Bonner's phone sure to ring

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
While his enigmatic hockey team was beating the Giants in Vancouver on
Saturday night, Kamloops Blazers general manager Craig Bonner was returning
from a scouting trip to Prince George.
"I'm trying to get a feel for some teams," explained Bonner, who will spend
the next few days with a phone glued to a hand, what with the WHL trade
deadline arriving in five days.
Unfortunately for Bonner, his flight to Vancouver was three hours late so he
missed the Blazers' 2-1 victory over the Giants. That triumph came just 24
hours after the Blazers had been embarrassed 8-4 by the visiting Moose Jaw
Warriors.
Bonner joined the Blazers from the Giants over the summer. He had been the
Giants' assistant general manager/assistant coach. This, then, is the first
time he has been in control of a team with the trade deadline approaching -- it arrives Saturday at 2 p.m.
"It's my job to look at the team now and in the future," he said. "I was
given a five-year deal to rebuild the program and the program's not going to
be rebuilt overnight. We want to stay competitive this year but if there's
something that makes sense moving a player to help us out in the future,
we¹ll do it."
To date, Bonner has made nine trades on behalf of the Blazers, most
involving the coming and going of bantam draft picks. He has brought in
defencemen Linden Saip, Giffen Nyren and Zac Stebner, along with forward
Brett Lyon, while trading away goaltender James Priestner and defencemen
Jordan Rowley and Mark Schneider.
"The Rowley deal is the biggest one for us," he said, referring to a Nov. 26
trade in which Rowley went to the Prince Albert Raiders for Stebner, "and it
has worked out for both teams. We wanted Stebner for what he brings and they
wanted someone who helps their power play."
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Stebner brought some size to the Blazers' back end,
while Rowley has 14 points in 13 games with the Raiders, who have won their
last five games to pull into a tie for the Eastern Conference's last playoff
spot.
While Bonner isn't about to get into specifics, he said, yes, his phone has
been ringing. And, yes, he expects it to ring more and more as the week goes
on.
"There is some interest in some of our players, as there is going to be
every trade deadline," he said. "I have a good grasp of what's out there and
what's going on in the league right now. Obviously, things are going to heat
up this week . . . Monday and Tuesday it will heat up."
Never say never, but the one thing Bonner isn't likely to do is acquire
older players.
"I don't think we'll become an older team," he explained. "We might bring in
some younger players who are currently on our list or through trades. But
I'm not going to move older guys just to move them either. It has to make
sense . . . that we get some value out of them."
Things could get interesting if the Blazers make any trades Friday evening
or on Saturday.
The Blazers are at home to the Chilliwack Bruins on Friday, which might mean
Bonner has head coach Barry Smith hold out a player or two for fear of
injury. And if a deal is made right at Saturday's deadline, it will mean
telling a player, or players, shortly before the bus leaves for Chilliwack.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca