What follows is something of a chronology of events leading up to the announcement of the sale and relocation of the Chilliwack Bruins, mostly gleaned from the work of Tyler Olsen of the Chilliwack Times and Eric Welsh of the Chilliwack Progress.
Cast of characters, in order of appearance:
Ron Robison: WHL commissioner.
Moray Keith: Minority owner of Chilliwack Bruins and co-owner of Chilliwack Development Group (CDG), which manages Prospera
Centre.
Jim Bond: Minority owner of Chilliwack Bruins and co-owner of Chilliwack Development Group (CDG), which manages Prospera
Centre.
Darryl Porter: One of the Bruins’ three majority owners; he was the franchise’s governor.
Dave Dakers: President of RG Properties’ sports and entertainment division. RG Properties manages Prospera Place in Kelowna and the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria; it also owns the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings. RG Properties bought the Bruins.
Brian Burke: President and general manager of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs; one of the Chilliwack Bruins’ majority owners.
Glen Sather: President and general manager of the NHL’s New York Rangers; one of the Chilliwack Bruins’ majority owners.
Jim Mullin: Manager of the sports department at CKNW, an AM radio station in Vancouver. He was fired by CKNW on April 20 and tweeted that his dismissal had "everything to do with" his reporting of the sale of the Bruins.
Glen Ringdal: A consultant who works with Moray Keith and Jim Bond.
———
2001: “Our interest in Victoria began in 2001 (and) intensified with the (2005) opening of the new facility (Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre).” — WHL commissioner Ron Robison, on The Hawk 89.5, April 20, 2011.
———
2009: “In 2009, Robison told the league’s board of governors that the WHL might try and move the next team up for sale to Victoria.” — Tyler Olsen, Chilliwack Times, April 21, 2011.
———
February 2009: “February of 2009, as part of its strategic plan, the Western Hockey League Board of Governors made a decision to actively pursue securing a WHL franchise for the Victoria market. At that time, the WHL Board of Governors were advised that should a franchise become available for sale, the WHL may elect to relocate the club to Victoria. Although expanding the league beyond 22 teams was not ruled out, the WHL Board of Governors preference was to relocate an existing team. Further expansion was not considered a viable alternative due to the demand it would place on the talent pool of players and the ability for WHL Clubs to remain competitive at the national level.” — WHL press release, April 20, 2011.
———
November 2010: “Keith told the Times that Bond came away (from a Jan. 13 conference call) not thinking that a decision had been made and that no vote was taken. He also said CDG had a standing offer to buy the club dating back to November 2010. Porter said that he knew of no such offer and that there was no ambiguity as to CDG's willingness to sell.” — Tyler Olsen, Chilliwack Times, April 21, 2011.
———
December 2010: Darryl Porter asks Chilliwack city council for $175,000 per year to prop up sagging revenues. The request is turned down.
———
Early January 2011: In early January, Keith says that Bruins president Darryl Porter met with Robison during the World Junior Championship in Buffalo, N.Y. According to Keith, “Robison told (Porter) point blank that if they wanted to sell, they had to sell to Victoria.” — Tyler Olsen, Chilliwack Times, April 21, 2011.
———
January 2011: “Dave Dakers, president of RG Properties sports and entertainment division, said the genesis of the deal was when he met Darryl Porter on a ferry in January.” — Cleve Dheensaw, Victoria Times Colonist, April 20, 2011.
———
Jan. 13, 2011: “Burke and Porter talked about a Jan. 13 conference call in which Jim Bond allegedly gave his and Keith’s approval to the pursuit of a sale, at the same time locking the group into exclusive negotiating rights with Victoria. . . . Keith wasn’t involved in that meeting, but he got a play-by-play from Bond. . . . ‘Burkie talked and he was the only guy that talked, and it was presented as a fait d’accompli that this was done,’ Keith said. ‘Jim is adamant that he didn’t concur in a unanimous way that it should be sold. Porter, Burke and Sather agreed to sell the team. That’s 75 per cent and that’s not unanimous.’ ” — Eric Welsh, Chilliwack Progress, April 20, 2011.
———
March 4, 2011: Western Hockey League commission Ron Robison says Chilliwack remains a viable market for major junior hockey. And with rumours flying about the possible sale of the Chilliwack Bruins, Robison told the Chilliwack Times . . . that the league office hasn't received any notice that a sale is imminent. Robison said "there is tremendous interest in purchasing franchises around the league . . . but right now there's been nothing filed with us to indicate that there's been anything material occurring." — Tyler Olsen, Chilliwack Times, March 4, 2011.
———
March 4, 2011: Asked if the league stresses keeping teams in their current markets, Robison said "absolutely." He continued: "It's clearly our desire to keep them where they are. From time to time we have to review relocation but that's been very rare. There hasn't been a relocation in our league for many, many years." — Tyler Olsen, Chilliwack Times, March 4, 2011.
———
March 4, 2011: When asked by the Progress whether the team would be playing in Chilliwack in 2011-12, the answer wasn't exactly a resounding yes. “I would be very surprised if the Western Hockey League isn't playing hockey in Chilliwack,” Porter replied. — Eric Welsh, Chilliwack Progress, March 4, 2011.
———
March 4, 2011: Asked whether the Bruins would be playing in Chilliwack in 2011-12, (Robison) offered this. “It is certainly our intent and we haven’t considered anything different at this point.” — Eric Welsh, Chilliwack Progress, April 21, 2011.
———
March 4, 2011: Asked about the league’s strong desire to get into Victoria, (Robison) offered this. “We are very interested in that possibility, and it’s just been a case of whether we can accommodate that. At this point, we’re not in a position to do that.” — Eric Welsh, Chilliwack Progress, April 21, 2011.
———
March 2011: “In March, Porter told the Times that the owners were weighing ‘multiple offers.’ The owners were, however, negotiating with only one other partner. On (April 20) he apologized for the misleading statements, saying that he was trying to respect a confidentiality agreement and that there was still a possibility that the team wouldn’t be sold to RG Properties. ‘I still had some belief that we would be enticing other offers,’ he said.” — Tyler Olsen, Chilliwack Times, April 21, 2011.
———
March 15, 2011: The Chilliwack Progress reports that Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, who “has ties to the area,” is interested in helping keep the Bruins in Chilliwack. "Justin has expressed his interest in being involved with us as an investor in hockey based in Chilliwack," Keith said in an e-mail to the Chilliwack Progress. "We would be honoured to have him involved. It is all predicated obviously in our successfully securing the team.” — Chilliwack Progress, March 15, 2011.
———
March 15, 2011: The Chilliwack Progress reports that “a news article this morning said there is pressure on Burke, Sather and Porter to accept a bid that would land the team in Victoria. That would fly in the face of commments WHL commisioner Ron Robison made in a Chilliwack Progress interview last week.” . . . “The league's position on ownership is always to look for local ownership,” he said. “That is always a priority. We have to make sure we have the right type of ownership, but if there is local interest, that is something we would want to explore.” — Chilliwack Progress, March 15, 2011.
———
March 17, 2011: “On March 17, the WHL Board of Governors granted conditional approval for the sale of the Chilliwack WHL franchise and final agreements were then signed.” — WHL news release, April 21, 2011.
———
March 31, 2011: “Darryl Porter not confirming sale of Chilliwack Bruins at 5:50pm. Says it's not done. Says no sale agreement signed despite speculation.” — Randy Merkley, the radio voice of the Bruins, via Twitter.
———
April 5, 2011: The WHL issues a news release saying it has granted conditional approval to the sale of the Chilliwack Bruins. The news release doesn’t identify a buyer.
———
April 4, 2011: Burke, in a letter through his lawyers to Jim Mullin earlier in the week, claimed that the WHL had “promised” a franchise to Graham Lee, the chief executive officer and president of RG Properties. . . . Burke also wrote that it was “. . . the WHL’s and Mr. Lee’s desire to have an established team in Victoria rather than an expansion team. This will not leave Chilliwack without a WHL team. The WHL is in the process of negotiating the movement of another WHL team to Chilliwack.”
———
April 11, 2011: “Keith cited an April 11 phone conversation between his right-hand man Glen Ringdal and Porter where Porter fingered Robison and the WHL executive as the masterminds behind the Chilliwack-to-Victoria plot.” — Eric Welsh, Chilliwack Progress, April 20.
———
April 18, 2011: The WHL announces that a news conference will be held April 20 in Victoria.
———
April 19, 2011: The deal between RG Properties and the Bruins owners closes.
———
April 20: 2011: The WHL announces the Bruins will be relocated to Victoria.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Showing posts with label Jim Bond. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jim Bond. Show all posts
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
One domino falls . . .
 |
| Will moving fans, inside and out, at Prospera Centre be the final memory of the WHL in Chilliwack? |
Well, the deed is done.The WHL is in Victoria and the AHL isn’t.
