likely be focused
on the fact that the membership feels it is time to sell the club. If the
society sells the hockey club, then the purpose of this society will
drastically change because it will no longer operate the Kamloops Blazers.”
A letter including a notice of meeting and explaining its purpose has been
sent to all members.
Owen was adamant that the Aug. 7 meeting will deal with one topic.
“We’ll try to control the meeting in such a way that we will deal with one
issue and that is the constitution, whether we alter it or whether we keep
it as is,” he said.
While Owen was speaking, an offer to purchase the club arrived in the
Blazers’ office from River City Hockey Inc., the group headed up by
Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi.
This is the second offer RCH has made for the franchise. Its first offer,
made June 21, 2006, was for $6 million. The offer that arrived yesterday,
which RCH has posted on its website, is for $6,100,176 “less sums payable to
the shareholders of Kamloops Blazers Holdings Ltd.”
The $100,176 difference in the offers equals the value of a debenture held
by Kamloops Blazers Holdings Ltd., something that would be paid off by RCH.
Gaglardi’s lawsuit against Vancouver Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini and
former Canucks owner John McCaw, which is in recess, is to resume in
Vancouver on Aug. 7. However, Gaglardi, said “I think I’ll be (in
Kamloops).”
Gaglardi said RCH has received a different legal opinion than the society on
the constitutional matter.
According to Gaglardi, RCH got an opinion from Alan McEachern, the retired
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of B.C., “on whether the constitution of
the Blazers would permit the sale of the club.”
“He gave us an unconditional opinion without reservation that the team could
be sold without any changes required to its constitution,” Gaglardi said.
Since last summer, Gaglardi has purchased a share in Kamloops Blazers
Holdings Ltd., and now is a member of the society, as is former Blazers star
Mark Recchi, who is one of five partners in RCH. Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla
and Darryl Sydor, the other ex-Blazers involved, are believed to be in the
process of becoming members. Gaglardi also has support from an untold number
of other members.
The fact that society members are working to privatize the organization
concerns the board.
“I’m not a lawyer,” Owen said, “however, when you read the constitution and
members take action in such a way that would ultimately give them beneift, I
think they should look at their motives.”
The board, however, hasn’t asked for legal advice on the matter.
“We haven’t taken it to that level,” Owen said. “The legal advice we got was
centred around us having a constitution that we are obliged to uphold. The
only way we can change that is through our membership.”
Gaglardi said RCH hasn’t done anything wrong.
“It’s disappointing to us . . . to have to read in the paper that our acts
may be illegal,” he said. “We’ve done our homework to make sure that they’re
not.
“This is a desperate measure by the board. Hiding behind the constitution is
a joke.”
Yesterday’s news conference was attended by two people with ties to RCH.
Frank Quinn, a partner in the Kamloops law firm Bilkey Quinn, represents
RCH. Quinn took notes throughout the
news conference. Asked why he was in attendance, he replied: “I’m not going
to make any comment about why I’m here.”
Kate Stebbings of Communication Solutions Inc., a local media and public
relations firm which is working for RCH, also was there. Among Communication
Solutions’ responsibilities is the management of RCH’s website.
Blazers new contracts
From The Daily News of Thursday, July 19
The Kamloops Blazers have agreed to terms with their three coaches and their
director of marketing, apparently swallowing a poison pill in the process.
Murray Owen, the president of the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society, announced
the deals Tuesday at a news conference in the WHL team’s boardroom at the
Interior Savings Centre.
Dean Clark, the general manager and head coach, Shane Zulyniak, the
assistant GM and assistant coach, assistant coach Andrew Milne and director
of marketing Dave Chyzowski have new contracts that could run through
2009-10.
The three coaches had been signed through 2007-08; Chyzowski, who joined the
club’s front office in December, didn’t have a contract.
A press release issued by the team states that the contracts “run until the
end of the 2009-10 WHL season.
The Daily News has learned that each of the contracts calls for two years
with the club holding an option on a third season. However, a clause in each
contract calls for the third year to be guaranteed should the franchise be
sold.
With the society’s board of directors negotiating the contracts while
knowing an offer to purchase was being prepared by River City Hockey Inc.,
Owen was asked if the board had adopted a poison pill approach.
“The wording of the contracts is under review,” he said. “I can’t really
comment on that at the moment.”
Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi, who heads up RCH, said last night that
“it’s a poison pill. There’s no other way to look at it.”
Clark, who left for Alberta yesterday in hopes of signing centre Brendan
Ranford, the team’s first-round pick, 15th overall, in the WHL’s 2007 bantam
draft, said “it was good” to have the contracts done. He said he was
especially pleased that the other three men now have some security.
“I think that was something that was important for me to get done,” Clark
said. “All three are fairly new at what they are doing and I didn’t want to
leave them hanging.
“Besides, with what happened last season I thought they deserved something.”
Clark, Zulyniak and Milne worked together for the first time last season.
They guided the Blazers to second place in the B.C. Division, their 40
victories and 86 points improvements of six and 13 respectively over the
previous season when the team didn’t make the playoffs for the first time in
franchise history. Last season, despite the 40 victories, the Blazers were
swept from the first round of playoffs by the Prince George Cougars.
Still, Owen, who travelled extensively with the team in what was his first
season as president, saw more than enough to convince him that new deals
were warranted.
“I’ve seen how they work,” he said. “I’ve seen the dedication and effort
they put into our hockey team. I’m absolutely 100 per cent behind the type
of coaching that we have. I can’t say enough about the (coaching) team that
we have here.
“We want stability. This is how we plan on doing it.”
The Kamloops Blazers have agreed to terms with their three coaches and their
director of marketing, apparently swallowing a poison pill in the process.
Murray Owen, the president of the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society, announced
the deals Tuesday at a news conference in the WHL team’s boardroom at the
Interior Savings Centre.
Dean Clark, the general manager and head coach, Shane Zulyniak, the
assistant GM and assistant coach, assistant coach Andrew Milne and director
of marketing Dave Chyzowski have new contracts that could run through
2009-10.
The three coaches had been signed through 2007-08; Chyzowski, who joined the
club’s front office in December, didn’t have a contract.
A press release issued by the team states that the contracts “run until the
end of the 2009-10 WHL season.
The Daily News has learned that each of the contracts calls for two years
with the club holding an option on a third season. However, a clause in each
contract calls for the third year to be guaranteed should the franchise be
sold.
With the society’s board of directors negotiating the contracts while
knowing an offer to purchase was being prepared by River City Hockey Inc.,
Owen was asked if the board had adopted a poison pill approach.
“The wording of the contracts is under review,” he said. “I can’t really
comment on that at the moment.”
Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi, who heads up RCH, said last night that
“it’s a poison pill. There’s no other way to look at it.”
Clark, who left for Alberta yesterday in hopes of signing centre Brendan
Ranford, the team’s first-round pick, 15th overall, in the WHL’s 2007 bantam
draft, said “it was good” to have the contracts done. He said he was
especially pleased that the other three men now have some security.
“I think that was something that was important for me to get done,” Clark
said. “All three are fairly new at what they are doing and I didn’t want to
leave them hanging.
“Besides, with what happened last season I thought they deserved something.”
Clark, Zulyniak and Milne worked together for the first time last season.
They guided the Blazers to second place in the B.C. Division, their 40
victories and 86 points improvements of six and 13 respectively over the
previous season when the team didn’t make the playoffs for the first time in
franchise history. Last season, despite the 40 victories, the Blazers were
swept from the first round of playoffs by the Prince George Cougars.
Still, Owen, who travelled extensively with the team in what was his first
season as president, saw more than enough to convince him that new deals
were warranted.
“I’ve seen how they work,” he said. “I’ve seen the dedication and effort
they put into our hockey team. I’m absolutely 100 per cent behind the type
of coaching that we have. I can’t say enough about the (coaching) team that
we have here.
“We want stability. This is how we plan on doing it.”
The buzz from Little Montreal
It was an interesting day in Little Montreal.
To begin with, the Kamloops Blazers signed their three coaches and the director of marketing to new contracts. The team announced these as three-year contracts but here's the deal:
(a) if the team continues to operate as a non-profit society, each of the contracts will be for two years with a club option on a third year;
(b) if the franchise is sold, the third year of each contract is guaranteed.
Can you say "poison pill"?
The contracts go to Dean Clark, the club's GM and head coach, assistant coach/assistant GM Shane Zulyniak, assistant coach Andrew Milne and director of marketing Dave Chyzowski. (Milne is to be married to Erin Breitkreutz on Sunday at Spruce Meadows near Calgary. He couldn't ask for a better wedding present than a new deal.)
Speaking of poison pill, River City Hockey Inc. made is offer to purchase the Blazers. It arrived in the Blazers' office at around 1 p.m. If you're into this kind of stuff you will find the document at rivercityhockey.ca. Click on The Facts and then go to The Offer.
River City Hockey — it comprises Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi and ex-Blazers players Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor -- offered $6 million for the franchise last July. This time the offer is for $6,100,176. The difference is due to a debenture that is held by Kamloops Blazers Holdings Ltd., that RCH would take over if a purchase was to go through.
At a news conference Tuesday, Murray Owen, the president of the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society, announced that a membership meeting will be held Aug. 7. At that meeting, the board of directors will ask the society's members if they want to change the constitution in order to accept offers for the club.
Owen said the legal opinion the board has received is that the constitution would have to be changed in order for the franchise to be sold.
Gaglardi begs to differ, saying that RCH received a completely opposite legal opinion.
Clark, meanwhile, was in Alberta checking in with Brendan Ranford, the club's first pick, 15th overall, in the 2007 bantam draft. You can look for the team to announce his signing soon. He is a nephew of former NHL goaltender Bill Ranford.
More on all of this shortly as I will post the two stories I am writing for Thursday's Daily News.
To begin with, the Kamloops Blazers signed their three coaches and the director of marketing to new contracts. The team announced these as three-year contracts but here's the deal:
(a) if the team continues to operate as a non-profit society, each of the contracts will be for two years with a club option on a third year;
(b) if the franchise is sold, the third year of each contract is guaranteed.
Can you say "poison pill"?
The contracts go to Dean Clark, the club's GM and head coach, assistant coach/assistant GM Shane Zulyniak, assistant coach Andrew Milne and director of marketing Dave Chyzowski. (Milne is to be married to Erin Breitkreutz on Sunday at Spruce Meadows near Calgary. He couldn't ask for a better wedding present than a new deal.)
Speaking of poison pill, River City Hockey Inc. made is offer to purchase the Blazers. It arrived in the Blazers' office at around 1 p.m. If you're into this kind of stuff you will find the document at rivercityhockey.ca. Click on The Facts and then go to The Offer.
River City Hockey — it comprises Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi and ex-Blazers players Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor -- offered $6 million for the franchise last July. This time the offer is for $6,100,176. The difference is due to a debenture that is held by Kamloops Blazers Holdings Ltd., that RCH would take over if a purchase was to go through.
At a news conference Tuesday, Murray Owen, the president of the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society, announced that a membership meeting will be held Aug. 7. At that meeting, the board of directors will ask the society's members if they want to change the constitution in order to accept offers for the club.
Owen said the legal opinion the board has received is that the constitution would have to be changed in order for the franchise to be sold.
Gaglardi begs to differ, saying that RCH received a completely opposite legal opinion.
Clark, meanwhile, was in Alberta checking in with Brendan Ranford, the club's first pick, 15th overall, in the 2007 bantam draft. You can look for the team to announce his signing soon. He is a nephew of former NHL goaltender Bill Ranford.
More on all of this shortly as I will post the two stories I am writing for Thursday's Daily News.
Wednesday's news
The Portland Winter Hawks have decided not to renew the contract of head coach Mike Williamson.
This decision was announced by Jim Goldsmith, the team’s director of hockey operations and one of the club’s three co-owners. In a press release, Goldsmith said there were “philosophical differences.”
Those differences likely amounted to this: The owners wanted Williamson to accept a one-year contract and he wanted two years plus an option.
Williamson’s contract expired June 30. You have to wonder why the owners didn’t make this decision in April. If you’re going to do it in mid-July, why not in mid-April? Now the Winter Hawks, an organization that has all but fallen off the media map in Portland, really are behind the 8-ball in terms of finding another coach. Don’t forget that training camp is about six weeks away.
And you also have to wonder about the status of veteran general manager Ken Hodge. Part of the deal when the new owners bought the franchise from Hodge and Co., was that Hodge got a five-year deal as GM. There are four years left on that contract.
Williamson, who played three seasons with the Winter Hawks, was the first — yes, the first — assistant coach in franchise history, joining the staff in September 1994. He had been the head coach since Feb. 3, 2000. He also played three seasons with the Winter Hawks.
Williamson, 34, and his wife, Michelle, have one child, a three-year-old
daughter, and another due in October. He has a degree in marketing from the U of Portland and has said he doesn’t want to leave the city.
However, his availability likely makes him a leading candidate for the two
other head-coaching vacancies in the WHL, with the Kelowna Rockets and
Kootenay Ice.
He spent 17 years as the Stars’ western regional scout and is the father of
former WHLer Blake Robson. Brad replaces Brad McEwen, who resigned as
Lethbridge’s assistant general manager last month.
The Edmonton Oil Kings have added former enforcer Rocky Thompson to their coaching staff.
Thompson, who is from Sherwood Park, Alta., will work under head coach Steve Pleau with the expansion team. Thompson, who turns 30 on Aug. 8, played with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers and Swift Current Broncos before going on to a pro career.
This decision was announced by Jim Goldsmith, the team’s director of hockey operations and one of the club’s three co-owners. In a press release, Goldsmith said there were “philosophical differences.”
Those differences likely amounted to this: The owners wanted Williamson to accept a one-year contract and he wanted two years plus an option.
Williamson’s contract expired June 30. You have to wonder why the owners didn’t make this decision in April. If you’re going to do it in mid-July, why not in mid-April? Now the Winter Hawks, an organization that has all but fallen off the media map in Portland, really are behind the 8-ball in terms of finding another coach. Don’t forget that training camp is about six weeks away.
And you also have to wonder about the status of veteran general manager Ken Hodge. Part of the deal when the new owners bought the franchise from Hodge and Co., was that Hodge got a five-year deal as GM. There are four years left on that contract.
Williamson, who played three seasons with the Winter Hawks, was the first — yes, the first — assistant coach in franchise history, joining the staff in September 1994. He had been the head coach since Feb. 3, 2000. He also played three seasons with the Winter Hawks.
Williamson, 34, and his wife, Michelle, have one child, a three-year-old
daughter, and another due in October. He has a degree in marketing from the U of Portland and has said he doesn’t want to leave the city.
However, his availability likely makes him a leading candidate for the two
other head-coaching vacancies in the WHL, with the Kelowna Rockets and
Kootenay Ice.
n n n
As reported here yesterday, the Lethbridge Hurricanes have named longtime Dallas Stars scout Brad Robson as their director of scouting and player personnel.He spent 17 years as the Stars’ western regional scout and is the father of
former WHLer Blake Robson. Brad replaces Brad McEwen, who resigned as
Lethbridge’s assistant general manager last month.
n n n
With apologies to Sylvester Stallone, Rocky II is coming to the WHL.The Edmonton Oil Kings have added former enforcer Rocky Thompson to their coaching staff.
Thompson, who is from Sherwood Park, Alta., will work under head coach Steve Pleau with the expansion team. Thompson, who turns 30 on Aug. 8, played with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers and Swift Current Broncos before going on to a pro career.
n n n
Former WHL defenceman Terry Virtue has signed on as an assistant coach with the Tri-City Americans. He replaces Gord Frantti, who left the club after last season. Virtue, 36, spent two seasons (1989-91) with the Americans before going on to a 16-year pro career.n n n
The Lethbrige Hurricanes will have both their 2007 CHL import picks in camp on Aug. 30. Finnish G Juha Metsola, 18, and Swiss D Luca Sbisa, 17, have both confirmed that they will be in camp. Metsola’s arrival will produce something of a crowded crease, with veterans Mike Maniago, 19, and Justin Leclerc, 18, also in the mix.n n n
The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed Philip Varney as their trainer. He joins them after working as a graduate assistant at Western Michigan U. There, he worked with the volleyball and gymnastics teams. He interned with the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers in 2004. . . . Seattle also signed Jason Berger as equipment manager. He moves over from the AHL’s Providence Bruins where he was an assistant equipment manager.
Wednesday . . .
Mike Williamson will not be returning as head coach of the Portland Winter Hawks. That decision was announced by the Winter Hawks this morning.
River City Hockey Inc., the group headed by Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi, is expected to make its offer to purchase the Kamloops Blazers today. The offer will be for $6 million.
River City Hockey Inc., the group headed by Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi, is expected to make its offer to purchase the Kamloops Blazers today. The offer will be for $6 million.
New contracts all around
From The Daily News of Wednesday, July 18:
The Kamloops Blazers, their coaching staff and the WHL team's marketing
director have agreed to terms on contracts that will be announced today at
an afternoon news conference.
Dean Clark, the WHL team's general manager and head coach, Shane Zulyniak,
the assistant GM/assistant coach, and assistant coach Andrew Milne had one
year left on their contracts. They have agreed on three-year extensions that
will take them through 2009-10.
Dave Chyzowski, the former Blazers star who joined the front office as
director of marketing midway through last season, has agreed to a three-year
deal.
Clark, Zulyniak and Milne worked together for the first time last season
when they guided the team to a 40-26-4-2 record and second place in the B.C.
Division. That was a 13-point improvement over the previous season when the
Blazers missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Last
season's Blazers went on to be swept from a first-round playoff series by
the Prince George Cougars.
The signing of Clark to an extension has caused some consternation within
River City Hockey Inc., the group headed by Vancouver businessman Tom
Gaglardi that for a second straight summer is attempting to purchase the
Blazers.
Sources have told The Daily News that a letter from RCH, which has yet to
present what Gaglardi has said will be a $6-million offer to purchase, was
delivered to the Blazers' office at Interior Savings Centre late Tuesday
morning. That letter is said to have expressed concern over the deal with
Clark.
One source told The Daily News the letter stated that RCH was looking
forward to working with Clark and his staff but expressed concern over Clark
receiving a contract extension when he already was under contract. The
letter, according to the source, also claimed that giving Clark an extension
could jeopardize a potential sale.
"We have a hockey club to run," Murray Owen, the president of the Kamloops
Blazers Sports Society's nine-man board of directors, said Tuesday, "and we
are doing our job."
With three WHL teams in the market for head coaches and a few others looking
for assistant coaches, Owen said the Blazers have to look after their own.
"Absolutely," he said, adding that "we have lots of things to announce (at
today's news conference). We will tell everything that has happened and all
the developments in the hockey club and where we are going to go with it.
"We are doing the best we can under the circumstances and we don't really
need this disruption right now. But we have to deal with it."
With RCH expected to present an offer to purchase later this week or early
next week, Owen was asked if he could see the society selling the franchise
without making a public request for offers.
"It's a hypothetical question and my personal opinion would be," he replied,
"that it makes good business sense for us to do that because last year there
was other interest."
RCH offered $6 million for the franchise last season, an offer that was
rebuffed on July 11, 2006, when the society's members voted that its assets
weren't for sale.
In the first week of July 2006, there were unconfirmed rumours of the
society's board of directors having received a $7-million offer from an
undisclosed businessman said to be an oilman with Medicine Hat connections.
By the time the members voted on July 11, no offers, other than the one from
RCH, had been publicly confirmed.
The Kamloops Blazers, their coaching staff and the WHL team's marketing
director have agreed to terms on contracts that will be announced today at
an afternoon news conference.
Dean Clark, the WHL team's general manager and head coach, Shane Zulyniak,
the assistant GM/assistant coach, and assistant coach Andrew Milne had one
year left on their contracts. They have agreed on three-year extensions that
will take them through 2009-10.
Dave Chyzowski, the former Blazers star who joined the front office as
director of marketing midway through last season, has agreed to a three-year
deal.
Clark, Zulyniak and Milne worked together for the first time last season
when they guided the team to a 40-26-4-2 record and second place in the B.C.
Division. That was a 13-point improvement over the previous season when the
Blazers missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Last
season's Blazers went on to be swept from a first-round playoff series by
the Prince George Cougars.
The signing of Clark to an extension has caused some consternation within
River City Hockey Inc., the group headed by Vancouver businessman Tom
Gaglardi that for a second straight summer is attempting to purchase the
Blazers.
Sources have told The Daily News that a letter from RCH, which has yet to
present what Gaglardi has said will be a $6-million offer to purchase, was
delivered to the Blazers' office at Interior Savings Centre late Tuesday
morning. That letter is said to have expressed concern over the deal with
Clark.
One source told The Daily News the letter stated that RCH was looking
forward to working with Clark and his staff but expressed concern over Clark
receiving a contract extension when he already was under contract. The
letter, according to the source, also claimed that giving Clark an extension
could jeopardize a potential sale.
"We have a hockey club to run," Murray Owen, the president of the Kamloops
Blazers Sports Society's nine-man board of directors, said Tuesday, "and we
are doing our job."
With three WHL teams in the market for head coaches and a few others looking
for assistant coaches, Owen said the Blazers have to look after their own.
"Absolutely," he said, adding that "we have lots of things to announce (at
today's news conference). We will tell everything that has happened and all
the developments in the hockey club and where we are going to go with it.
"We are doing the best we can under the circumstances and we don't really
need this disruption right now. But we have to deal with it."
With RCH expected to present an offer to purchase later this week or early
next week, Owen was asked if he could see the society selling the franchise
without making a public request for offers.
"It's a hypothetical question and my personal opinion would be," he replied,
"that it makes good business sense for us to do that because last year there
was other interest."
RCH offered $6 million for the franchise last season, an offer that was
rebuffed on July 11, 2006, when the society's members voted that its assets
weren't for sale.
In the first week of July 2006, there were unconfirmed rumours of the
society's board of directors having received a $7-million offer from an
undisclosed businessman said to be an oilman with Medicine Hat connections.
By the time the members voted on July 11, no offers, other than the one from
RCH, had been publicly confirmed.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Some of this, some of that . . .
The Medicine Hat Tigers finally got around to telling the world that associate head coach Shaun Clouston has signed a long-term contract. The Tigers, who are more secretive than the CIA, didn’t release any terms.
Cory Clouston, Shaun’s younger brother (by two years), will be introduced Thursday as the head coach of the AHL’s Binghamton Senators. The Kootenay Ice announced Cory’s resignation Tuesday morning; you read it first right here on Sunday night. The Ice also is looking for an assistant coach because Brad Lauer resigned to accept an offer as GM/head coach of the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. No, Lauer won’t be reversing his field and becoming the Ice’s next head coach.
D Dylan Yeo, the captain of the Calgary Hitmen last season, has signed with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Dylan used up his WHL eligibility last season. . . . C Derek LeBlanc, who also played as a 20-year-old with the Hitmen last season, has signed a free-agent tryout deal with the Edmonton Oilers. . . . Two Prince Albert Raiders defencemen have signed pro tryouts. Mike Gauthier, 20, will go to camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Jeff May, 20, will be in camp with the Minnesota Wild.
The BCHL’s Penticton Vees have signed Fred Harbinson, a 35-year-old native of Calgary, as their vice-president of hockey operations and head coach. Harbinson replaces Bruno Campese, who left after three seasons to become head coach in Prince Albert. Harbison spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach at St. Cloud, Minn., State.
Portland Winter Hawks C Tristan King and Kelowna Rockets D Tyler Myers are on the U.S. under-18 team roster for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament that is to be played next month in Czech Republic and Slovakia. King is from Elk River, Minn. Myers, whose family lives near Calgary, was born in Texas. . . . Hockey Canada will open a selection camp Aug. 4 for the team it will send to that tournament.
Former WHL D Richie Regehr has left the Calgary Flames organization and signed with Frankfurt of Germany’s DEL, that country’s highest league.
