Having spent the last eight seasons covering the trials and tribulations of the Kamloops Blazers, I no longer am surprised, never mind shocked, at things that happen off the ice. But even I have to admit that this latest happening is somewhat bizarre, at least it is when you take into consideration everything that has happened in the last year. . . . Who would have guessed a year ago that Dean Clark, then the general manager and head coach of the Kamloops Blazers, would end up with money from the WHL team’s new owners and money from a would-be suitor in his jeans at the same time? . . . But that is exactly what has happened. . . . With a 6-9-1-1 record, Clark was fired by the Blazers’ new ownership group – Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi and ex-Blazers players Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor – on Nov. 7, about two weeks after the team officially had changed hands. Clark had been signed through 2008-09; he and Gaglardi negotiated a settlement in February. Keep in mind that last summer, while those five were working to purchase the Blazers, Mike Priestner of the Edmonton-based Mike Priestner Automotive Group (MPAG) made one offer and then a second offer in a bid to purchase a controlling interest in the franchise. Priestner’s offer was never given serious consideration, as shareholders in the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society voted to sell their assets to what was then River City Hockey Inc. . . . After being fired, Clark sat around being bored for more than three months before accepting an offer from Priestner to learn the automotive retail business. Which is how Clark came to be employed by MPAG. Clark now is living in St. Albert, Alta., which just happens to be where he began his junior coaching career with the AJHL’s St. Albert Saints. . . . To make things a bit more interesting, Clark used the 31st pick of the 2006 bantam draft to select G James Priestner, who just happens to be Mike’s son. (Mike, by the way, had a stint in goal with the 1974-75 Kamloops Chiefs). James put up his second shutout of the season Saturday when the Blazers halted a 10-game losing skein by beating the Cougars 1-0 in Prince George. He is expected to get the start Wednesday when the Spokane Chiefs visit Kamloops in what very well might be a first-round playoff matchup. . . .
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You’ve got to think former Blazers assistant coach Andrew Milne has had enough of playoff overtime. Last season, the Blazers were swept from a first-round series by the Prince George Cougars, who won four one-goal games, three of them in sudden-death overtime. Milne and the Blazers parted company before Christmas and Milne later ended up on the coaching staff of the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles. They got swept from a best-of-five first-round series by the Olds Grizzlys, who won two of the games in sudden-death OT. . . .
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With the WHL’s regular season into its final week, the WHL has issued a release that states its tiebreaking procedures. So there can be no more arguments, here they are:
Should two teams finish tied, the first tiebreaker is victories – the team with the most victories gets the edge. . . . If the teams involved have the same number of victories, the edge goes to the team with the most points in the season series between the two. . . . If they are still tied after that, it goes to goals ratio. Take goals for and subtract goals against for the 72-game regular schedule. The team with the highest ratio gets the edge. . . . If they are still tied there must be three moons in the sky. Actually, if they are still tied the edge goes to the team with the highest ratio using goals for and goals against in the season series between the two teams. . . .
If three or more teams are tied in the standings, the first tiebreaker is victories. . . . If the teams involved all have the same number of victories, then the edge goes to the team with the greatest ratio. Take the goals for and subtract goals against in the regular season. . . . Still tied? For the next tiebreaker you take the teams involved and go to all the games between them. The team with the most points in those games has the edge. . . . From there it goes to most victories in games between those teams and then to the highest goals for and against ratio. . . . And if it’s still tied, someone calls the Amazing Kreskin. . . .
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D Theran Yeo of the Brandon Wheat Kings underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Monday in Winnipeg and will be out indefinitely. Yeo, 20, missed 10 games earlier in the season after undergoing a surgical procedure on the same knee in October. He has 18 points and 109 penalty minutes in 47 games. . . . Brandon F Matt Calvert is the Boston Pizza WHL player of the week after totaling nine points, including three goals, in four games. Calvert, 18, is a Brandon native who is in his first WHL season. . . . The St. John’s Fog Devils, who will relocate from Newfoundland to Montreal in time for next season, will be renamed. Next season, the team will be known as Junior de Montreal. In English, the nickname is likely to be Montreal Juniors. And the colours will be burgundy and white. Montreal businessman Farrel Miller paid $3.1 million for the team that will play out of a refurbished 4,200-seat Verdun Auditorium, located not too far from downtown Montreal. . . . C Bretton Cameron of the Medicine Hat Tigers may miss the rest of the season after having an appendectomy last week. . . . F Taylor Gal, 17, has joined the Tigers for the rest of the season now that the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits have had their season end. Gal had 45 points in 54 games with the Bandits. He is the son of Rick Gal, who played five seasons in Lethbridge (1979-84).
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