It must have been an important announcement because even the mayor was on hand.
Yes, Terry Lake, the mayor of Kamloops, was among those on hand Thursday as the Blazers introduced Barry Smith as their head coach.
Smith, a 47-year-old native of Stambaugh, Mich., is the 14th head coach in the franchise’s history.
The Blazers signed Smith, who spent the last five years as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, to a three-year contract. The team holds an option on a fourth season.
“This is a great day for me,” Smith told the gathering in the Sports Action Lounge at Interior Savings Centre. “I’m so excited to be here. . . . This is a crown jewel place to be.”
In the original job interview and subsequent meetings, Smith impressed Blazers GM Craig Bonner with his passion, something that was very much on display Thursday.
Smith spoke of his passion for the game and the fact that “I love the game.”
He said he wants a team that plays “hard in the hard areas” and added that he expects his team to “set the standard of excellence.”
Smith has to know, however, that he has his work cut out for him, at least in the short term. After all, the Blazers lost 18 of their last 19 games last season and Bonner already has pared veterans Sasha Golin and Spencer Fraipoint from the roster.
Three of the Blazers’ five owners were on hand. Tom Gaglardi, the Vancouver-based businessman who is the majority owner, Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan and Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Darryl Sydor were present. Mark Recchi, an unrestricted free agent who is now believed to be close to signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla couldn’t make it. Doan, Sydor, Recchi and Iginla all are former Blazers stars.
Also on hand were Greg Hawgood, who had been the Blazers’ interim head coach, and goaltending coach Steve Passmore, a former Blazers and ex-NHL goaltender who also works with the junior B Kamloops Storm. Hawgood has one year left on his contract and may be retained as an assistant coach. However, decisions on the assistant coaches have yet to be made.
Bonner said Thursday that Smith will have lots of input into who is on his coaching staff. And Smith said he wants to get that cleared up, perhaps within the next week.
Only one player – veteran centre Mark Hall, who is from Kamloops – was on hand to greet the new head coach.
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With Kamloops having filled its coaching vacancy, each of the WHL's 22 teams has a head coach under contract. As well, there are very few openings for assistant coaches. Off the top of my head, the Vancouver Giants need to fill the vacancy created left when the Blazers signed Craig Bonner as GM; the Calgary Hitmen, who promoted assistant coach Dave Lowry to head coach, would seem to have an opening. And there may be openings with Kamloops and perhaps the Portland Winter Hawks. But that's it. . . . This may be the quietest offseason, in terms of coaching movement, in WHL history.
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THE SIGNING GAME: Two of the Seattle Thunderbirds’ regular skaters from last season got NHL deals on Thursday. D Scott Jackson, who has used up his WHL eligibility, signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning, while LW Greg Scott, who is eligible to return as a 20-year-old, did the same with the Toronto Maple Leafs. . . . Jackson was selected by St. Louis in the second round of the 2005 draft but never signed with the Blues. . . . Had he not gotten a pro deal, Jackson was headed to the U of Alberta. . . . Jackson played 326 regular-season games with Seattle; only Glen Goodall (399) and Tyler Metcalfe (333) played more. . . . The Maple Leafs have a prospects’ camp starting Sunday in Toronto and Scott will be there. He has spent three seasons with the Thunderbirds.
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