RW Evan Pighin, 19, has decided to return to the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks rather than join the Prince George Cougars, who acquired his rights from the Red Deer Rebels last month. Pighin had 41 points in 60 games with Salmon Arm in 2005-06. He spent last season with the Rebels and asked for a trade following the season. The Rebels sent Pighin and C Alex Poulter, 18, to the Cougars for a conditional 2008 bantam draft pick. The Red Deer Advocate reported the Rebels are to get a fourth-round pick if both players are in the league Oct. 10, a fifth-rounder if one still is around and a sixth-rounder if neither of them is in the league.
Tim Kehler has resigned as GM and head coach of the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters, reportedly to accept an assistant coaching position with a WHL team, believed to be the Swift Current Broncos. The coach in Trail since October 2004, Kehler went 88-61-21 with the Smokies. He had signed a two-year deal in April.
F David Toews, who will be a senior at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, Minn., next season, has told the U of North Dakota that he will play for the Fighting Sioux starting in 2008-09. He is the younger brother of former UND star Jonathan Toews. David’s WHL rights are held by the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Brad Robson, a regional scout for the NHL’s Dallas Stars, is expected to be named assistant general manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Robson, whose son Blake is a former WHL player, would fill the void created when Brad McEwen stepped aside as assistant GM and director of player personnel. McEwen is expected to surface in Medicine Hat’s front office. . . . Pat Siedlecki, the radio voice of the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers for five seasons, is moving to Lethbridge where he will call the Hurricanes’ games on CJOC-FM 94.1 The Lounge.
The Portland Winter Hawks have signed four of their 2007 bantam draft picks — LW Kyzen Loo, G Keith Hamilton and F Taylor Peters are recent signees, while first-round pick Brad Ross signed earlier. Loo, a second-round pick, is from Richmond, B.C., while Hamilton, another second-round pick, is from Kelowna. Peters, a fourth-round pick, is from South Delta, B.C. Ross is from Lethbridge.
Cory Clouston, Shaun’s younger brother (by two years), will be introduced Thursday as the head coach of the AHL’s Binghamton Senators. The Kootenay Ice announced Cory’s resignation Tuesday morning; you read it first right here on Sunday night. The Ice also is looking for an assistant coach because Brad Lauer resigned to accept an offer as GM/head coach of the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. No, Lauer won’t be reversing his field and becoming the Ice’s next head coach.
D Dylan Yeo, the captain of the Calgary Hitmen last season, has signed with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Dylan used up his WHL eligibility last season. . . . C Derek LeBlanc, who also played as a 20-year-old with the Hitmen last season, has signed a free-agent tryout deal with the Edmonton Oilers. . . . Two Prince Albert Raiders defencemen have signed pro tryouts. Mike Gauthier, 20, will go to camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Jeff May, 20, will be in camp with the Minnesota Wild.
The BCHL’s Penticton Vees have signed Fred Harbinson, a 35-year-old native of Calgary, as their vice-president of hockey operations and head coach. Harbinson replaces Bruno Campese, who left after three seasons to become head coach in Prince Albert. Harbison spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach at St. Cloud, Minn., State.
Portland Winter Hawks C Tristan King and Kelowna Rockets D Tyler Myers are on the U.S. under-18 team roster for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament that is to be played next month in Czech Republic and Slovakia. King is from Elk River, Minn. Myers, whose family lives near Calgary, was born in Texas. . . . Hockey Canada will open a selection camp Aug. 4 for the team it will send to that tournament.
Former WHL D Richie Regehr has left the Calgary Flames organization and signed with Frankfurt of Germany’s DEL, that country’s highest league.
RW Evan Pighin, 19, has decided to return to the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks rather than join the Prince George Cougars, who acquired his rights from the Red Deer Rebels last month. Pighin had 41 points in 60 games with Salmon Arm in 2005-06. He spent last season with the Rebels and asked for a trade following the season. The Rebels sent Pighin and C Alex Poulter, 18, to the Cougars for a conditional 2008 bantam draft pick. The Red Deer Advocate reported the Rebels are to get a fourth-round pick if both players are in the league Oct. 10, a fifth-rounder if one still is around and a sixth-rounder if neither of them is in the league.
Tim Kehler has resigned as GM and head coach of the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters, reportedly to accept an assistant coaching position with a WHL team, believed to be the Swift Current Broncos. The coach in Trail since October 2004, Kehler went 88-61-21 with the Smokies. He had signed a two-year deal in April.
F David Toews, who will be a senior at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, Minn., next season, has told the U of North Dakota that he will play for the Fighting Sioux starting in 2008-09. He is the younger brother of former UND star Jonathan Toews. David’s WHL rights are held by the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Brad Robson, a regional scout for the NHL’s Dallas Stars, is expected to be named assistant general manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Robson, whose son Blake is a former WHL player, would fill the void created when Brad McEwen stepped aside as assistant GM and director of player personnel. McEwen is expected to surface in Medicine Hat’s front office. . . . Pat Siedlecki, the radio voice of the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers for five seasons, is moving to Lethbridge where he will call the Hurricanes’ games on CJOC-FM 94.1 The Lounge.
The Portland Winter Hawks have signed four of their 2007 bantam draft picks — LW Kyzen Loo, G Keith Hamilton and F Taylor Peters are recent signees, while first-round pick Brad Ross signed earlier. Loo, a second-round pick, is from Richmond, B.C., while Hamilton, another second-round pick, is from Kelowna. Peters, a fourth-round pick, is from South Delta, B.C. Ross is from Lethbridge.
Tuesday . . .
TSN.ca reports that the Los Angeles Kings have signed Seattle Thunderbirds D Thomas Hickey to a three-year entry-level contract. Hickey was selected fourth overall in the 2007 NHL draft and is the first player selected in the first round to sign an NHL deal . . . The Florida Panthers signed Vancouver Giants RW Michael Repik, a second-rounder, on Monday . . . Can't remember NHL teams signing their draft picks so quickly so obviously there is a new strategy of some sort involved here.
The Kootenay Ice announced this morning that Cory Clouston has resigned as head coach. The Ice didn't reveal his destination but he will be named head coach of the AHL's Binghamton Senators later this week. Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth now is looking for a head coach and an assistant coach. Brad Lauer, who resigned as assistant coach last week, won't be considered for the head coaching position. He will be named GM and head coach of the BCHL's Alberni Valley Bulldogs one of these days.
An interesting story out of the east where Sun Media's Ryan Pyette has reported that the agents for Oshawa Generals star John Tavares are attempting to have him declared eligible for the NHL's 2008 draft. Tavares, who is represented by Siskinds Sports Management, has a late birthday (he was born Sept. 20, 1990; the 2008 draft cutoff is Sept. 15) so under present rules isn't eligible until 2009. "We’re talking to the NHL Players Association about it because we believe the Sept. 15 cutoff date is antiquated and doesn’t fit in with the present day player,” SSM director of sports Bryan Deasley told Pyette. “We’re not looking at this as a league vs. PA situation.”
Because the draft and its rules were collectively bargained between the league and the NHLPA, you've got to think Tavares's chances of being declared eligible for the 2008 draft are pretty slim. But this could prove an interesting debate because, of course, there are people who think the whole draft process, no matter the league or the sport, is illegal and would love to see it challenged.
The Kootenay Ice announced this morning that Cory Clouston has resigned as head coach. The Ice didn't reveal his destination but he will be named head coach of the AHL's Binghamton Senators later this week. Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth now is looking for a head coach and an assistant coach. Brad Lauer, who resigned as assistant coach last week, won't be considered for the head coaching position. He will be named GM and head coach of the BCHL's Alberni Valley Bulldogs one of these days.
An interesting story out of the east where Sun Media's Ryan Pyette has reported that the agents for Oshawa Generals star John Tavares are attempting to have him declared eligible for the NHL's 2008 draft. Tavares, who is represented by Siskinds Sports Management, has a late birthday (he was born Sept. 20, 1990; the 2008 draft cutoff is Sept. 15) so under present rules isn't eligible until 2009. "We’re talking to the NHL Players Association about it because we believe the Sept. 15 cutoff date is antiquated and doesn’t fit in with the present day player,” SSM director of sports Bryan Deasley told Pyette. “We’re not looking at this as a league vs. PA situation.”
Because the draft and its rules were collectively bargained between the league and the NHLPA, you've got to think Tavares's chances of being declared eligible for the 2008 draft are pretty slim. But this could prove an interesting debate because, of course, there are people who think the whole draft process, no matter the league or the sport, is illegal and would love to see it challenged.
The coaching game
The Cory Clouston deal is done. That was confirmed Monday morning.
He will be leaving after five years as head coach of the Kootenay Ice to take over as head coach of the Binghamton Senators, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.
Clouston, who has been with the Ice since 1999, will be introduced as Binghamton’s head coach at some point this week, perhaps even as early as today.
Clouston, a native of Viking, Alta., is the WHL’s reigning coach of the
year, an award he also won two years ago. He will replace Dave Cameron, who
left the Senators after three seasons to become GM and head coach of the
OHL’s Mississauga St. Michael¹s Major.
With Kootenay assistant coach Brad Lauer having resigned last week, the only
remaining member of the Ice coaching staff is part-timer Colin Patterson.
Lauer resigned from the Ice after accepting the position of general manager
and head coach with the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. That announcement
will be made once the Bulldogs have completed a juggling of shareholders
with former NHLers Jeff Finley, Alan Kerr and Dixon Ward, who are affiliated
with Okanagan Hockey Schools, in the process of purchasing 60 per cent of
the franchise. Kerr, who is OHS’s vice-president of hockey operations, and
Lauer were linemates with the NHL’s New York Islanders.
In Kelowna, meanwhile, Rockets president/general manager Bruce Hamilton has hung out the Gone Fishin’ sign. He is in northern Saskatchewan this week hoping to hook up with a few of those big Northern Pike, so chances are there won’t be an announcement out of Kelowna this week.
Hamilton has had at least two conversations with Marc Habscheid, the former Rockets head coach who was fired as associate coach by the Boston Bruins last month.
The Rockets are working to replace Jeff Truitt, who signed on as an assistant coach with the Springfield Falcons, the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers.
Kelowna assistant coach Ryan Huska, who played four seasons with the
Kamloops Blazers and won three Memorial Cups, would seem to be the leading
candidate. An assistant coach for five seasons, Huska also has one year left
on his contract with the Rockets so is almost certain to stay put even if a new head
coach is signed.
Huska said last night from Kelowna that he isn’t interested in the Ice job
because he has a year left on his deal with the Rockets.
In Portland, the Winter Hawks have yet to re-sign head coach Mike
Williamson, whose contract expired June 30. Williamson took over as
Portland’s head coach with 24 games left in the 1999-2000 season. At the
present time, no WHL head coach has been with his team longer than
Williamson, 34, has been with the Winter Hawks. He also played three seasons
in Portland and was an assistant coach for over five seasons.
JUNIOR JOTTINGS: RW Michal Repik of the Vancouver Giants has signed with the
Florida Panthers, who selected him with the 40th pick of the 2007 NHL draft.
Repik, an 18-year-old Czech, had 55 points, including 24 goals, with the
Giants last season; he is expected back in their lineup for one more season.
. . . The Brandon Sun reports that former Brandon Wheat Kings assistant coach Brad Wells has applied to coach the midget AAA Wheat Kings, a team he coached in 1995-96. He had been
an assistant coach with the WHL’s Wheat Kings for seven seasons before
leaving the team last week.
He will be leaving after five years as head coach of the Kootenay Ice to take over as head coach of the Binghamton Senators, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.
Clouston, who has been with the Ice since 1999, will be introduced as Binghamton’s head coach at some point this week, perhaps even as early as today.
Clouston, a native of Viking, Alta., is the WHL’s reigning coach of the
year, an award he also won two years ago. He will replace Dave Cameron, who
left the Senators after three seasons to become GM and head coach of the
OHL’s Mississauga St. Michael¹s Major.
With Kootenay assistant coach Brad Lauer having resigned last week, the only
remaining member of the Ice coaching staff is part-timer Colin Patterson.
Lauer resigned from the Ice after accepting the position of general manager
and head coach with the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. That announcement
will be made once the Bulldogs have completed a juggling of shareholders
with former NHLers Jeff Finley, Alan Kerr and Dixon Ward, who are affiliated
with Okanagan Hockey Schools, in the process of purchasing 60 per cent of
the franchise. Kerr, who is OHS’s vice-president of hockey operations, and
Lauer were linemates with the NHL’s New York Islanders.
In Kelowna, meanwhile, Rockets president/general manager Bruce Hamilton has hung out the Gone Fishin’ sign. He is in northern Saskatchewan this week hoping to hook up with a few of those big Northern Pike, so chances are there won’t be an announcement out of Kelowna this week.
Hamilton has had at least two conversations with Marc Habscheid, the former Rockets head coach who was fired as associate coach by the Boston Bruins last month.
The Rockets are working to replace Jeff Truitt, who signed on as an assistant coach with the Springfield Falcons, the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers.
Kelowna assistant coach Ryan Huska, who played four seasons with the
Kamloops Blazers and won three Memorial Cups, would seem to be the leading
candidate. An assistant coach for five seasons, Huska also has one year left
on his contract with the Rockets so is almost certain to stay put even if a new head
coach is signed.
Huska said last night from Kelowna that he isn’t interested in the Ice job
because he has a year left on his deal with the Rockets.
In Portland, the Winter Hawks have yet to re-sign head coach Mike
Williamson, whose contract expired June 30. Williamson took over as
Portland’s head coach with 24 games left in the 1999-2000 season. At the
present time, no WHL head coach has been with his team longer than
Williamson, 34, has been with the Winter Hawks. He also played three seasons
in Portland and was an assistant coach for over five seasons.
JUNIOR JOTTINGS: RW Michal Repik of the Vancouver Giants has signed with the
Florida Panthers, who selected him with the 40th pick of the 2007 NHL draft.
Repik, an 18-year-old Czech, had 55 points, including 24 goals, with the
Giants last season; he is expected back in their lineup for one more season.
. . . The Brandon Sun reports that former Brandon Wheat Kings assistant coach Brad Wells has applied to coach the midget AAA Wheat Kings, a team he coached in 1995-96. He had been
an assistant coach with the WHL’s Wheat Kings for seven seasons before
leaving the team last week.
RCH puts up website
The battle -- and this will be a battle before it’s done -- over ownership of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers took another twist Monday with the debut of rivercityhockey.ca, a website operated by River City Hockey Inc., the group that is trying to purchase the hockey team.
RCH is headed up by Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi and features four ex-Blazers players, all of whom are big names in the NHL -- Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor.
Included on the website are letters of support from Brian Burke, the executive vice-president and general manager of the Stanley Cup-winning Anaheim Ducks, and Ron Toigo, who owns the WHL’s Vancouver Giants.
“I support River City Hockey’s quest to purchase the Kamloops Blazers of the
Western Hockey League," reads a letter signed by Burke, who also is a co-owner of the WHL’s Chilliwack Bruins. “The Chilliwack Bruins, and Brian Burke personally, endorse this ownership change. We believe in private ownership generally, and in this group in particular.”
A letter signed by Toigo reads, in part: “I am very supportive of your pursuit of the purchase of the Kamloops Blazers.
“I believe you and your group of former Blazers -- Darryl Sydor, Jarome
Iginla, Shane Doan, and Mark Recchi -- is a group that the community of
Kamloops should be proud to have as the owners and operators of their hockey
franchise.”
RCH attempted to purchase the Blazers for $6 million a year ago but was rebuffed when the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society voted that its assets weren’t for sale.
On Wednesday, RCH had letters delivered to the society’s nine directors stating its intent to make another offer to purchase.
Gaglardi told the Kamloops Daily News on Thursday that the offer will be for $6 million and that it may be made at some point this week.
Gaglardi also said that a website would be set up as RCH works to improve its public relations, something it did very little of a year ago. That website -- rivercityhockey.ca -- quietly came online sometime Monday.
Included on the website are sections titled The Vision, which offers up something of a mission statement; The Facts, which provides questions and answers; The Partners, with bios of the five partners; and, You Say, where the aforementioned notes of support appear.
As of Monday night, no details of a potential offer appeared anywhere on the
website. Gaglardi has said that once an offer is made, details will be posted on the website.
The Blazers' board of directors is scheduled to meet today.
Stay tuned.
RCH is headed up by Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi and features four ex-Blazers players, all of whom are big names in the NHL -- Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor.
Included on the website are letters of support from Brian Burke, the executive vice-president and general manager of the Stanley Cup-winning Anaheim Ducks, and Ron Toigo, who owns the WHL’s Vancouver Giants.
“I support River City Hockey’s quest to purchase the Kamloops Blazers of the
Western Hockey League," reads a letter signed by Burke, who also is a co-owner of the WHL’s Chilliwack Bruins. “The Chilliwack Bruins, and Brian Burke personally, endorse this ownership change. We believe in private ownership generally, and in this group in particular.”
A letter signed by Toigo reads, in part: “I am very supportive of your pursuit of the purchase of the Kamloops Blazers.
“I believe you and your group of former Blazers -- Darryl Sydor, Jarome
Iginla, Shane Doan, and Mark Recchi -- is a group that the community of
Kamloops should be proud to have as the owners and operators of their hockey
franchise.”
RCH attempted to purchase the Blazers for $6 million a year ago but was rebuffed when the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society voted that its assets weren’t for sale.
On Wednesday, RCH had letters delivered to the society’s nine directors stating its intent to make another offer to purchase.
Gaglardi told the Kamloops Daily News on Thursday that the offer will be for $6 million and that it may be made at some point this week.
Gaglardi also said that a website would be set up as RCH works to improve its public relations, something it did very little of a year ago. That website -- rivercityhockey.ca -- quietly came online sometime Monday.
Included on the website are sections titled The Vision, which offers up something of a mission statement; The Facts, which provides questions and answers; The Partners, with bios of the five partners; and, You Say, where the aforementioned notes of support appear.
As of Monday night, no details of a potential offer appeared anywhere on the
website. Gaglardi has said that once an offer is made, details will be posted on the website.
The Blazers' board of directors is scheduled to meet today.
Stay tuned.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Nobody asked me but . . .
From Daily News of Monday, July 16:
With apologies to the late, great Jimmy Cannon, nobody asked me, but . . .
l As October turns to November, the Canadian Curling Association may very
well award the 2009 Olympic trials to Edmonton.
But good on Kamloops for delivering a wakeup call to the self-described City
of Champions and curling capital of the universe.
And you can bet that there are a lot of communities the size of Kamloops,
and even some slightly larger, keeping a close eye on this process.
With organizations like the CCA and Hockey Canada having discovered that
there is money — and lots of it — to be made by holding major events in
buildings like Rexall Place in Edmonton and GM Place in Vancouver, smaller
communities and their smaller facilities have been left out in the cold.
We saw that here when Vancouver, Kamloops and Kelowna co-hosted the 2007
world junior hockey championship. Team Canada played all of its games in
Vancouver; Kamloops and Kelowna got the leftovers.
In the rush to land the Olympic curling trials, you can bet that Edmonton is
pushing the size of Rexall Place (16,839 seats) and its recent curling
history, what with it having drawn 708,842 fans to the 1999 and 2005 Briers
and the 2007 Worlds.
If this isn’t just about the money, Kamloops has lots going for it, too.
For starters, its facility, the 6,400-seat Interior Savings Centre, is a lot
closer in size to the 4,000-seat temporary venue in which the curlers will
compete during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
As well, the 2010 Winter Games will be held in Vancouver/Whistler which, the
last time we looked, was still in the great province of British Columbia,
which also is home to Kamloops.
How better, then, for Kamloops to be part of the 2010 Games than to play
host to the curling trials?
And let’s not forget that should the event be held in Kamloops, revenue
projections show the CCA walking away with $1 million, a figure that was big
enough to make the folks in Edmonton choke on their breakfast of champions,
if only for a few minutes.
That alone made the Kamloops bid worthwhile.
a Like moths drawn to a flame that once singed them, Tom Gaglardi and the
gang at River City Hockey will try — again — to purchase the WHL’s Kamloops
Blazers for $6 million.
Gaglardi heads up RCH, which was rebuffed in an attempt to buy the franchise
for $6 million just one year ago. Also involved are ex-Blazers Shane Doan,
Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor. (A goaltender and one more
defenceman and RCH would have a pretty good power play. Or, on second
thought, perhaps this is a power play.)
Gaglardi’s group is expected to make an offer to purchase sometime this
week.
The next few weeks will be interesting as Gaglardi and the Blazers’ board of
directors jockey for position.
Gaglardi has spent the last year gathering supporters and purchasing shares
in order to gain admission to meetings and ensure access to the members who
own the franchise.
The board of directors has spent time analyzing what happened last summer,
going over the B.C. Society Act with a fine-toothed comb, examining its
options and getting legal opinions. One thing is evident and that is that
Gaglardi and the ex-Blazers want very much to own this team.
Perhaps it would be prudent, then, for the board of directors (a) to hire an
appraiser and find out exactly how much this franchise is worth, or (b) to
invite bids and find out its value in that fashion.
An official with one WHL team told The Daily News on Sunday that on the open
market the Blazers would be worth “lots” and there would be “lots” of
interest.
“Factor in cash flows, scarcity, and egos, and it could easily be north of
($6 million),” the official said.
Do we hear $10 million?
a Don’t look now but it’s the dawn of a new era in Major League Baseball.
The Seattle Mariners have agreed to pay the king of the slap-hitters
something like US$90 million over the next five seasons.
Yes, Ichiro Suzuki, whom Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle
referred to the other day as “the cleverest man with a stick since Minnesota
Fats,” is a rich man.
Outside of Seattle, baseball’s owners and general managers are cringing
because all the singles hitters are going to be lining up and wanting more
dough. And the game’s young sluggers — hello, there, Miguel Cabrera — are
going to want even more than that.
Hey, Ichiro, who is being paid $12.5 million this season, is a terrific
player — arguably, in fact, the game’s most exciting player. But so was
Ralph Garr at one time, and Mickey Rivers. And they weren’t $90-million men.
In a game where it long has been said that chicks dig the long ball, is
Ichiro, who will be 34 in October, a $90-million man? Is he an
$18-million-a-season guy?
Of course, Ichiro is worth that and more if you reference it against the NBA
where the Portland Trail Blazers just paid guard Steve Francis $30 million
to go away. Francis was acquired from the New York Knicks in a deal that
allowed them to dump bad news bear Zach Randolph. The Trail Blazers had no
intention of keeping Francis, who had two seasons and $34 million left on
his contract. So Portland simply bought him out. Francis now is an
unrestricted free agent and you just know that another team is going to
enrich him even more.
By those terms, Ichiro is a steal at $90 million.
With apologies to the late, great Jimmy Cannon, nobody asked me, but . . .
l As October turns to November, the Canadian Curling Association may very
well award the 2009 Olympic trials to Edmonton.
But good on Kamloops for delivering a wakeup call to the self-described City
of Champions and curling capital of the universe.
And you can bet that there are a lot of communities the size of Kamloops,
and even some slightly larger, keeping a close eye on this process.
With organizations like the CCA and Hockey Canada having discovered that
there is money — and lots of it — to be made by holding major events in
buildings like Rexall Place in Edmonton and GM Place in Vancouver, smaller
communities and their smaller facilities have been left out in the cold.
We saw that here when Vancouver, Kamloops and Kelowna co-hosted the 2007
world junior hockey championship. Team Canada played all of its games in
Vancouver; Kamloops and Kelowna got the leftovers.
In the rush to land the Olympic curling trials, you can bet that Edmonton is
pushing the size of Rexall Place (16,839 seats) and its recent curling
history, what with it having drawn 708,842 fans to the 1999 and 2005 Briers
and the 2007 Worlds.
If this isn’t just about the money, Kamloops has lots going for it, too.
For starters, its facility, the 6,400-seat Interior Savings Centre, is a lot
closer in size to the 4,000-seat temporary venue in which the curlers will
compete during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
As well, the 2010 Winter Games will be held in Vancouver/Whistler which, the
last time we looked, was still in the great province of British Columbia,
which also is home to Kamloops.
How better, then, for Kamloops to be part of the 2010 Games than to play
host to the curling trials?
And let’s not forget that should the event be held in Kamloops, revenue
projections show the CCA walking away with $1 million, a figure that was big
enough to make the folks in Edmonton choke on their breakfast of champions,
if only for a few minutes.
That alone made the Kamloops bid worthwhile.
a Like moths drawn to a flame that once singed them, Tom Gaglardi and the
gang at River City Hockey will try — again — to purchase the WHL’s Kamloops
Blazers for $6 million.
Gaglardi heads up RCH, which was rebuffed in an attempt to buy the franchise
for $6 million just one year ago. Also involved are ex-Blazers Shane Doan,
Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor. (A goaltender and one more
defenceman and RCH would have a pretty good power play. Or, on second
thought, perhaps this is a power play.)
Gaglardi’s group is expected to make an offer to purchase sometime this
week.
The next few weeks will be interesting as Gaglardi and the Blazers’ board of
directors jockey for position.
Gaglardi has spent the last year gathering supporters and purchasing shares
in order to gain admission to meetings and ensure access to the members who
own the franchise.
The board of directors has spent time analyzing what happened last summer,
going over the B.C. Society Act with a fine-toothed comb, examining its
options and getting legal opinions. One thing is evident and that is that
Gaglardi and the ex-Blazers want very much to own this team.
Perhaps it would be prudent, then, for the board of directors (a) to hire an
appraiser and find out exactly how much this franchise is worth, or (b) to
invite bids and find out its value in that fashion.
An official with one WHL team told The Daily News on Sunday that on the open
market the Blazers would be worth “lots” and there would be “lots” of
interest.
“Factor in cash flows, scarcity, and egos, and it could easily be north of
($6 million),” the official said.
Do we hear $10 million?
a Don’t look now but it’s the dawn of a new era in Major League Baseball.
The Seattle Mariners have agreed to pay the king of the slap-hitters
something like US$90 million over the next five seasons.
Yes, Ichiro Suzuki, whom Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle
referred to the other day as “the cleverest man with a stick since Minnesota
Fats,” is a rich man.
Outside of Seattle, baseball’s owners and general managers are cringing
because all the singles hitters are going to be lining up and wanting more
dough. And the game’s young sluggers — hello, there, Miguel Cabrera — are
going to want even more than that.
Hey, Ichiro, who is being paid $12.5 million this season, is a terrific
player — arguably, in fact, the game’s most exciting player. But so was
Ralph Garr at one time, and Mickey Rivers. And they weren’t $90-million men.
In a game where it long has been said that chicks dig the long ball, is
Ichiro, who will be 34 in October, a $90-million man? Is he an
$18-million-a-season guy?
Of course, Ichiro is worth that and more if you reference it against the NBA
where the Portland Trail Blazers just paid guard Steve Francis $30 million
to go away. Francis was acquired from the New York Knicks in a deal that
allowed them to dump bad news bear Zach Randolph. The Trail Blazers had no
intention of keeping Francis, who had two seasons and $34 million left on
his contract. So Portland simply bought him out. Francis now is an
unrestricted free agent and you just know that another team is going to
enrich him even more.
By those terms, Ichiro is a steal at $90 million.
Where will Habscheid go?
There has been much speculation about where Marc Habscheid will end up.
Habscheid, who has WHL coaching experience with the Kamloops Blazers and Kelowna Rockets, was fired as associate coach by the Boston Bruins last month when head coach Dave Lewis also was dumped. Both have one year left on their contracts with the Bruins.
With the Rockets looking for a head coach — Jeff Truitt left to become an assistant with the Springfield Falcons, the Edmonton Oilers' AHL affiliate — Kelowna general manager Bruce Hamilton said earlier that he wanted to talk with Habscheid before making a decision.
If he is waiting on Habscheid, he may have to wait a bit longer.
Sources indicate that Habscheid has had discussions with the Phoenix Coyotes, who it's believed are looking for a head coach for their AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. The Coyotes' coaching staff also is a bit thin, with it now including just head coach Wayne Gretzky, associate coach Ulf Samuelsson and goaltending coach Grant Fuhr.
It's worth noting that Gretzky and Habscheid go back a long ways so there definitely is a connection there.
-------
The Coyotes have filled one hole in their organization, with the decision to hire Dave Strader as their TV play-by-play voice. Strader has the unenviable task of replacing Curt Keilback who, for some reason, was unceremoniously canned after last season. Strader will be reunited with analyst Darren Pang; the two worked together with ESPN — remember when the NHL was on ESPN?
Habscheid, who has WHL coaching experience with the Kamloops Blazers and Kelowna Rockets, was fired as associate coach by the Boston Bruins last month when head coach Dave Lewis also was dumped. Both have one year left on their contracts with the Bruins.
With the Rockets looking for a head coach — Jeff Truitt left to become an assistant with the Springfield Falcons, the Edmonton Oilers' AHL affiliate — Kelowna general manager Bruce Hamilton said earlier that he wanted to talk with Habscheid before making a decision.
If he is waiting on Habscheid, he may have to wait a bit longer.
Sources indicate that Habscheid has had discussions with the Phoenix Coyotes, who it's believed are looking for a head coach for their AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. The Coyotes' coaching staff also is a bit thin, with it now including just head coach Wayne Gretzky, associate coach Ulf Samuelsson and goaltending coach Grant Fuhr.
It's worth noting that Gretzky and Habscheid go back a long ways so there definitely is a connection there.
-------
The Coyotes have filled one hole in their organization, with the decision to hire Dave Strader as their TV play-by-play voice. Strader has the unenviable task of replacing Curt Keilback who, for some reason, was unceremoniously canned after last season. Strader will be reunited with analyst Darren Pang; the two worked together with ESPN — remember when the NHL was on ESPN?
Clouston and a plane crash
A week ago, the Kootenay Ice didn’t have any vacancies on its coaching
staff.
At some point this week, the WHL team is expected to be looking for a head
coach and an assistant coach.
A source with knowledge of the situation told The Daily News on Sunday that
Cory Clouston, the Ice’s head coach since 2002-03, is expected to be named
head coach of the AHL’s Binghamton Senators this week.
Last week, Brad Lauer, Clouston’s assistant coach for the last five seasons,
announced he was leaving the Ice. While an announcement has yet to be made,
Lauer is believed to have agreed to become the general manager and head
coach of the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
“I don’t know about that,” Clouston said when asked if he was leaving the
Ice. “I can’t make a comment on that. Maybe within the next 24 to 48 hours .
. .”
Clouston joined the Ice prior to the 1999-2000 season as an assistant coach
under Ryan McGill. When McGill left for the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack after
winning the 2002 Memorial Cup, Clouston was named the Ice’s head coach.
Clouston is the WHL’s reigning coach of the year, an award he also won after
the 2004-05 season.
He also guided Canada’s under-18 team to a gold medal at the IIHF Junior
World Cup in Czech Republic and Slovakia last summer.
A native of Viking, Alta., Clouston coached with the BCHL’s Powell River
Paper Kings and the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm before joining the Ice.
In Binghamton, he would replace Dave Cameron, who left after three seasons
to take over as GM/head coach of the OHL’s Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors.
Clouston was shocked when informed of a Saturday plane crash involving LW Glenn Olson, 23, who played part of 2003-04 with the Ice.
Olson, 23, the older brother of Seattle Thunderbirds D Benn
Olson, survived the crash on Vancouver Island on Saturday. The crash,
near Olson’s hometown of Port McNeill, claimed the life of the pilot.
Glenn Olson, who played last season for the Worcester Sharks, the AHL
affiliate of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, suffered a broken right leg. He and
another passenger — the plane was headed for Merritt and the country music
festival — were listed in critical condition last night.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Olson played 41 games with Kootenay in 2003-04,
putting up three points and 126 penalty minutes.
staff.
At some point this week, the WHL team is expected to be looking for a head
coach and an assistant coach.
A source with knowledge of the situation told The Daily News on Sunday that
Cory Clouston, the Ice’s head coach since 2002-03, is expected to be named
head coach of the AHL’s Binghamton Senators this week.
Last week, Brad Lauer, Clouston’s assistant coach for the last five seasons,
announced he was leaving the Ice. While an announcement has yet to be made,
Lauer is believed to have agreed to become the general manager and head
coach of the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
“I don’t know about that,” Clouston said when asked if he was leaving the
Ice. “I can’t make a comment on that. Maybe within the next 24 to 48 hours .
. .”
Clouston joined the Ice prior to the 1999-2000 season as an assistant coach
under Ryan McGill. When McGill left for the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack after
winning the 2002 Memorial Cup, Clouston was named the Ice’s head coach.
Clouston is the WHL’s reigning coach of the year, an award he also won after
the 2004-05 season.
He also guided Canada’s under-18 team to a gold medal at the IIHF Junior
World Cup in Czech Republic and Slovakia last summer.
A native of Viking, Alta., Clouston coached with the BCHL’s Powell River
Paper Kings and the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm before joining the Ice.
In Binghamton, he would replace Dave Cameron, who left after three seasons
to take over as GM/head coach of the OHL’s Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors.
Clouston was shocked when informed of a Saturday plane crash involving LW Glenn Olson, 23, who played part of 2003-04 with the Ice.
Olson, 23, the older brother of Seattle Thunderbirds D Benn
Olson, survived the crash on Vancouver Island on Saturday. The crash,
near Olson’s hometown of Port McNeill, claimed the life of the pilot.
Glenn Olson, who played last season for the Worcester Sharks, the AHL
affiliate of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, suffered a broken right leg. He and
another passenger — the plane was headed for Merritt and the country music
festival — were listed in critical condition last night.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Olson played 41 games with Kootenay in 2003-04,
putting up three points and 126 penalty minutes.
Clouston a Senator?
According to a source, Cory Clouston, the head coach of the Kootenay Ice, will be named head coach of the AHL's Binghamton Senators early this week. Clouston, reached Sunday evening, said "I can't make a comment."
Brad Lauer, an Ice assistant coach for five seasons, resigned last week and, although an announcement hasn't yet been made, is believed to have agreed to become GM and head coach of the BCHL's Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
More later.
Brad Lauer, an Ice assistant coach for five seasons, resigned last week and, although an announcement hasn't yet been made, is believed to have agreed to become GM and head coach of the BCHL's Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
More later.
Friday, July 13, 2007
More on bid to buy Blazers
From Daily News of Sat., July 14:
The four ex-players who are involved with River City Hockey Inc., the group
attempting to purchase the WHL's Kamloops Blazers, will be more involved in
the sales pitch this time around.
So says Tom Gaglardi, the Vancouver-based businessman who heads up RCH.
A year ago, when RCH tried to buy the franchise, Gaglardi had ex-Blazers
Shane Doan, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor with him. Those three still are
involved and they have added Jarome Iginla.
Doan, Recchi and Sydor didn∂t have much of a public profile last summer when
it came to trying to sell the bid. That, Gaglardi said, is about to change.
"Absolutely," Gaglardi said Friday evening. "Mark has bought a home (in Sun
Rivers) and is going to spend a good chunk of his summer there. Darryl and
Shane are there now.
"These guys are serious . . . they always were."
Gaglardi also said that "there are other players" who have shown an interest
in getting involved but that "I'm not anxious to expand the group."
"We may (expand) but I don't think so," he added.
Since being rebuffed in an attempt to purchase the team a year ago, Gaglardi
said he and Recchi have bought $1,000 memberships in the Kamloops Blazers
Sports Society. He said that in the next while the other three players also
will become members.
"By the AGM we'll all be members," he said, referring to the society's
annual general meeting which normally is held in September. "We'll all be
there."
On Thursday, Blazers president Murray Owen said that in his opinion
Gaglardi's actions are "contrary to (the Blazers') constitution."
Gaglardi said yesterday that in becoming a member he had to sign a letter
saying he would "uphold the constitution."
"I looked at that letter pretty hard legally," he said, "and it says the
square-root of nothing.
"I'm hoping that . . . the board will act properly and just put (the
purchase offer) to the members."
RCH's next move will be to finalize its latest offer, which Gaglardi said
Thursday will be for $6 million, as it was a year ago.
"We're going to put our offer in within a few days," he said. "It might be
next week and it may not be. But I think more likely that it will be."
After presenting an offer to the Blazers' board of directors, RCH will wait
for a response.
The four ex-players who are involved with River City Hockey Inc., the group
attempting to purchase the WHL's Kamloops Blazers, will be more involved in
the sales pitch this time around.
So says Tom Gaglardi, the Vancouver-based businessman who heads up RCH.
A year ago, when RCH tried to buy the franchise, Gaglardi had ex-Blazers
Shane Doan, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor with him. Those three still are
involved and they have added Jarome Iginla.
Doan, Recchi and Sydor didn∂t have much of a public profile last summer when
it came to trying to sell the bid. That, Gaglardi said, is about to change.
"Absolutely," Gaglardi said Friday evening. "Mark has bought a home (in Sun
Rivers) and is going to spend a good chunk of his summer there. Darryl and
Shane are there now.
"These guys are serious . . . they always were."
Gaglardi also said that "there are other players" who have shown an interest
in getting involved but that "I'm not anxious to expand the group."
"We may (expand) but I don't think so," he added.
Since being rebuffed in an attempt to purchase the team a year ago, Gaglardi
said he and Recchi have bought $1,000 memberships in the Kamloops Blazers
Sports Society. He said that in the next while the other three players also
will become members.
"By the AGM we'll all be members," he said, referring to the society's
annual general meeting which normally is held in September. "We'll all be
there."
On Thursday, Blazers president Murray Owen said that in his opinion
Gaglardi's actions are "contrary to (the Blazers') constitution."
Gaglardi said yesterday that in becoming a member he had to sign a letter
saying he would "uphold the constitution."
"I looked at that letter pretty hard legally," he said, "and it says the
square-root of nothing.
"I'm hoping that . . . the board will act properly and just put (the
purchase offer) to the members."
RCH's next move will be to finalize its latest offer, which Gaglardi said
Thursday will be for $6 million, as it was a year ago.
"We're going to put our offer in within a few days," he said. "It might be
next week and it may not be. But I think more likely that it will be."
After presenting an offer to the Blazers' board of directors, RCH will wait
for a response.
Keeping Score
From Daily News of Saturday, July 14:
Jerry Greene, in the Orlando Sentinel: “A potential NBA player seems to be
protesting the totally non-democratic drafting system that forces an athlete
to work for a specific team. And the player protesting, Yi Jianlian, is from
China. Why do we think this is OK and they don’t?” . . . Greg Cote, in the
Miami Herald: “The latest evidence that reaching major statistical
milestones in baseball does not necessarily make you a first-ballot given
for the Hall of Fame — Frank Thomas’ 500th home run and Craig Biggio’s
3,000th hit.” . . . Dan Daly, in the Washington Times: “Strange, isn’t it,
how they call Thomas ‘The Big Hurt’‚ and yet Biggio is the one who’s been
hit by 284 pitches?” . . . If you watched the Home Run Derby on Sportsnet on
Monday, you knew it was being shown on tape delay, didn’t you?
One more from Daly: “Can’t get used to the idea of a boat sponsored by
Switzerland — a landlocked country — winning back-to-back America’s Cups.
Next thing you know, teams from North Carolina and Anaheim will win
back-to-back Stanley Cups.” . . . When they held the U.S. Women’s Open golf
championship a couple of weekends ago, 26 Korean players made the cut for
the last two rounds. . . . There were 25 Americans left in the field for the
final two rounds. . . . As the Beckhams prepare to take Los Angeles, the
missus just spent US$500,000 to have a closet built in their new home. For
that price, you should be able to get a really posh closet. . . . Becks and
the Los Angeles Galaxy are to play Chelsea in L.A., on July 21. How big will
this be? Big, big, big. ESPN will cover it with 19 cameras, including
Beckham Cam and Celebrity Cam. Now that’s big!
They held the 12th annual Summer Redneck Games last weekend in Dublin, Ga.,
and Doug Wyatt of the Savannah, Ga., Morning News was pumped. “Shoot,” he
wrote, “we ain’t had so much fun since the time Earlene got likkered up and
tried to milk the cat.” . . . Just wondering, but do where to they hold the
Winter Redneck Games? . . . Evander Holyfield, 44, put a beating on Lou
Savarese, 41, in a heavyweight boxing match the other night. “Methuselah was
the referee,” noted Drew Curtis of fark.com, “Abe Vigoda the announcer, and
Bea Arthur the ring card girl.” . . . If you’re into numerology, you should
know that Clint Bowyer finished seventh in NASCAR’s Pepsi 400 on Saturday.
He drives car No. 7. The date, of course, was 07/07/07.
“It speaks to the age of 57 years, basically,” pro golfer Tom Watson said
late last week. “I’m just not very fluid. I look at a lot of swings out
here, not too many fluid swings out here. There is a little chop here and a
chop here. The bodies, they don’t react very well much anymore. The fluidity
of the past, of the youth, is pretty much gone.” . . . That was after the
second round of the U.S. Senior Open in which he shot, uhh, 66. It wasn’t
until late in the fourth round that his game fell apart. . . . Scott Ostler,
in the San Francisco Chronicle, on the start of the Tour de France: “The
defending champ isn’t riding and several superstars are absent, but it’s
still a grand international event — the Tour de Fewer. I like how the
starting field swept past the grandstands in the ‘missing men formation.’ ”
Bill Lankhof, in the Toronto Sun: “Multiple choice: If the Maple Leafs hire
John Muckler as a so-called ‘senior advisor’ does that make John Ferguson
Jr.: (a) A sitting duck; (b) A lame duck; (c) A dead duck; (d) All of the
above. Just wondering.” . . . And then there was Lankhof, eagerly awaiting
last weekend’s Champ Car race in Toronto: “The best excuse to look at ladies
in skimpy bathing suits ever invented arrives . . . with the return of Champ
Car. Some of the fastest women, aahhh, I mean cars, will be flashing
onlookers at the CNE grounds tomorrow afternoon. Remember, when the guy says
‘Gentlemen, Start Your Engines,’ he’s referring to the cars.” . . . From the
Flip Side column in the Baltimore Sun: “Sorry for the recent absence, but
Mr. Flip had to take some vacation time for a trip to France to attend the
Tony Parker-Eva Longoria wedding. It was tough getting that blender through
airport security.”
Jimmy Kimmel, co-hosting the ESPYs the other night, came up with this gem:
“There have been a lot of babies in sports this year. Tiger Woods had a baby
girl, my co-host, LeBron James, had a baby boy, and the Lakers still have
Kobe.” . . . On what was then the impending arrival of David Beckham in Los
Angeles, Kimmel, in sending a zinger at Wayne Gretzky, offered: “Maybe he
can do what you did for hockey, and in 15 years no one will be watching
soccer either.” . . . No one is smiling more these days than WHL referees.
With Kevin Constantine and Brent Sutter having left the ranks of WHL head
coaches, the job of a referee just got a whole lot quieter. No more putting
cotton batting in the ears before games.
Dwight Perry, in the Seattle Times: “The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed
Sidney Crosby to a five-year contract extension worth $43.5 million. Or, as
he’s now known among the NHL’s younger set, Bling Crosby.” . . . A man
beaten by Allan Iverson’s bodyguards in a nightclub has been awarded
$260,000 for pain and suffering. And jurors have yet to declare punitive
damages. As Perry wrote: “Or as they say in the NBA, he’s now in the bonus.”
. . . Someone did a survey that showed four out of 10 golfers would trade
sex for a month for the perfect swing. To which Peter Schmuck of the
Baltimore Sun responded: “Don’t get your hopes up. If that’s all it took,
I’d win the Masters every year.”
Gregg Drinnan is sports editor of The Daily News. He is at
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca. Keeping Score appears Saturdays.
Jerry Greene, in the Orlando Sentinel: “A potential NBA player seems to be
protesting the totally non-democratic drafting system that forces an athlete
to work for a specific team. And the player protesting, Yi Jianlian, is from
China. Why do we think this is OK and they don’t?” . . . Greg Cote, in the
Miami Herald: “The latest evidence that reaching major statistical
milestones in baseball does not necessarily make you a first-ballot given
for the Hall of Fame — Frank Thomas’ 500th home run and Craig Biggio’s
3,000th hit.” . . . Dan Daly, in the Washington Times: “Strange, isn’t it,
how they call Thomas ‘The Big Hurt’‚ and yet Biggio is the one who’s been
hit by 284 pitches?” . . . If you watched the Home Run Derby on Sportsnet on
Monday, you knew it was being shown on tape delay, didn’t you?
One more from Daly: “Can’t get used to the idea of a boat sponsored by
Switzerland — a landlocked country — winning back-to-back America’s Cups.
Next thing you know, teams from North Carolina and Anaheim will win
back-to-back Stanley Cups.” . . . When they held the U.S. Women’s Open golf
championship a couple of weekends ago, 26 Korean players made the cut for
the last two rounds. . . . There were 25 Americans left in the field for the
final two rounds. . . . As the Beckhams prepare to take Los Angeles, the
missus just spent US$500,000 to have a closet built in their new home. For
that price, you should be able to get a really posh closet. . . . Becks and
the Los Angeles Galaxy are to play Chelsea in L.A., on July 21. How big will
this be? Big, big, big. ESPN will cover it with 19 cameras, including
Beckham Cam and Celebrity Cam. Now that’s big!
They held the 12th annual Summer Redneck Games last weekend in Dublin, Ga.,
and Doug Wyatt of the Savannah, Ga., Morning News was pumped. “Shoot,” he
wrote, “we ain’t had so much fun since the time Earlene got likkered up and
tried to milk the cat.” . . . Just wondering, but do where to they hold the
Winter Redneck Games? . . . Evander Holyfield, 44, put a beating on Lou
Savarese, 41, in a heavyweight boxing match the other night. “Methuselah was
the referee,” noted Drew Curtis of fark.com, “Abe Vigoda the announcer, and
Bea Arthur the ring card girl.” . . . If you’re into numerology, you should
know that Clint Bowyer finished seventh in NASCAR’s Pepsi 400 on Saturday.
He drives car No. 7. The date, of course, was 07/07/07.
“It speaks to the age of 57 years, basically,” pro golfer Tom Watson said
late last week. “I’m just not very fluid. I look at a lot of swings out
here, not too many fluid swings out here. There is a little chop here and a
chop here. The bodies, they don’t react very well much anymore. The fluidity
of the past, of the youth, is pretty much gone.” . . . That was after the
second round of the U.S. Senior Open in which he shot, uhh, 66. It wasn’t
until late in the fourth round that his game fell apart. . . . Scott Ostler,
in the San Francisco Chronicle, on the start of the Tour de France: “The
defending champ isn’t riding and several superstars are absent, but it’s
still a grand international event — the Tour de Fewer. I like how the
starting field swept past the grandstands in the ‘missing men formation.’ ”
Bill Lankhof, in the Toronto Sun: “Multiple choice: If the Maple Leafs hire
John Muckler as a so-called ‘senior advisor’ does that make John Ferguson
Jr.: (a) A sitting duck; (b) A lame duck; (c) A dead duck; (d) All of the
above. Just wondering.” . . . And then there was Lankhof, eagerly awaiting
last weekend’s Champ Car race in Toronto: “The best excuse to look at ladies
in skimpy bathing suits ever invented arrives . . . with the return of Champ
Car. Some of the fastest women, aahhh, I mean cars, will be flashing
onlookers at the CNE grounds tomorrow afternoon. Remember, when the guy says
‘Gentlemen, Start Your Engines,’ he’s referring to the cars.” . . . From the
Flip Side column in the Baltimore Sun: “Sorry for the recent absence, but
Mr. Flip had to take some vacation time for a trip to France to attend the
Tony Parker-Eva Longoria wedding. It was tough getting that blender through
airport security.”
