Winds of change blowing in Portland

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The WHL’s Portland Winter Hawks officially changed hands Tuesday and owner Bill Gallacher immediately got down to business.
Gallacher, the president and CEO of Calgary-based Avenir Capital Corporation, received the WHL board of governors’ approval to purchase the franchise on Oct. 15. And with the transfer of ownership from Jim Goldsmith, Jack Donovan and John Bryant complete, the winds of change began blowing.
Gallacher, also a co-owner of the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers, started rebuilding the Winter Hawks by making official what was first reported in The Daily News and at gdrinnan.blogspot.com on Aug. 15 — Mike Johnston is the team’s new general manager and head coach, with Travis Green as the assistant general manager and lead assistant coach.
Johnston , 51, is a veteran of nine NHL seasons, having split them between the coaching staffs of the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. He also has extensive experience with Hockey Canada and has coached at nine world championships, two world juniors and an Olympics.
Johnston takes over from general manager Ken Hodge, who is being kept on as a consultant, and head coach Rich Kromm, who has been offered an unspecified position elsewhere in the organization.
"I've been a career coach," Johnston told Jason Vondersmith of the Portland Tribune. "I've held a variety of roles and responsibilities; with this age group, 16 to 20, I've mainly dealt with 19 and above (on world junior teams). It's a little bit younger. But I'm excited. It'll be a great challenge.
"They're good kids. They all want to be pros. . . . We'll focus these kids on hockey and schooling."
Johnston played at Acadia and Brandon universities and got into the coaching game at the age of 23.
Green, who played in the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers and Spokane Chiefs (1986-90) retired in 2007 after a 14-season NHL career. Assistant coach Kyle Gustafson has been retained, while Brian Pellerin, the other assistant under Kromm, was terminated.
Johnston and Green participated in their first Portland practice Tuesday.
Rich Campbell, who was the head athletic trainer for the 2008 U.S. team that competed at the Olympic Summer Games in Beijing, is the Winter Hawks‚ new athletic trainer and conditioning coach. He was the head trainer for the NHL’s New York Islanders from 1997-2006. Campbell replaces Innes Mackie who was told Monday that he was being let go. Mackie and Hodge had been with the Winter Hawks since they arrived in Portland from Edmonton in the summer of 1976.
"We haven't come to define roles and responsibilities," Johnston said. "He (Hodge) has a lot of knowledge, and he's well-respected in the league; at times he's been the sole reason the franchise survived in certain years and had great years."
Matt Bardsley, who had been director of player personnel, now will scout WHL teams. His previous position is to be filled next week, Johnston said, at which time a scouting staff also will be unveiled.
It is expected that Garry Davidson, who has vast junior A experience including as owner, general manager and head coach of the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks, will be the Winter Hawks’ director of player personnel, with his son, Ty, on the scouting staff.
As well, Ken Stickney, a veteran executive from Mandalay Sports Entertainment in Las Vegas, will be stepping in as the Winter Hawks‚ president.
The Winter Hawks, who have had the WHL’s poorest record each of the last two seasons, are 2-12-0-0. Just back from a 1-5 East Division swing, they are 10th in the 10-team Western Conference, eight points out of a playoff spot. Portland next plays Friday when it visits the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash.
The Winter Hawks’ first home game under new ownership is Nov. 5 against the Edmonton Oil Kings. That is somehow fitting because it was the original Oil Kings franchise that was relocated to Portland by Hodge, Mackie and the late Brian Shaw over the summer of 1976.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com