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.