And that’s the name of that game.
But two hockey teams had to be buried in order for the WHL to get across the Strait of Georgia.
The Chilliwack Bruins are dead. Long live the Bruins!
The ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings are soon to be dead! Long may they run in these playoffs!!
———
If you have been paying attention to this saga from the beginning, you didn’t learn a whole lot yesterday.
You learned that the deal closed on Tuesday. You learned that the Victoria franchise has a website and that it is running a name-the-team contest.
The most interesting stuff, however, came out of a news release, a copy of which arrived in my inbox from the Bruins.
In it, the WHL and the franchise’s former owners — at least, the majority owners — tried to explain the “multiple reasons that led to the decision” to sell the Bruins. What they did was lay the corpse at the feet of minority owners Moray Keith and Jim Bond.
To summarize that news release:
1. The WHL’s board of governors decided in February 2009 to “actively pursue securing a WHL franchise for the Victoria market.” The governors decided at that time “that should a franchise become available for sale, the WHL may elect to relocate the club to Victoria.”
2. The WHL chose not to sell an expansion franchise “due to the demand it would place on the talent pool of players.”
3. The Chilliwack market changed after arenas went up in Langley and Abbotsford and the NHL’s Calgary Flames relocated their AHL affiliate, the Heat, to Abbotsford. (What the WHL doesn’t mention is that the Calgary Flames own the Calgary Hitmen, so it seems an NHL team actually had a hand in the death of the Bruins.)
4. With the change in the market “it became obvious to the Bruins ownership group that the franchise needed to be restructured from a medium-size model to a small market-size model.”
5. With that in mind, according to the news release, the Bruins ownership group wanted to renegotiate its lease with the Chiefs Development Group, which holds the management contract for Prospera Centre. “What was requested was a lease concurrent to other small-market privately owned WHL teams,” the news release reads, without providing examples. What is interesting about this is that Keith is president of the Chiefs Development Group.
6. “This inability to secure a new lease contributed to the deterioration of our ownership group and their relationship with the Chiefs Development Group,” continues the release.
7. The Bruins’ ownership group — Brian Burke, Glen Sater, Darryl Porter, Keith and Bond — met on Jan. 13 and “agreed with the WHL to sell its franchise for the purpose of relocating the club to Victoria. Provided the terms of the sale met the conditions . . . the partners agreed no other offers would be considered.” . . . (In other words, the Bruins were sold without being placed on the open market. A source familiar with the situation has told me that RG Properties paid $5.5 million for the franchise.)
8. The WHL board of governors granted “conditional approval” for the sale on March 17. The deal closed Tuesday. According to the news release, “All conditions associated with the WHL's approval of the sale and relocation have been satisfied.”
———
All of this raises a couple of questions:
1. What kind of an arrangement is it that has the franchise’s minority owners controlling the building in which the team plays?
2. If the minority owners were part of the movement not to renegotiate the lease, why didn’t the majority owners simply sell the team to them?
3. How long until Keith and Bond tell their side of the story, including Keith‘s late attempt to purchase the franchise for $6.2 million?
———
Later, on Chilliwack radio station 89.5 The Hawk, Darryl Porter, the Bruins’ governor, pointed a finger at the Calgary Flames:
“There's a code in minor sports and especially in hockey. You don't do what Calgary did here. You don't do that and it's never happened. The fundamental bad break we got was when the city of Abbotsford built a building with no plan and they did that deal with the (AHL's Abbotsford Heat). At the end of the day, we're not contributing to that, we're a victim of that."
The Heat, of course, is the AHL affiliate of the Flames, who own the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen.
Brian Burke, one of the Bruins’ majority owners, added:
"The notion that somehow we changed our mind on Chilliwack, or somehow betrayed the fans there when in fact the American Hockey League moved a competing team in within a very close radius to our operating base . . . the notion that we had any control over that or that that's our fault is crazy. I've never taken a dime out of this team."
———
The afore-mentioned news release also contained this paragraph:
“It should be noted that the WHL Board of Governors govern all matters related to WHL franchises. This includes the right to approve franchise ownership and the relocation and sale of franchises in accordance with its bylaws, constitution and strategic plans.”
You wonder if this wasn’t, at least in part, a shot across the bow of the Regina Pats, who are owned by Diane and Russ Parker of Calgary. Russ was in Victoria for yesterday’s news conference. Their son, Darren, was recently named senior vice-president of sales and marketing with the Victoria Salmon Kings.
