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| Tom Gaglardi, the majority owner of the Kamloops Blazers, arrives at the Kamloops Law Courts on Jan. 15, 2014, during his trial on environmental charges. (Photo: Dave Eagles, Kamloops This Week) |
That is how Charles Dickens began the novel A Tale of Two Cities. He might as well have been describing Tom Gaglardi’s Friday.
Early in the day, Northland Properties Corporation, the company of which Gaglardi is president, issued three news releases dealing with the impending purchase of an AHL franchise and three Texas arenas.
Northland Properties owns the NHL’s Dallas Stars; Gaglardi is majority owner of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
Later, in Kamloops, Provincial Court, Judge Stephen Harrison found Gaglardi and Northland Properties each guilty of two counts of harmful alteration of a fish habitat. Gaglardi’s father, Bob, was found not guilty.
The charges were filed after landscaping changes were made in 2010 to a property near Savona, B.C., which is just west of Kamloops on Kamloops Lake.
“There was an element of wilfulness and a desire to get the job done and if necessary, seek forgiveness later,” Judge Harrison said in his decision.
Neither Bob nor Tom Gaglardi appeared in court yesterday.
Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week reports: “The maximum penalties for harmful alteration of a fish habitat are fines of up to $1 million and/or six months in jail. Gaglardi is due back in court on Aug. 21 to set a date for sentencing.”
Petruk’s story is right here.
Glynn Brothen of infotel.ca also filed a story, and that one is right here.
Meanwhile, Northland Properties announced that it is in the process of purchasing the Cedar Park Center, which is home to the AHL-champion Texas Stars, who would be part of this deal.
Northland Properties also is buying the Dr Pepper StarCenter Plano that is located in Frisco and is home to, among other things, Severyn Sports, a training center owned by former NHL/WHL player Brent Severyn (Brandon, Saskatoon, Seattle, 1983-87).
As well, Northland Properties is purchasing the Ice Training Center in Richardson.
News releases on the impending purchases are right here.
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A move to raise the Kamloops-based Thompson Rivers University (TRU) WolfPack hockey team from the ashes may be gaining steam.
The team, which had operated as club team as opposed to a university varsity team, was about $50,000 in debut when TRU athletic director Ken Olynyk pulled the plug last week.
On Thursday, a Twitter account belonging to TRU Men’s Ice Hockey sent these three tweets:
“Ex players, family, friends and fans, or anyone with good reasoning as to why this program needs to continue are encouraged to contact . . .
. . . TRU head of Sports Finances, Matthew Milovick, via e-mail (mmilovick@tru.ca) and explain how the dissolving of the team has affected . . .
. . . them personally, the players, the university, or the community itself. Thank-you in advance, everyone. Let's see what we can do!”
Trevor Bast of Victoria, whose son Des was the last recruit signed by the WolfPack before the end came, followed that up with: “I am happy to start the rally but we need a lot of boots on the ground to see this through. Let’s leave it all out there.”
Later, Bast told Taking Note that “there is some social media momentum growing to save the program.”
In the early going, Bast said he is trying to get out the message that, yes, the TRU hockey program was of the pay-to-play variety, but that “when you compare it to going to the U.S. and playing NCAA Division III it is still a bargain and the hockey is better.
“TRU has to be up front about the fact players have to pay. I don't believe it puts the program at a disadvantage recruiting-wise. They still can approach a top end junior B player or a depth junior A player and tell them they can play collegiate hockey close to home in front of friends and family in a lot of cases all for $10,000 to $12,000 inclusive of tuition, lodging and hockey.
“Compare that to what families are paying to play NCAA Division III and it's a bargain, plus the hockey is better . . . as well, the education is better and more applicable.”
That is Bast’s message. Time will tell how it is received.
(If you would like to contact Bast, you are able to email him at trevorbast@gmail.com.)
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Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports that F Alex Overhardt has decided to join the Portland Winterhawks. Overhardt, 17, is from Denver and is the son of player agent Kurt Overhardt, who founded KO Sports. . . . Alex was the captain of the midget AAA U16 Colorado Thunderbirds last season. They lost a national championship game 2-1 in quadruple OT. In league play, Overhardt had 30 points, 15 of them goals, in 37 games. . . . Chambers reported the move right here on his blog. . . . Later in the day, the Winterhawks issued a news release announcing the signing of Alex Overhardt, crediting him with 83 points, including 41 goals, in 75 games.---
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F Matt Bellerive’s WHL career hasn’t unfolded quite the way he had hoped it would. But now he’s back with the Vancouver Giants and preparing for his 20-year-old season. He tells Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province: “I’m hoping to have my best season by far this year. We’ll see what happens.” . . . That story is right here.---
LRT: that makes, by my count, 8 U.S. players on the Portland roster and 5 more signed. Maybe they should swap team names with Tri-City.
— Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge) August 7, 2014
The Anaheim Ducks High School League is up to 41 teams for next season. Huge growth in just a few years.
— Ryan Kennedy (@THNRyanKennedy) August 7, 2014
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