Kootenay? Forget Williamson

It looks as though you can forget about Mike Williamson coaching in the WHL this season. Williamson, whose contract wasn’t renewed by the Portland Winter Hawks, has told the Portland Tribune’s Jason Vondersmith that he plans on looking for work in the Portland area and perhaps scouting for an NHL team. Williamson said that the Kootenay Ice contacted him about its coaching vacancy but he said he isn’t interested. . . . The Tribune also reports that the Winter Hawks may have a coaching announcement “this week.” In the meantime, GM Ken Hodge and assistant coaches Brian Pellerin and Kyle Gustafson are preparing for training camp, which opens Aug. 22 at Memorial Coliseum. . . . Former Portland captain Paul Gaustad had this to say to Vondersmith on ownership’s decision not to renew Williamson’s contract: “It was stupid. For the money in the WHL, he’s the best coach they could get.” Gaustad added that the owners should “admit their mistake and bring him back.” . . . The Tribune also reports that the Winter Hawks are expected to announce their games will be heard on radio station KKAD (1550 AM). That means Dean Vrooman, the longtime voice of the Winter Hawks, will be back on radio, which is where he belongs.

The board of directors of the Kamloops Blazers will hold a news conference this afternoon (Aug. 1) at which it is expected to provide an update on the situation involving the offer it has received from River City Hockey Inc. Last night, however, no one was talking. “It has to do with River City Hockey,“ Blazers president Murray Owen told the Kamloops Daily News. “I can’t really give you too much more information than that, other than you’ll have to wait for the press conference.“ . . . Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi, who heads up RCH, told the newspaper that “I have a pretty good idea what it’s about. I’m certain I do know what it’s about. But I think I’ll let Murray tell you.” . . . Going back to last summer, when RCH made its first $6-million offer for the franchise, Gaglardi has known what the board is up to almost before it has made decisions. In fact, he has known so quickly that one couldn’t be faulted for wondering if he might have a mole on the board. But, nahh, that would never happen, would it?

An interesting situation has arisen with the Kelowna Rockets, involving president/general manager Bruce Hamilton and newly signed assistant coach Jeff Finley. Hamilton has owned a small piece of the BCHL’s Penticton Vees for a while now; Finley is part of the Okanagan Hockey School group that has just purchased 60 per cent of the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Gotta think there’ll be a small side bet in place when those teams meet. . . . But, to be honest, I still can’t figure out how the WHL allows its personnel to be involved at the ownership level in a league with which it competes. at times bitterly, for players. Not only can I not figure it out, but it never has been explained to me in a fashion that makes sense.