The Pats are again embroiled in lease negotiations with Evraz Place, the organization that controls the Brandt Centre, the building in which the WHL team plays.
I was told last weekend that Evraz Place had given the Pats a “take-it-or-leave-it” offer and that the Parkers were seriously considering leaving it.
Of course, the Pats and Evraz Place are no strangers to testy negotiations, and only time will tell how it plays out this time.
———
Marc Habscheid, the Bruins’ general manager and head coach, is two years into what is believed to be a five-year contract. I have been told but haven’t able to confirm that he has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave should the franchise be relocated.
When I contacted him via text on Tuesday and asked if he was able to talk, he responded: “Rather not rt now. Thx.”
———
There are stories to be told about what went on in the Bruins organization over the last year, but we may never hear them.
As one former employee wrote in an email to me on Wednesday:
“We are all holding on to the hopes that a team comes here so we don't want to burn any bridges, especially since this is our livelihood. We all invested so much time and energy to make this work and little did we know that we never had a chance.”
———
Paul J. Henderson of the Chilliwack Times reports that in December the owners of the Chilliwack Bruins asked city hall for $175,000 a year “to help with sagging revenues.”
That story is right here.
———
Cory Flett, the WHL’s director, communications, sometimes tweets a song of the day. An emailer has suggested some suggestions for him to send in the direction of Chilliwack fans.
“I would recommend ‘Not Ready to Go’ by the Trews or ‘I'll Keep Your Memory Vague’ by Finger Eleven.
“And, for the new owners and the people of Victoria, I would recommend ‘Bring Everything’ by Jason Plumb.”
The emailer also pointed out that “all songs are Cancon.”
———
SOME NOTES: Don’t forget that the City of Victoria promised to add 10 years to RG Properties’ management contract for SOFMC if it was able to land a WHL franchise. That agreement now runs until 2046. . . . By that time, the WHL may have a franchise in Nanaimo. . . . Former WHL F Josh Aspenlind scored 11 seconds into OT last night to give the host Victoria Salmon Kings a 3-2 victory over the Utah Grizzlies. The Salmon Kings lead the best-of-seven ECHL second-round series 3-0 with Game 4 scheduled for Victoria on Friday. Attendance in the 7,006-seat Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre was 3,691.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Friday, April 1, 2011
Thursday . . .
Jim Mullin of Vancouver radio station CKNW tweeted late Thursday afternoon:
“Minority owner Moray Keith confirms to #CKNW that the Chilliwack Bruins have been sold to Victoria's RG Properties.”
———
Earlier, Eric Welsh of the Chilliwack Progress posted a piece right here on the impending departure of the Bruins to Victoria. And there are some interesting comments here from Clint Hames, a former Chilliwack mayor.
———
Meanwhile, Tyler Olsen of the Chilliwack Times also talked with Hames.
Here is part of what Olsen wrote:
Hames, who was instrumental in bringing the club to the Fraser Valley five years ago, had contacted WHL commissioner Ron Robison and several of the Bruins' owners to try to get to the bottom of rumours about the team's exit.
"I was told by (Bruins co-owner) Brian Burke that (Keith and Bond's) offer would not be considered and that the only offer they are considering is an offer from Victoria," Hames told Postmedia News.
Porter, however, claims the owners were carefully wading through multiple offers to buy the club. Porter also had told fans that the owners were doing what they could to keep the club where it is.
Robison has also said that moving a team is the last resort and that the league preferred to keep the Bruins in Chilliwack. He has refused any further comment on the issue.
A league spokesperson said the WHL will only comment "when there is news to report."
———
Obviously, there is a whole lot more going on between the WHL, RG Properties and who knows who else involving franchises on Vancouver Island.
But it doesn’t make any sense at all to have just one team on the Island, so we have questions, questions . . . we have questions:
1. With one team on its way to Vancouver Island, how long before a second one — expansion or otherwise — lands in Nanaimo?
2. Kelly Hrudey, who has ties to the WHL office as president of the WHL Alumni Association, became part-owner of the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers earlier this year. Does Hrudey’s sudden involvement mean anything in terms of a WHL franchise landing there?
3. Mike Vandekamp left the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm in March to take over the Clippers’ coaching reins. Let’s assume that Vandekamp, who did a turn as a WHL head coach with the Prince George Cougars a while back, aspires to coach in the WHL or at an even higher level. That brings us to this question: Why does a junior A coach leave one job for a similar position at that particular time of year? Or does Vandekamp know something that we don’t know about the WHL and Nanaimo?
4. Darren Parker, who had been running an independent league baseball franchise in Victoria until it folded over the winter, signed on with the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings on Wednesday. He is the club’s senior vice-president of sales and marketing. He also is the son of Russ Parker, who owns the WHL’s Regina Pats. Why does Darren Parker, whose baseball team folded a few months ago, suddenly surface in the front office of an ECHL team that is owned by RG Properties which is in the process of purchasing a WHL franchise?
Oh, what a tangled web is being weaved.
———
By the way, Philip Wolf of the Nanaimo Daily News chimes is on the goings-on with the Clippers right here. He says his “bovine excrement detector” has been going off.
———
THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Eric Johansson (Tri-City, 1998-2002) signed a one-year (plus option) contract extension with Szekesfehervar (Hungary, plays in Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 20 goals and 27 assists in 38 games this season. . . .
F Owen Fussey (Calgary, Moose Jaw, 1999-2003) signed a one-year contract extension with the Coventry Blaze (UK Elite). He had 24 goals and 15 assists in 34 games. Fussey had his season cut short when he tore his ACL and MCL in December.
———
The ugly side of the Internet has reared its face once again.
It is amazing what big ones some people have as they sit in momma’s basement and do stupid things with the aid of a computer and in the cloak of anonymity that is provided by the Internet.
This time it has struck in Saskatoon where the Blades were doing damage control Thursday thanks to comments that were made by a Brayden Schenn impostor on a Facebook page. Police have launched an investigation. There’s more right here from the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
Cory Wolfe, who covers the Blades for the StarPhoenix, blogged about the Schenn situation. Wolfe’s piece is right here.
———
Merle Haggard sings about White Line Fever. No one, at least not yet, is singing of 50/50 fever. However, Kevin Mitchell of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix takes a look at what went on at last weekend’s Saskatoon Blades’ home playoff games. That story is right here. And having witnessed 50/50 fever at the Memorial Cup in Brandon last spring, I can tell you it’s an amazing thing.
———
Ron Toigo, the majority owner of the Vancouver Giants, is in Buenos Aires this weekend. No, he’s not scouting. He’s there for the wedding of part-owner Michael Buble and Luisana Lopilato. . . . Toigo took time to chat with Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun about this season and what’s ahead for his WHL team. . . . That story is right here.
———
And if you’re into wedding photos, here you go. . . . Buble and Lopilato were married in a civil ceremony in Buenos Aires on Thursday and there are some photos right here.
———
JUST NOTES: Ryan Barrett is the new GM/head coach of the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks, having moved up from assistant coach to take over from Don Phelps, who, it seems, has been there since before ice was invented. Mark Astley and Craig Mohr will work as assistant coaches. . . . Adam Brown of the Kelowna Rockets is the WHL’s goaltender of the month for March. He was 6-2-0, 1.61, .944 for the month. . . . F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels is the player of the month, after putting up 19 points in eight games. . . . D Corey Fienhage of the Kamloops Blazers will be joining the AHL’s Portland Pirates. He was a third-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in the NHL’s 2008 draft. Fienhage, 20, joined the Blazers after playing 39 games over the previous two seasons with the U of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. . . . The BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings have signed Dave Dupas to a three-year contract as head coach. He took over in November after GM/head coach Ed Dempsey was fired. The Spruce Kings also promoted assistant GM Mike Hawes to GM, although he will work at it on a part-time basis.
———
THURSDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES:
In Winnipeg, centre Linden Vey scored at 19:35 of the third period to give the Medicine Hat Tigers a 5-4 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The series is tied 2-2 with Game 5 scheduled for Medicine Hat on Saturday. . . . The Wheat Kings led 3-0 at 12:47 of the first period after F Matt MacKay scored his third goal of the series, this one via the PP. . . . Brandon led 4-1 at 17:45 of the first after F Shayne Wiebe got his third goal, also on the PP. . . . Medicine Hat F Kale Kessy scored at 18:13 of the first period. . . . The Tigers then counted three times in the third. . . . Vey, who led the WHL in scoring in the regular season, finished with two goals and two assists, while F Emerson Etem had a goal and two helpers. . . . Brandon held a 17-7 edge in first-period shots, but the Tigers outshot the Wheaties 31-12 over the last 40 minutes. . . . Attendance was 6,003. . . . The Wheat Kings are playing first-round home games in the MTS Centre in Winnipeg because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is in Westman Place in Brandon. . . . Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun was at the game last night. His story is right here. . . .
“Minority owner Moray Keith confirms to #CKNW that the Chilliwack Bruins have been sold to Victoria's RG Properties.”
———
Earlier, Eric Welsh of the Chilliwack Progress posted a piece right here on the impending departure of the Bruins to Victoria. And there are some interesting comments here from Clint Hames, a former Chilliwack mayor.
———
Meanwhile, Tyler Olsen of the Chilliwack Times also talked with Hames.
Here is part of what Olsen wrote:
Hames, who was instrumental in bringing the club to the Fraser Valley five years ago, had contacted WHL commissioner Ron Robison and several of the Bruins' owners to try to get to the bottom of rumours about the team's exit.
"I was told by (Bruins co-owner) Brian Burke that (Keith and Bond's) offer would not be considered and that the only offer they are considering is an offer from Victoria," Hames told Postmedia News.
Porter, however, claims the owners were carefully wading through multiple offers to buy the club. Porter also had told fans that the owners were doing what they could to keep the club where it is.
Robison has also said that moving a team is the last resort and that the league preferred to keep the Bruins in Chilliwack. He has refused any further comment on the issue.
A league spokesperson said the WHL will only comment "when there is news to report."
———
Obviously, there is a whole lot more going on between the WHL, RG Properties and who knows who else involving franchises on Vancouver Island.
But it doesn’t make any sense at all to have just one team on the Island, so we have questions, questions . . . we have questions:
1. With one team on its way to Vancouver Island, how long before a second one — expansion or otherwise — lands in Nanaimo?
2. Kelly Hrudey, who has ties to the WHL office as president of the WHL Alumni Association, became part-owner of the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers earlier this year. Does Hrudey’s sudden involvement mean anything in terms of a WHL franchise landing there?
3. Mike Vandekamp left the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm in March to take over the Clippers’ coaching reins. Let’s assume that Vandekamp, who did a turn as a WHL head coach with the Prince George Cougars a while back, aspires to coach in the WHL or at an even higher level. That brings us to this question: Why does a junior A coach leave one job for a similar position at that particular time of year? Or does Vandekamp know something that we don’t know about the WHL and Nanaimo?
4. Darren Parker, who had been running an independent league baseball franchise in Victoria until it folded over the winter, signed on with the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings on Wednesday. He is the club’s senior vice-president of sales and marketing. He also is the son of Russ Parker, who owns the WHL’s Regina Pats. Why does Darren Parker, whose baseball team folded a few months ago, suddenly surface in the front office of an ECHL team that is owned by RG Properties which is in the process of purchasing a WHL franchise?
Oh, what a tangled web is being weaved.
———
By the way, Philip Wolf of the Nanaimo Daily News chimes is on the goings-on with the Clippers right here. He says his “bovine excrement detector” has been going off.
———
THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Eric Johansson (Tri-City, 1998-2002) signed a one-year (plus option) contract extension with Szekesfehervar (Hungary, plays in Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 20 goals and 27 assists in 38 games this season. . . .
F Owen Fussey (Calgary, Moose Jaw, 1999-2003) signed a one-year contract extension with the Coventry Blaze (UK Elite). He had 24 goals and 15 assists in 34 games. Fussey had his season cut short when he tore his ACL and MCL in December.
———
The ugly side of the Internet has reared its face once again.
It is amazing what big ones some people have as they sit in momma’s basement and do stupid things with the aid of a computer and in the cloak of anonymity that is provided by the Internet.
This time it has struck in Saskatoon where the Blades were doing damage control Thursday thanks to comments that were made by a Brayden Schenn impostor on a Facebook page. Police have launched an investigation. There’s more right here from the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
Cory Wolfe, who covers the Blades for the StarPhoenix, blogged about the Schenn situation. Wolfe’s piece is right here.
———
Merle Haggard sings about White Line Fever. No one, at least not yet, is singing of 50/50 fever. However, Kevin Mitchell of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix takes a look at what went on at last weekend’s Saskatoon Blades’ home playoff games. That story is right here. And having witnessed 50/50 fever at the Memorial Cup in Brandon last spring, I can tell you it’s an amazing thing.
———
Ron Toigo, the majority owner of the Vancouver Giants, is in Buenos Aires this weekend. No, he’s not scouting. He’s there for the wedding of part-owner Michael Buble and Luisana Lopilato. . . . Toigo took time to chat with Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun about this season and what’s ahead for his WHL team. . . . That story is right here.
———
And if you’re into wedding photos, here you go. . . . Buble and Lopilato were married in a civil ceremony in Buenos Aires on Thursday and there are some photos right here.
———
JUST NOTES: Ryan Barrett is the new GM/head coach of the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks, having moved up from assistant coach to take over from Don Phelps, who, it seems, has been there since before ice was invented. Mark Astley and Craig Mohr will work as assistant coaches. . . . Adam Brown of the Kelowna Rockets is the WHL’s goaltender of the month for March. He was 6-2-0, 1.61, .944 for the month. . . . F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels is the player of the month, after putting up 19 points in eight games. . . . D Corey Fienhage of the Kamloops Blazers will be joining the AHL’s Portland Pirates. He was a third-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in the NHL’s 2008 draft. Fienhage, 20, joined the Blazers after playing 39 games over the previous two seasons with the U of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. . . . The BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings have signed Dave Dupas to a three-year contract as head coach. He took over in November after GM/head coach Ed Dempsey was fired. The Spruce Kings also promoted assistant GM Mike Hawes to GM, although he will work at it on a part-time basis.
———
THURSDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES:
In Winnipeg, centre Linden Vey scored at 19:35 of the third period to give the Medicine Hat Tigers a 5-4 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The series is tied 2-2 with Game 5 scheduled for Medicine Hat on Saturday. . . . The Wheat Kings led 3-0 at 12:47 of the first period after F Matt MacKay scored his third goal of the series, this one via the PP. . . . Brandon led 4-1 at 17:45 of the first after F Shayne Wiebe got his third goal, also on the PP. . . . Medicine Hat F Kale Kessy scored at 18:13 of the first period. . . . The Tigers then counted three times in the third. . . . Vey, who led the WHL in scoring in the regular season, finished with two goals and two assists, while F Emerson Etem had a goal and two helpers. . . . Brandon held a 17-7 edge in first-period shots, but the Tigers outshot the Wheaties 31-12 over the last 40 minutes. . . . Attendance was 6,003. . . . The Wheat Kings are playing first-round home games in the MTS Centre in Winnipeg because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is in Westman Place in Brandon. . . . Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun was at the game last night. His story is right here. . . .
In Prince Albert, the Raiders came up with a gritty effort for the second game in a row and beat the Saskatoon Blades, 5-2. . . . The series is tied 2-2 with Game 5 in Saskatoon on Saturday. . . . Saskatoon won the first two games at home, outscoring the Raiders 13-3 in the process. . . . The Blades finished with the WHL’s best record, their 115 points leaving them 48 ahead of the eighth-place Raiders in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Blades scored first, getting a PP goal from F Curtis Hamilton at 2:32 of the first period, but the Raiders got the next three, the first two from F Todd Fiddler. . . . F T.J. Constant gave the Raiders a 4-2 lead in the third period with his first WHL point. Constant was added to the Raiders’ roster from the MJHL’s OCN Blizzard. . . . Attendance was 3,111. . . . D Duncan Siemens left the Blades’ bench in the second period and didn’t return. He is believed to have a leg injury . . .
In Edmonton, F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist as the Rebels beat the Oil Kings 5-1 to win the series, 4-0. . . . Nugent-Hopkins, who will be an early pick in June’s NHL draft, had nine points over the four games. . . . F Brett Ferguson scored twice for Red Deer, the second into an empty net. . . . Edmonton’s lone goal came from F Curtis Lazar, the second overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft. It was his first WHL score. . . . Attendance was 5,938. . . . Red Deer scratched F Adam Kambeitz and D Aaron Borejko, both for undisclosed reasons. . . .
In Spokane, the Chiefs scored the game’s first three goals and went on to beat the Chilliwack Bruins, 4-2. . . . The Bruins closed to within 3-2 on F Roman Horak’s goal at 3:06 of the third but weren’t able to equalize. . . . Chilliwack F Ryan Howse left the game after the first period and didn’t return. . . . The Chiefs were without F Tyler Johnson, the WHL’s second-leading scorer. . . . The Bruins were without D Tyler Stahl, who got tossed from Game 3 with an elbowing major that knocked Johnson out of the game. Stahl is serving one of those tbd suspensions. . . . The Chiefs also were without F Anthony Bardaro, who drew a tbd sentence under supplemental discipline for a hit in overtime in Game 3. Bardaro wasn’t penalized on the play, but the Bruins asked the WHL to review the play. . . .