Jimmy Kimmel, co-hosting the ESPYs the other night, came up with this gem:
“There have been a lot of babies in sports this year. Tiger Woods had a baby
girl, my co-host, LeBron James, had a baby boy, and the Lakers still have
Kobe.” . . . On what was then the impending arrival of David Beckham in Los
Angeles, Kimmel, in sending a zinger at Wayne Gretzky, offered: “Maybe he
can do what you did for hockey, and in 15 years no one will be watching
soccer either.” . . . No one is smiling more these days than WHL referees.
With Kevin Constantine and Brent Sutter having left the ranks of WHL head
coaches, the job of a referee just got a whole lot quieter. No more putting
cotton batting in the ears before games.
Dwight Perry, in the Seattle Times: “The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed
Sidney Crosby to a five-year contract extension worth $43.5 million. Or, as
he’s now known among the NHL’s younger set, Bling Crosby.” . . . A man
beaten by Allan Iverson’s bodyguards in a nightclub has been awarded
$260,000 for pain and suffering. And jurors have yet to declare punitive
damages. As Perry wrote: “Or as they say in the NBA, he’s now in the bonus.”
. . . Someone did a survey that showed four out of 10 golfers would trade
sex for a month for the perfect swing. To which Peter Schmuck of the
Baltimore Sun responded: “Don’t get your hopes up. If that’s all it took,
I’d win the Masters every year.”
Gregg Drinnan is sports editor of The Daily News. He is at
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca. Keeping Score appears Saturdays.
Oh, Canada
It seems that New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello has cleared up any confusion as to whether Brent Sutter will coach Team Canada in the eight-game junior series against Russia that runs Aug. 27 through Sept. 9.
Buried at the end of a wire story on the Devils’ hiring of Brent Sutter as head coach was this sentence: “The hiring will not prevent Sutter from coaching Canada for the Canada-Russia junior showdown that’ll run from Aug. 27-Sept. 9, Lamoriello said.”
Thanks, Lou, for clearing that up.
But shouldn’t Sutter, now that he is an NHL coach, step aside and let another major junior coach take over? Although when you think about it, how many major junior owners want their head coaches to miss training camp?
Meanwhile, TSN and Sportsnet will combine to televise all eight games in the Canada-Russia series.
You’ll get Peter Loubardias calling the play with (Yellin’) Pierre McGuire as the analyst and former Kamloops Blazers forward Ryan Rishaug reporting from rinkside.
Here’s the telecast schedule, with all times Pacific:
Game 1: Aug. 27, Ufa, Russia, 6 a.m. (TSN)
Game 2: Aug. 29, Ufa, Russia, 6 a.m. (Sportsnet)
Game 3: Aug. 31, Omsk, Russia, 5 a.m. (Sportsnet)
Game 4: Sept. 1, Omsk, Russia, 3 a.m. (TSN)
Game 5: Sept. 4, Winnipeg, 5 p.m. (TSN)
Game 6: Sept. 5, Saskatoon, 5 p.m. (TSN)
Game 7: Sept. 7, Red Deer, 7 p.m. (Sportsnet)
Game 8: Sept. 9, Vancouver 5 p.m. (Sportsnet)
Buried at the end of a wire story on the Devils’ hiring of Brent Sutter as head coach was this sentence: “The hiring will not prevent Sutter from coaching Canada for the Canada-Russia junior showdown that’ll run from Aug. 27-Sept. 9, Lamoriello said.”
Thanks, Lou, for clearing that up.
But shouldn’t Sutter, now that he is an NHL coach, step aside and let another major junior coach take over? Although when you think about it, how many major junior owners want their head coaches to miss training camp?
Meanwhile, TSN and Sportsnet will combine to televise all eight games in the Canada-Russia series.
You’ll get Peter Loubardias calling the play with (Yellin’) Pierre McGuire as the analyst and former Kamloops Blazers forward Ryan Rishaug reporting from rinkside.
Here’s the telecast schedule, with all times Pacific:
Game 1: Aug. 27, Ufa, Russia, 6 a.m. (TSN)
Game 2: Aug. 29, Ufa, Russia, 6 a.m. (Sportsnet)
Game 3: Aug. 31, Omsk, Russia, 5 a.m. (Sportsnet)
Game 4: Sept. 1, Omsk, Russia, 3 a.m. (TSN)
Game 5: Sept. 4, Winnipeg, 5 p.m. (TSN)
Game 6: Sept. 5, Saskatoon, 5 p.m. (TSN)
Game 7: Sept. 7, Red Deer, 7 p.m. (Sportsnet)
Game 8: Sept. 9, Vancouver 5 p.m. (Sportsnet)
Winnipeg Americans?
Alan Caldwell, who knows the WHL, its teams, their players and prospective players like no one else, had a neat take on the Tri-City Americans the other day.
Caldwell, who lives and works in Calgary where he follows the Hitmen rather closely, points out that the Americans have nine prospects from Winnipeg signed to WHL contracts and slated to attend training camp. Those players, with positions and birth years, as supplied by Caldwell:
G Kyle Birch (90)
D Colin Frederickson (90) - played some games last year for Lethbridge
F Jason Gardiner (91) - played some games for Ams last year
F Adam Hughesman (91) - played some games for Ams last year
F Colan Jackson (90)
F Johnny Lazo (89) - played some games for Ams last year
F Joel Ridgeway (90) - played some games for Ams last year
F Brendan Shinniman (91)
F Mason Wilgosh (91)
You can make it 10 because the Americans have also signed F Colin Phaneuf (90).
And, as Caldwell points out, the Americans have four Winnipeggers on their roster — G Chet Pickard, D Eric Mestery, D Tyler Schmidt and F Blair MacAuley.
Gotta think Americans GM Bob Tory, who obviously has spent some time in the Manitoba capital, is on a first-name basis with some hotel clerks in Winnipeg. Maybe he saves money by renting an apartment there.
Caldwell, who lives and works in Calgary where he follows the Hitmen rather closely, points out that the Americans have nine prospects from Winnipeg signed to WHL contracts and slated to attend training camp. Those players, with positions and birth years, as supplied by Caldwell:
G Kyle Birch (90)
D Colin Frederickson (90) - played some games last year for Lethbridge
F Jason Gardiner (91) - played some games for Ams last year
F Adam Hughesman (91) - played some games for Ams last year
F Colan Jackson (90)
F Johnny Lazo (89) - played some games for Ams last year
F Joel Ridgeway (90) - played some games for Ams last year
F Brendan Shinniman (91)
F Mason Wilgosh (91)
You can make it 10 because the Americans have also signed F Colin Phaneuf (90).
And, as Caldwell points out, the Americans have four Winnipeggers on their roster — G Chet Pickard, D Eric Mestery, D Tyler Schmidt and F Blair MacAuley.
Gotta think Americans GM Bob Tory, who obviously has spent some time in the Manitoba capital, is on a first-name basis with some hotel clerks in Winnipeg. Maybe he saves money by renting an apartment there.
European movement
D Mike Siklenka, who played with the Seattle Thunderbirds, has signed with Lukko Rauma in Finland top league — SM-Liiga. Last season, Siklenka played with Leksand in Sweden’s No. 2 league. He had 31 points in 39 games was plus-18. He also had 164 penalty minutes. Also on Lukko's roster: F Shayne Toporowski, who has played three seasons there. Last season the former P.A. Raider had 53 points in 55 games.
D Bryce Thoma, formerly of the Red Deer Rebels, will play with the Hull Stingrays of Britain’s Elite League. Thoma played with the ECHL's Las Vegas Wranglers last season. Among his teammates in Hull will be F Cole Byers (Moose Jaw Warriors) and F James Knight (also Moose Jaw). Hull's coach is Rich Strachan and you're a real WHL fan if you can remember that he played for the Winnipeg Warriors.
By the way, it's B.C. 21, Saskatchewan 0 at halftime in Regina. . . . The wheezing sound you hear is coming from Roughriders fans who are thinking about how many times this has happened to them in the past.
D Bryce Thoma, formerly of the Red Deer Rebels, will play with the Hull Stingrays of Britain’s Elite League. Thoma played with the ECHL's Las Vegas Wranglers last season. Among his teammates in Hull will be F Cole Byers (Moose Jaw Warriors) and F James Knight (also Moose Jaw). Hull's coach is Rich Strachan and you're a real WHL fan if you can remember that he played for the Winnipeg Warriors.
By the way, it's B.C. 21, Saskatchewan 0 at halftime in Regina. . . . The wheezing sound you hear is coming from Roughriders fans who are thinking about how many times this has happened to them in the past.
Trying to buy the Blazers
From The Daily News of Friday, July 13
The Kamloops Blazers Sports Society’s nine-man board of directors is awaiting receipt of another offer to purchase from River City Hockey Inc.
“We have been anticipating that to be happening because of the activity over the last couple of months,” Murray Owen, the society’s president, said Thursday.
Owen was referring to Vancouver-based businessman Tom Gaglardi, who heads up River City Hockey, and his supporters working over the last while to buy up shares in the society.
The anticipation is about to end because River City Hockey, rebuffed in its bid to purchase the Blazers for $6 million a year ago, is back with a slightly restructured offer for the WHL team.
Gaglardi, who heads up the group that also includes former Blazers players Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor, said yesterday that River City Hockey will make a $6-million offer, perhaps as soon as next week.
A letter stating that “River City Hockey will once again present the board of directors of your society an offer to purchase” was delivered to the Blazers’ office at the Interior Savings Centre late Wednesday afternoon. Copies of the letter were mailed to the society’s shareholders, or members, who number about 200.
A year ago, River City Hockey dealt primarily with the society’s board of directors; this time the group is working to involve the society’s members in the process.
Over the last year, Gaglardi and some of the group’s supporters were able to purchase shares that had been owned by Vic Mah of Edmonton. Now, as a member, Gaglardi has a copy of the constitution; he also has a list of members.
“He is putting each shareholder on notice that this is what he intends to do,” Owen said.
Owen added that the board is more prepared to deal with an offer than it was a year ago.
“We have an opinion since that time,” he said, “about where we are legally in terms of if the club were ever to be sold, what the steps and procedures would have to be. I think we have it very clear in our minds what that is.”
Owen also said that he feels what Gaglardi is doing, because he is a member, “is contrary to the constitution.”
“As far as our board is concerned, we believe that the membership would have to change the constitution prior to entertaining offers,” Owen said. “I don’t know if Tom doesn’t understand our position or (if) he doesn’t care . . . he has his own ideas about where he would like to go with it.”
For now, Owen and the board are awaiting the arrival of the offer. Sometime after that, Owen said, the board “will have to respond to his letter.”
And in the end, Owen concluded, it all will come down to what the membership wants.
“Our board is committed to the wishes of the membership,” he said. “That’s all there is to it. Whatever transpires is going to be pretty much whatever the membership of the society wants to do.”
River City Hockey also is undertaking a public relations campaign, one that will include the setting up of a website on which details of the offer will be posted for all to peruse.
Last summer, the group’s $6-million offer never got past the board to members. The board decided on June 27, 2006, that “the assets of the Kamloops Blazers Hockey Club are not for sale.”
The board then scheduled a July 11, 2006, meeting of members. Gaglardi’s request to appear at that meeting was turned down by the board.
At that meeting, the members, by a vote of 49-38, let it be known that the society’s assets aren’t for sale. River City Hockey’s bid to purchase wasn’t presented at that meeting, nor was it ever presented to members.
This time, Gaglardi is making sure that the membership knows what is on the table.
“The offer,” he said, “is a little different this year.”
He then explained that while the number -- $6 million -- is the same, the process in which members would receive money has been changed.
“The difference is that rather than rely on the board to repay the founding members the $1,000 per share,” Gaglardi said, “this offer builds that in. What we’re doing is offering each member $1,000 plus interest at the rate of five per cent simple interest from the date they bought their shares. That amount gets paid separately but it’s deducted from the $6-million purchase price, so we’re still paying $6 million.”
Under these terms, a share purchased for $1,000 in 1984 now would be worth $2,150, including $1,150 in interest.
“A bunch of guys in 1984 put up $1,000 each which was a lot of money then to keep this team here and they’ve held it all along,” Gaglardi said. “The team has appreciated and, although it’s not for profit, why shouldn’t they have their money returned to them, with five per cent simple interest?”
Gaglardi, 39, is a grandson of the late Phil Gaglardi, who was a prominent politician in the Kamloops area. Tom is the CEO of Northland Properties Corp., which owns, among other things, Sandman Hotels, Inns and Suites, Moxie’s Restaurants, and Denny’s of Canada.
Gaglardi and Ryan Beedie, another Vancouver-based businessman, are involved in a lawsuit in which they are suing Vancouver Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini and former owner John McCaw for ownership of the NHL team and its home arena, GM Place. That court action is in recess until Aug. 7.
The Kamloops Blazers Sports Society’s nine-man board of directors is awaiting receipt of another offer to purchase from River City Hockey Inc.
“We have been anticipating that to be happening because of the activity over the last couple of months,” Murray Owen, the society’s president, said Thursday.
Owen was referring to Vancouver-based businessman Tom Gaglardi, who heads up River City Hockey, and his supporters working over the last while to buy up shares in the society.
The anticipation is about to end because River City Hockey, rebuffed in its bid to purchase the Blazers for $6 million a year ago, is back with a slightly restructured offer for the WHL team.
Gaglardi, who heads up the group that also includes former Blazers players Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor, said yesterday that River City Hockey will make a $6-million offer, perhaps as soon as next week.
A letter stating that “River City Hockey will once again present the board of directors of your society an offer to purchase” was delivered to the Blazers’ office at the Interior Savings Centre late Wednesday afternoon. Copies of the letter were mailed to the society’s shareholders, or members, who number about 200.
A year ago, River City Hockey dealt primarily with the society’s board of directors; this time the group is working to involve the society’s members in the process.
Over the last year, Gaglardi and some of the group’s supporters were able to purchase shares that had been owned by Vic Mah of Edmonton. Now, as a member, Gaglardi has a copy of the constitution; he also has a list of members.
“He is putting each shareholder on notice that this is what he intends to do,” Owen said.
Owen added that the board is more prepared to deal with an offer than it was a year ago.
“We have an opinion since that time,” he said, “about where we are legally in terms of if the club were ever to be sold, what the steps and procedures would have to be. I think we have it very clear in our minds what that is.”
Owen also said that he feels what Gaglardi is doing, because he is a member, “is contrary to the constitution.”
“As far as our board is concerned, we believe that the membership would have to change the constitution prior to entertaining offers,” Owen said. “I don’t know if Tom doesn’t understand our position or (if) he doesn’t care . . . he has his own ideas about where he would like to go with it.”
For now, Owen and the board are awaiting the arrival of the offer. Sometime after that, Owen said, the board “will have to respond to his letter.”
And in the end, Owen concluded, it all will come down to what the membership wants.
“Our board is committed to the wishes of the membership,” he said. “That’s all there is to it. Whatever transpires is going to be pretty much whatever the membership of the society wants to do.”
River City Hockey also is undertaking a public relations campaign, one that will include the setting up of a website on which details of the offer will be posted for all to peruse.
Last summer, the group’s $6-million offer never got past the board to members. The board decided on June 27, 2006, that “the assets of the Kamloops Blazers Hockey Club are not for sale.”
The board then scheduled a July 11, 2006, meeting of members. Gaglardi’s request to appear at that meeting was turned down by the board.
At that meeting, the members, by a vote of 49-38, let it be known that the society’s assets aren’t for sale. River City Hockey’s bid to purchase wasn’t presented at that meeting, nor was it ever presented to members.
This time, Gaglardi is making sure that the membership knows what is on the table.
“The offer,” he said, “is a little different this year.”
He then explained that while the number -- $6 million -- is the same, the process in which members would receive money has been changed.
“The difference is that rather than rely on the board to repay the founding members the $1,000 per share,” Gaglardi said, “this offer builds that in. What we’re doing is offering each member $1,000 plus interest at the rate of five per cent simple interest from the date they bought their shares. That amount gets paid separately but it’s deducted from the $6-million purchase price, so we’re still paying $6 million.”
Under these terms, a share purchased for $1,000 in 1984 now would be worth $2,150, including $1,150 in interest.
“A bunch of guys in 1984 put up $1,000 each which was a lot of money then to keep this team here and they’ve held it all along,” Gaglardi said. “The team has appreciated and, although it’s not for profit, why shouldn’t they have their money returned to them, with five per cent simple interest?”
Gaglardi, 39, is a grandson of the late Phil Gaglardi, who was a prominent politician in the Kamloops area. Tom is the CEO of Northland Properties Corp., which owns, among other things, Sandman Hotels, Inns and Suites, Moxie’s Restaurants, and Denny’s of Canada.
Gaglardi and Ryan Beedie, another Vancouver-based businessman, are involved in a lawsuit in which they are suing Vancouver Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini and former owner John McCaw for ownership of the NHL team and its home arena, GM Place. That court action is in recess until Aug. 7.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
New deals in Kamloops?
From The Daily News of Friday, July 13
The impending arrival of an offer to purchase the Kamloops Blazers won’t have any impact on new contracts that are being prepared for the WHL team’s coaching staff.
In fact, an announcement on those contracts is imminent, perhaps before the end of this month.
Dean Clark, the team’s general manager and head coach, Shane Zulyniak, the assistant GM and assistant coach, and assistant coach Andrew Milne all have one season left on their contracts. The club also holds an option on each of them for 2008-09.
New contracts would replace the one season that remains and would run through at least 2008-09.
“We have done some work on contracts,” Blazers president Murray Owen said Thursday. “Once I get back to the board and report our progress in that regard, we will make an announcement.”
Asked how many of the coaches are in line for new deals, Owen said: “We hope all three.”
Clark said yesterday that the contracts “are basically done.”
A contract also is in the works for Dave Chyzowski, the former Blazers star who joined the front office in the middle of last season as the director of marketing.
“I want to lock all these guys up,” Clark said, “so that there aren’t any doubts in their minds.”
------
The Blazers expect to have forwards Kyle and Mark Wells, the sons of former WHLer Brad Wells, in training camp when it opens late in August.
The 17-year-old Kyle, 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, had 44 points, including 20 goals, and 80 penalty minutes in 52 games with the midget AAA Brandon Wheat Kings last season.
Taylor, who goes about 5-foot-7, played for the bantam AA Wheat Kings, but wasn’t selected in the WHL draft. A fiery player, the 15-year-old Wells is said to have good offensive skills and a good shot. He was selected by the Swan Valley Stampeders in the Manitoba junior league draft.
Their father was a fiery player during stints with the Wheat Kings, Regina Pats and Lethbridge Broncos. Their uncle, Bryan, who played with the Wheat Kings and Pats, also displayed a whole lot of fire.
As for Kyle and Mark, Clark said, “They’ve got that Wells intensity.”
------
Jerry Price, the father of former Tri-City goaltender Carey Price, has been added to the Americans’ staff as a scout and goaltending consultant. Jerry, 49, lives in Williams Lake. He is a former WHL goaltender who played for the Calgary Centennials and Portland
Winter Hawks.
The impending arrival of an offer to purchase the Kamloops Blazers won’t have any impact on new contracts that are being prepared for the WHL team’s coaching staff.
In fact, an announcement on those contracts is imminent, perhaps before the end of this month.
Dean Clark, the team’s general manager and head coach, Shane Zulyniak, the assistant GM and assistant coach, and assistant coach Andrew Milne all have one season left on their contracts. The club also holds an option on each of them for 2008-09.
New contracts would replace the one season that remains and would run through at least 2008-09.
“We have done some work on contracts,” Blazers president Murray Owen said Thursday. “Once I get back to the board and report our progress in that regard, we will make an announcement.”
Asked how many of the coaches are in line for new deals, Owen said: “We hope all three.”
Clark said yesterday that the contracts “are basically done.”
A contract also is in the works for Dave Chyzowski, the former Blazers star who joined the front office in the middle of last season as the director of marketing.
“I want to lock all these guys up,” Clark said, “so that there aren’t any doubts in their minds.”
------
The Blazers expect to have forwards Kyle and Mark Wells, the sons of former WHLer Brad Wells, in training camp when it opens late in August.
The 17-year-old Kyle, 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, had 44 points, including 20 goals, and 80 penalty minutes in 52 games with the midget AAA Brandon Wheat Kings last season.
Taylor, who goes about 5-foot-7, played for the bantam AA Wheat Kings, but wasn’t selected in the WHL draft. A fiery player, the 15-year-old Wells is said to have good offensive skills and a good shot. He was selected by the Swan Valley Stampeders in the Manitoba junior league draft.
Their father was a fiery player during stints with the Wheat Kings, Regina Pats and Lethbridge Broncos. Their uncle, Bryan, who played with the Wheat Kings and Pats, also displayed a whole lot of fire.
As for Kyle and Mark, Clark said, “They’ve got that Wells intensity.”
------
Jerry Price, the father of former Tri-City goaltender Carey Price, has been added to the Americans’ staff as a scout and goaltending consultant. Jerry, 49, lives in Williams Lake. He is a former WHL goaltender who played for the Calgary Centennials and Portland
Winter Hawks.
Ty Gretzky
An interesting rumour making the rounds has the Saskatoon Blades placing Ty Gretzky, the 17-year-old son of you know who, on their protected list. Gretzky The Younger played last season at Shattuck-St. Mary's, the prep school in Minnesota. A roster there lists him at 5-foot-11 and 135 pounds. He had 19 points, 10 of them goals, in 52 games with their bantam AA team. He also had 38 penalty minutes. . . . What kind of odds do you think his mother would give on her son ending up in Saskatoon?
More on Red Deer
So . . . here's the deal on Red Deer.
Brent Sutter, the owner, governor, general manager and head coach, has exited, leaving Brian Sutter, at 50 the oldest of the six brothers who played in the NHL, as head coach. A coach with lots of NHL experience, he coached senior hockey in Alberta last season but has never coached junior.
Brent is expected to surface in New Jersey on Friday with a four- or five-year contract as the Devils' head coach.
The Rebels, it seems, are going to run without a general manager. They have split the organization down the middle — business and hockey.
Jerry Van Someren, the vice-president of business operations, also will act as the team’s governor.
Jesse Wallin, a former Rebels captain and defenceman, was named associate coach after two seasons as an assistant.
Randy Peterson, the director of scouting/player development since 2003, now is the vice-president of hockey operations.
Dale McMullin, who has scouted for Red Deer since 2002, was named senior scout.
Ralph Schmidt, at one time the Moose Jaw Warriors general manager, has been added to the Rebels’ scouting staff. He had been scouting for the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Craig Kinney is the club’s new video consultant.
As well, assistant coach Dallas Gaume and trainers Dave (Radar) Horning and Terence Robertson have signed contract extensions.
Brent Sutter also was head coach of the Canadian team that is to play Russia in an eight-game junior showdown later this summer. Hockey Canada, one assumes, will name a replacement at a later date.
Brent Sutter, the owner, governor, general manager and head coach, has exited, leaving Brian Sutter, at 50 the oldest of the six brothers who played in the NHL, as head coach. A coach with lots of NHL experience, he coached senior hockey in Alberta last season but has never coached junior.
Brent is expected to surface in New Jersey on Friday with a four- or five-year contract as the Devils' head coach.
The Rebels, it seems, are going to run without a general manager. They have split the organization down the middle — business and hockey.
Jerry Van Someren, the vice-president of business operations, also will act as the team’s governor.
Jesse Wallin, a former Rebels captain and defenceman, was named associate coach after two seasons as an assistant.
Randy Peterson, the director of scouting/player development since 2003, now is the vice-president of hockey operations.
Dale McMullin, who has scouted for Red Deer since 2002, was named senior scout.
Ralph Schmidt, at one time the Moose Jaw Warriors general manager, has been added to the Rebels’ scouting staff. He had been scouting for the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Craig Kinney is the club’s new video consultant.
As well, assistant coach Dallas Gaume and trainers Dave (Radar) Horning and Terence Robertson have signed contract extensions.
Brent Sutter also was head coach of the Canadian team that is to play Russia in an eight-game junior showdown later this summer. Hockey Canada, one assumes, will name a replacement at a later date.
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