Blazers waiting to hear from Bonner

From The Daily News of Thursday, April 17, 2008 . . .

The Kamloops Blazers have done about all they can do in their attempts to
sign Craig Bonner as their next general manager.
“We’re just waiting on him now,” Mark Recchi, one of the WHL team’s five
owners, said from Pittsburgh on Wednesday night. “I think it’s done.
“We’ve got some logistical stuff to do. But he has to make a final
decision.”
The Vancouver Giants, the 35-year-old Bonner’s present employer, and the
Blazers have reached agreement on compensation should a deal get done.
Bonner has two years left on a three-year contract he signed in August.
Recchi and Giants owner Ron Toigo confirmed a deal on compensation was done.
A source with knowledge of the situation has told The Daily News that the
compensation involves two bantam draft picks, one to be used in the 2008
draft, which goes May 1 in Calgary, and the other in 2009.
“There is an understanding,” Toigo told the Vancouver Province’s Steve Ewen.
“Things are more or less worked out. Now it’s up to Craig.”
Recchi also confirmed that Bonner is the only candidate on the Blazers’
radar at the moment.
“He’s the guy,” Recchi said of Bonner, an Edmonton native who played four
seasons with the Blazers and was an assistant coach here for five more
seasons before landing with the Giants. “He’s probably the best out there
right now who isn’t actually donig it. He’s been around the junior game for
a long time.
“We looked around and talked to a few people and pegged him. Obviously, him
being an ex-Blazer and being successful when he was in Kamloops and being
successful in Vancouver . . . he’s been with successful organizations his
whole junior career. He’s really learned a lot.”
Recchi also indicated that a position in Kamloops holds some allure for
Bonner.
“He really wants to come into the community,” Recchi said. “I don’t know if
he would look at a lot of other places right now. He’s very happy in
Vancouver but because it’s Kamloops he’s taking a good, hard look at this.”
Recchi, who started this NHL season with the Pittsburgh Penguins and
finished up with the Atlanta Thrashers, said he will be thrilled to have a
general manager in place.
“Absolutely . . . absolutely,” he said with a laugh. “We can go to being
owners now.”
Bonner couldn’t be reached for comment last night.
When this season began, Dean Clark was the Blazers’ general manager and head
coach. He was dismissed Nov. 7. The Blazers hired Greg Hawgood as the
interim head coach Nov. 8 and put long-time scout Brian Fortin in as the
interim GM early in January.
Once the team has a general manager in place the search for a head coach
will begin.
JUNIOR JOTTINGS: Recchi will be back in Toronto from Friday through Sunday
working as an analyst on TSN’s studio crew. He made his debut last weekend,
replacing Mike Milbury who moves to NBC for weekends during the playoffs.
This will be Recchi’s last TV stint, at least for now, as TSN has told him
it plans to work in a few different analysts.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca