Gaglardi, Coates deny radio report

From The Daily News of Friday, Oct. 19, 2007. . . .

Tom Gaglardi and Dennis Coates have adamantly denied a radio report that
claimed Coates will be stepping in as CEO of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
Gaglardi, a Vancouver businessman, owns 50 per cent of River City Hockey
Inc. (RCH), a group that expects to own the WHL franchise sometime next
week.
A Thursday report on Radio NL had Coates, a lawyer with Mair Jensen Blair,
stepping in as CEO, perhaps on an interim basis.
When told of the report, Gaglardi laughed.
“That’s unbelievable,” he said. “Never discussed. I haven’t even talked to
Dennis . . . he has been gone for a month.”
Coates, who was vacationing in Italy, said he had "no idea" where that idea
came from and that "there is no basis to it at all."
Coates is a long-time director with the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society. He
has served as the society’s treasurer for the last four years. Coates, who
specializes in liquor licensing matters, has done work for Northland
Properties, the Lower Mainland company of which Gaglardi is CEO. Northland
Properties is the parent company of Sandman Hotels, Inns and Suites, Denny’s
and Moxie’s restaurants, and the Shark Club Bar and Grill.
Gaglardi and his brother, Mitch, who lives in London, England, have just
completed a trip to Hong Kong and Shanghai where they are exploring business
expansion.
RCH, which includes former Blazers players Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark
Recchi and Darryl Sydor, each of whom owns 12.5 per cent, is in the process
of purchasing the Blazers from the society. The sale, which was voted on by
shareholders on Aug. 23, was approved by the WHL’s board of governors on
Oct. 11
“We’re just trying to get it closed,” Gaglardi said. “We’re shooting for
next week.”
Coates said he is more than willing "to help them with league stuff," adding
that "I've got to think my partners wouldn't be too happy if I was going to
leave.
"(RCH) needs a business guy with a marketing background and that's not me."
Once the sale is finalized, Gaglardi said, RCH will begin searching for that
person.
“I believe in a separation of the activities,” he explained. “So,
ultimately, you have a boss in Kamloops . . . that is the president . . .
and the hockey operations and business operations reporting to one person.
The goal is to have one person, not two.”
At present, the entire operation is overseen by Dean Clark, who is the
general manager and head coach.
Gaglardi reiterated that the president will live and work in Kamloops.
“The business will be run in Kamloops on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
That person is expected to be in place before too long as RCH isn’t going to
waste time getting started.
“Once we get the transaction closed we are going to be pursuing someone to
come in and run the business end,” Gaglardi said.
Gaglardi added that, at this point, there isn’t a frontrunner for the
position.
“No,” he said. “There are a whole bunch of potentials. I’ve got some resumes
and I’ll certainly have people phone and recommend people. My guys have a
couple of ideas. So we’ve got some options.”
Gaglardi also took the opportunity to reiterate that Clark’s title won’t
change.
“When I talk about the president,” Gaglardi said, “you still need a GM for
the hockey operations. You have a GM, you have a coach — and it could be the
same person. We don’t have a problem fundamentally with a GM/coach. We have
no problem with that.
“We just think that that person ought to be focused on the hockey business
and (the business side) is something different than that. That’s the model
we plan to pursue.
“That leaves us obviously needing a person and that’s what we’re going to be
chasing. Dean’s got his role with the hockey club and that won’t change.”
Gaglardi paused . . .
“What’s wrong with the team?” he asked.
p p p
The team practised Thursday at Interior Savings Centre and is to leave today
for Alberta and games Saturday (Red Deer Rebels) and Sunday (Calgary
Hitmen).
Goaltender Jon Groenheyde, 16, has been recalled from the BCHL’s Merritt
Centennials to fill in for Justin Leclerc, 18, who will miss this weekend’s
games with a sprained ankle. That means that James Priestner, 16, will start
in Red Deer.
Priestner has made four appearances in his WHL career.
He lost 6-5 in overtime to the visiting Chilliwack Bruins on Feb. 23.
This season, he beat the visiting Portland Winter Hawks 4-0 in his first
start and then won 5-4 in Portland on Sunday. On Tuesday, he came on in
relief seven minutes into the first period when Leclerc was injured and
stopped 19 of 21 shots as the Blazers fell 3-1 to the host Tri-City
Americans.
Priestner is 2-1-0-0 with a 2.09 GAA and a .889 save percentage.
Leclerc suffered a high ankle sprain when a Tri-City forward was knocked on
top him during a goalmouth scramble. He is likely to be ready to play again
Oct. 26 when the Kelowna Rockets are at The ATM.
JUST NOTES: Kamloops D Mark Schneider, who has yet to play this season
because of a wrist injury, should get into one or both games this weekend. .
. . D Kurt Torbohm began practice yesterday but took ill and left. He is
expected to be on the bus to Red Deer today. . . .
The Blazers go into the weekend with a 4-5-1-0 record. They are tied for
sixth in the Western Conference with Kelowna (4-4-1-0). . . . The Vancouver
Giants (7-1-1-1) are here Oct. 29.