THE COACHING GAME: The Regina Pats have an opening for a head coach. The Regina Leader-Post’s Greg Harder is reporting that Pats head coach Curtis Hunt is leaving to become an assistant coach with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. Hunt and Craig Hartsburg, the Senators’ new head coach, have worked together with Canada’s national junior team. Prior to Hunt’s leaving the Pats, all 22 WHL teams had head coaches under contract. . . . Who will replace Hunt? . . . You can find out who are the early favourites by reading Harder’s story right here. . . . One name not mentioned is that of Dean Clark, a veteran WHL coach who was fired by the Kamloops Blazers on Nov. 7. He and Regina GM Brent Parker always seemed to get along fairly well so it will be interesting to see if Clark gets any consideration. Clark presently is working for the Mike Priestner Automotive Group in the Edmonton area.
--------
JUNIOR JOTTINGS: D Michael Wilson, who played out his eligibility with Swift Current last season, his third with the Broncos, will go to camp with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks on a tryout basis. . . . C Paul Van de Velde, a third-round pick by the Kamloops Blazers in the 2005 bantam draft, has signed with the Everett Silvertips. Van de Velde, 18, was close to making the Blazers last season but left training camp in a dispute over guarantees. He spent the season with the MJHL’s Waywayseecappo Wolverines, picking up 28 points in 29 games. He missed some time with a knee injury before adding eight points in seven playoff games. One season earlier, he had 70 points in 33 games with the midget AAA Pembina Valley Hawks, who play out of Morden, Man. Van de Velde is from Mariapolis, Man., a small community about an hour west of Morden.
