Tuesday . . .

THE COACHING GAME: The Everett Silvertips made it official Tuesday when they introduced Craig Hartsburg as the third head coach in franchise history. Hartsburg, who was fired as head coach of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators in February, replaces John Becanic, who was dismissed at season’s end. . . . Hartsburg is believed to have signed a two-year contract and will work with associate head coach Jay Varady and assistant coach Mark LeRose. . . . The day’s best quote may have been uttered by Everett G Thomas Heemskerk, who told Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald: “(Hartsburg) seems like a nice guy. As long as everyone works hard it might stay that way." . . .
The Calgary Hitmen are in the market for a head coach now that Dave Lowry has joined the parent Flames as an assistant coach under new head coach Brent Sutter. Hitmen GM Kelly Kisio spent four seasons as head coach before turning over the reins to Lowry on June 24, 2008. Kisio, however, said there isn’t any chance of his returning to coaching. "No, I thought this year I was able to do a lot of things that I haven't done in the last five years," Kisio told Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun. "And I think it showed in some of the hockey decisions we made this year, with the guys we brought in. It was a good year for me that way and I'd like to continue down that path." . . . Also on Sutter’s staff are former WHL D Ryan McGill, who is a former head coach of the Kootenay Ice, and former WHL G Jamie McLennan. . . . Sorry, but I still don’t comprehend how someone can sign a three-year contract as an NHL team’s head coach, walk out the door after two years, sign with another team as its head coach, and the original team doesn’t receive any compensation. That may work in Gary Bettman’s NHL, but somehow I don’t see it working in Ron Robison’s WHL . . . By the way, Lowry has been asked to give up his role as head coach of the Canadian under-18 team that will compete at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament in August. So expect an announcement from Hockey Canada one of these days . . .
The Montreal Canadiens have dumped assistant coach Doug Jarvis, while deciding to keep Kirk Muller to work under head coach Jacques Martin. Again, there now could be room there for former WHL coach Perry Pearn, who came awfully close to becoming the Lethbridge Hurricanes’ GM/head coach . . .
The Kelowna Rockets have signed former captain Ryan Cuthbert to a three-year contract as a full-time assistant coach. The deal runs through 2011-12. He will join head coach Ryan Huska behind the Rockets’ bench, filling the void created when Jeff Finley resigned after two seasons. Cuthbert, who played five seasons in Kelowna, had been working as a part-time assistant . . .
When you heard that the Washington Capitals had promoted former Brandon Wheat Kings D Bob Woods, the head coach of their AHL affiliate in Hershey, to their coaching staff, you may have wondered how they had room to add a body. It turns out that assistant coach Jay Leach won’t be returning for another season.
---
By the time a new season arrives, seven teams will have hired new head coaches . . .
TEAMS THAT HAVE MADE COACHING CHANGES: Chilliwack Bruins (Marc Habscheid in, Jim Hiller out); Everett Silvertips (Craig Hartsburg in, John Becanic out); Prince George Cougars (Dean Clark in, Drew Schoneck and interim head coach Wade Klippenstein out); Regina Pats (Curtis Hunt in, Dale Derkatch out).
TEAMS THAT HAVE CHANGED GENERAL MANAGERS: Chilliwack Bruins (Marc Habscheid in, Darrell May out); Moose Jaw Warriors (Jeff Truitt in as director of hockey operations, Chad Lang out);
THESE TEAMS NEED HEAD COACHES: Calgary Hitmen (Dave Lowry out); Lethbridge Hurricanes (Michael Dyck out); Swift Current Broncos (Dean Chynoweth out).
THESE TEAMS NEED GENERAL MANAGERS: Lethbridge Hurricanes (Roy Stasiuk out); Swift Current Broncos (Dean Chynoweth out).
---
If you haven’t seen the latest on the fiasco that has become the Tampa Bay Lightning, check out this column right here. . . . It would seem that G Karri Rämö, for one, has seen enough. He has signed a two-year deal with Avangard Omsk of the Continental Hockey League. . . . The Lightning's owners apparently had their meeting with the NHL commish and Oren Koules seems to be in control.
---
The Kamloops Blazers have been recruiting F Sahir Gill, 17, since acquiring his rights from the Vancouver Giants on Oct. 1 for a conditional 2010 second-round bantam draft pick. Gill, a seventh-round pick by Vancouver in the 2007 draft, played for the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers last season. Now it seems he spent June 8-14 at an invitational tryout camp for the USHL’s Chicago Steel. And his name now appears on the club’s roster for the 2009-10 season. . . . Gill had 39 points in 54 games with the Vipers and then added 17 points in 17 BCHL playoff games. He added five points as the Vipers won the Royal Bank Cup tournament. . . . The Steel selected Gill with the 56th selection of the USHL’s 2009 draft. . . . Gill, a native of Terrace, B.C., hasn’t yet made a commitment to an NCAA school.
---
JUST NOTES: F Troy Crowley, who had two points in 52 games with the Saskatoon Blades in 2006-07, has decided to attend the U of Manitoba and play for the Bisons. Crowley, 20, played last season for the Western States Hockey League’s Phoenix Polar Bears. His 77 points left him third in the league’s scoring race. . . . The WHL and some of its teams began releasing the 2009-10 schedule in bits and pieces on Tuesday. If you’re looking for what’s available, check individual team websites or the WHL site. But keep in mind that the Western Conference teams haven’t even held their scheduling meeting yet. . . . The exhibition schedule is to open on Aug. 28 and, let’s be honest here, that is far too early. Who cares about hockey when summer is on its last legs and school isn’t even back in session?