Bonner wants to see more consistency

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The Kamloops Blazers open the second half of their WHL regular-season schedule at home Sunday and the word from general manager Craig Bonner is “consistency.”
The Blazers, of course, were anything but consistent as they compiled a 14-17-2-3 record over their first 36 games. That has them clinging to the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot as the Prince George Cougars visit Interior Savings Centre on Sunday, 6 p.m.
“(We need) more consistency throughout even one game . . . one 60-minute game. It’s even that short-term,” Bonner said Wednesday evening. “The consistency is something we’re striving for . . .”
Which doesn’t mean that Bonner hasn’t seen progress, because he has.
As he put it: “Lately, we’re kind of in the two-steps-forward, one-step-back stage, where a month ago we were one step forward, two steps back . . .
“So I guess it’s a positive thing.”
Keep in mind that the Blazers are trying to pick up the pieces after one of the most turbulent opening three months in franchise history. They began the season with a 7-1-2-0 record and, for a bit, were atop the conference. For a while, they were even ranked in the CHL’s Top 10.
But all the while there were ominous signs, like too many shots against and too many penalty minutes.
“It was a good start record-wise,” Bonner said, “but I didn’t really enjoy the way we were playing. It was one of those things you knew eventually was going to come to an end. On the Eastern swing is where it came to an end.”
The Blazers went 1-5-0-0 on that swing and were badly outshot. That resulted in a coaching change, with second-year coach Barry Smith exiting stage left with an 8-7-2-0 record.
Assistant coach Scott Ferguson was named interim head coach, with assistant coach Geoff Smith’s duties expanded.
“We didn’t get the response I thought we would get after the coaching change,” Bonner said. “I thought it would be a little more energetic, but it wasn’t.”
The Blazers were 3-6-0-1 under Ferguson and it was during that stretch that Bonner came to the realization that he was going to have to make some player changes.
In the meantime, Guy Charron, a former player and assistant coach, reached out to the Blazers’ ownership group through Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien — the two coached together with the Montreal Canadiens. Julien spoke with Bruins winger Mark Recchi, one of the WHL team’s five owners, and before long Bonner had Charron signed to a deal for the remainder of this season.
“I thought (Smith and Ferguson) started to get the team going in the right direction,” Bonner said. “And since Guy has been here, there sure are a lot more positives than negatives for me. Our team plays a lot better now.
“Wins and losses aside, we play a lot better game. He has been a very pleasant addition for us.”
The Blazers are 3-4-0-2 under Charron, who came in with no loyalties to anyone in the organization, something Bonner felt was “very important.”
“He didn’t know any of our players so they had to earn their stripes,” Bonner explained. “That’s terrific. It’s no secret that a lot of our players have been inconsistent. Now they have to earn their ice time and earn their way into the coach’s good books.”
Bonner also is hopeful that the younger players are able to learn how to win from this coaching staff.
“We have good kids and good people for the most part,” he stated, “but not a lot of our guys have had much success. They would like to have success but they don’t know how to get there.
“I really think the tail end of (Ferguson and Smith) and with Guy here now . . . this is definitely the direction I would like to see us go.”
While all this was going on, Bonner moved six veteran players out of the dressing room, bringing in forward Jordan DePape, 17, and two 20-year-olds — goaltender Kurtis Mucha and defenceman Ryan Funk.
With the Jan. 10 trade deadline approaching, Bonner won’t promise there won’t be more movement.
“The evaluation is ongoing,” he said. “I think there’s going to be some tough decisions that are going to have to be made before the deadline.”
If there are to be trades, he said, the proceeds will be “for the team now and in the future.”
“I don’t think we’re going to get ourselves where we’re moving players — if we do move players — for draft picks,” he explained. “It’s going to be for people coming in to help us now and in the future, as in the Shayne Wiebe trade.”
Bonner dealt Wiebe, a 19-year-old winger in his third season, to the Brandon Wheat Kings for DePape, who was the MJHL’s rookie of the year last season and who scored three goals in his first game with the Blazers.
JUST NOTES: Don’t forget that Sunday’s game time is 6 p.m. . . . Two of the Blazers — C Colin Smith and F JC Lipon — will be gone until early January as they play in the U-17 World Hockey Challenge that is to be based in Timmins, Ont. Smith, from Edmonton, will play for Team Pacific, while Lipon, from Regina, will be with Team Western. . . . Without those two, the Blazers will have only 20 players on hand Sunday. . . . The Blazers meet the Giants in Vancouver on Monday and the Rockets in Kelowna on Wednesday. Kamloops’ next home game is Jan. 5 against the Everett Silvertips. . . . Bonner leaves Saturday for the Mac’s midget tournament in Calgary. The Blazers have 10 of their prospects in that tournament, but delete F Logan McVeigh (Saskatoon Contacts) from that list as he has a broken wrist and add D Luc Lemire of the Prince Albert Mintos. He was added to the Blazers’ protected list earlier this month.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
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