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.