Blazers: Let the negotiations begin

From The Daily News of Tuesday, April 15, 2008 . . .

The Vancouver Giants’ WHL season came to an end Monday in Spokane, meaning
the Kamloops Blazers’ search for a general manager now starts in earnest.
That search is expected to begin and end with Craig Bonner, who presently is
under contract as the Giants’ assistant general manager/assistant coach.
The Giants, the defending Memorial Cup champions, lost 3-1 to the Chiefs
last night, with Spokane winning the best-of-seven Western Conference
semifinal, 4-2. The Chiefs will open the conference final against the
Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash., on Friday.
Bonner, who is believed to be the only candidate on the Blazers’ radar at
the moment, signed a three-year deal with the Giants on Aug. 23, so should
the Blazers come to terms with him there definitely will be compensation,
likely in the form of a bantam draft pick or picks, going the other way.
Kamloops majority owner Tom Gaglardi received permission earlier this season
from Vancouver owner Ron Toigo to speak with Bonner. Gaglardi and Bonner had
dinner together in late November in Vancouver. The parties aren’t believed
to have had any official contact since that night.
Should Bonner sign with the Blazers, he would take over as GM from Brian
Fortin, who replaced the fired Dean Clark on an interim basis in January.
Bonner, who will turn 36 on May 20, is a native of Edmonton who played four
seasons as a defenceman with the Blazers. He was captain of the 1991-92
Blazers who won the first of what would be three Memorial Cups in four
seasons.
He went on to a professional career that was limited by knee problems to 74
games over four seasons before turning to coaching.
Bonner, whose older brother Scott is the Giants’ general manager, has
completed five seasons on Vancouver’s coaching staff, first under head coach
Dean Evason and lately under Don Hay.
Prior to joining Vancouver, Bonner worked as an assistant coach for five
seasons with the Blazers.
BLAZERS BANTER: Mark Recchi, one of the Blazers’ co-owners, appeared on
TSN’s NHL playoff studio show as an analyst over the weekend. And he did
well enough to be invited back. So he will spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday
back on the set. . . . Kamloops RW Brady Calla, 20, finished up his season
with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. He totaled four points, including two
goals, and was plus-3 in six games. The Americans didn’t qualify for the
playoffs. Calla was a third-round pick of the Florida Panthers in the NHL’s
2006 draft but has yet to sign a contract. . . . Blazers D Nick Ross had one
goal in four games with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage, which is to meet the
Toronto Marlies in a first-round series beginning Wednesday in Toronto.
Ross, the 30th pick in the NHL’s 2007 draft, has signed a three-year,
entry-level deal with the Phoenix Coyotes.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca