THE COACHING/SCOUTING GAME: If there ever was any doubt, there isn’t now. Marc Habscheid has tossed his hat into the ring. Rob Vanstone reports in the Regina Leader-Post that Habscheid is interested in the Regina Pats’ vacant head-coaching job. You can read all about it right here. . . . Pats GM Brent Parker is getting ready to being his first round of interviews and you’ve got to think he’ll talk with Habscheid and Dale Derkatch, perhaps Dean Clark and maybe Steve Young. Habscheid is unemployed at present; Derkatch is at the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sask.; Clark, one of the winningest coaches in WHL history, is with the Mike Priestner Automotive Group in the Edmonton area; and, Young is an assistant coach with the Prince Albert Raiders who has WHL head-coaching experience with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Young apparently has an out in his contract that expires July 31. . . . What makes all of this even more interesting is the speculation that Diane and Russ Parker, who own the Pats, are starting to think about selling the franchise – maybe not today, but certainly at some point in the not-too-distant future. To date, most of the speculation has centred on the intentions of ex-Pats stars Jamie Heward and Mike Sillinger and their desire to own the franchise. . . . While Derkatch may be the favourite to get the coaching position, it would be something of a coup for the Parkers to sign Habscheid as head coach. However, one source has said that in order to land Habscheid, the Parkers may have to give him first option on purchasing the franchise should they decide to sell by a specified date. . . . No matter how you look at it, it’s interesting. Very interesting.
Jason Brooks is the new head coach of the OHL's Guelph Storm replacing Dave Barr, who now is an assistant coach with the NHL's Colorado Avalanche. Brooks has spent seven season with the Storm, mostly as an assistant coach. Last season, he was the associate coach and assistant GM. . . . Paul Fixter has joined the OHL's Kitchener Rangers as associate coach and assistant GM under Steve Spott, the team's new GM and head coach. Spott moved up after Peter DeBoer joined the NHL's Florida Panthers as head coach. Fixter, who was an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche for six seasons and has two Stanley Cup rings, spent the last two seasons as head coach of the Central league's Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees.
Oh, and one more thing. . . . The New York Islanders didn't make the NHL playoffs, meaning their season has been over for a long, long time. And it takes management until July 14 to decide there are unrepairable philosophical differences between the general manager and the head coach? Now that's dysfunctional! . . . I am suggesting that perhaps Alexei Yashin could come back as a playing head coach. . . . You have to wonder about the future of Ted Nolan's NHL coaching career, though. After all, this isn't the first time he couldn't see eye-to-eye with an NHL general manager and it cost him a job. . . . Hmmm! How about Ted Nolan as the next head coach of the Regina Pats. Actually, Brent Parker and Nolan once talked about exactly that -- but it was about eight years ago and Parker ended up hiring Lorne Molleken instead.
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Clare Rothermel, a veteran of the scouting game, died July 1 in Pemberton, B.C. Rothermel, who was 85, worked out of Regina for 25 years as he scouted for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals. His obituary is here.