In Everett, F Sven Bartschi had a goal and two assists as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Silvertips 6-2 to sweep the first-round series. . . . F Jari Erricson gave the Silvertips a 1-0 lead at 5:22 of the first period, but Portland answered with five straight goals. . . . Attendance was 2,420. . . . Everett F Landon Ferraro was tossed with a cross-checking major as the second period ended. . . . This was the first time Portland has swept a playoff opponent since 1998 when it ousted the Brandon Wheat Kings in the championship final. . . . The Winterhawks had played 13 rounds since then. . . .
———
Three of the four Western Conference series ended in sweeps, leaving the Kelowna Rockets, Portland and the Tri-City Americans awaiting a winner in the Spokane-Chilliwack series. . . . Remember that teams are reseeded by regular-season points, so if Spokane wins, the second round will feature Portland vs. Kelowna and Spokane vs. Tri-City. . . . If the Bruins come back from a 3-1 deficit, it’ll be Portland against Chilliwack and Kelowna against Tri-City.
———
THURSDAY’S CFB COUNT:
Two minors:
Prince Albert D Harrison Ruopp
Chilliwack F Curt Gogol
———
It was Opening Day on Thursday. Yes, we’re talking baseball.
So . . . here’s your good read for the day. Yes, it’s a year old, but it’s by Peter Gammons and it involves baseball and the blues and it doesn’t get any better than that. So take a look right here.
In Edmonton, F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist as the Rebels beat the Oil Kings 5-1 to win the series, 4-0. . . . Nugent-Hopkins, who will be an early pick in June’s NHL draft, had nine points over the four games. . . . F Brett Ferguson scored twice for Red Deer, the second into an empty net. . . . Edmonton’s lone goal came from F Curtis Lazar, the second overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft. It was his first WHL score. . . . Attendance was 5,938. . . . Red Deer scratched F Adam Kambeitz and D Aaron Borejko, both for undisclosed reasons. . . .
In Spokane, the Chiefs scored the game’s first three goals and went on to beat the Chilliwack Bruins, 4-2. . . . The Bruins closed to within 3-2 on F Roman Horak’s goal at 3:06 of the third but weren’t able to equalize. . . . Chilliwack F Ryan Howse left the game after the first period and didn’t return. . . . The Chiefs were without F Tyler Johnson, the WHL’s second-leading scorer. . . . The Bruins were without D Tyler Stahl, who got tossed from Game 3 with an elbowing major that knocked Johnson out of the game. Stahl is serving one of those tbd suspensions. . . . The Chiefs also were without F Anthony Bardaro, who drew a tbd sentence under supplemental discipline for a hit in overtime in Game 3. Bardaro wasn’t penalized on the play, but the Bruins asked the WHL to review the play. . . .
In Everett, F Sven Bartschi had a goal and two assists as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Silvertips 6-2 to sweep the first-round series. . . . F Jari Erricson gave the Silvertips a 1-0 lead at 5:22 of the first period, but Portland answered with five straight goals. . . . Attendance was 2,420. . . . Everett F Landon Ferraro was tossed with a cross-checking major as the second period ended. . . . This was the first time Portland has swept a playoff opponent since 1998 when it ousted the Brandon Wheat Kings in the championship final. . . . The Winterhawks had played 13 rounds since then. . . .
———
Three of the four Western Conference series ended in sweeps, leaving the Kelowna Rockets, Portland and the Tri-City Americans awaiting a winner in the Spokane-Chilliwack series. . . . Remember that teams are reseeded by regular-season points, so if Spokane wins, the second round will feature Portland vs. Kelowna and Spokane vs. Tri-City. . . . If the Bruins come back from a 3-1 deficit, it’ll be Portland against Chilliwack and Kelowna against Tri-City.
———
THURSDAY’S CFB COUNT:
Two minors:
Prince Albert D Harrison Ruopp
Chilliwack F Curt Gogol
———
It was Opening Day on Thursday. Yes, we’re talking baseball.
So . . . here’s your good read for the day. Yes, it’s a year old, but it’s by Peter Gammons and it involves baseball and the blues and it doesn’t get any better than that. So take a look right here.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday . . .
The WHL revealed late Tuesday afternoon that LW Brendan Ranford of the Kamloops Blazers has been suspended for six games.
That is the price Ranford, who leads the Blazers in all three major offensive categories, will pay for cross-checking linesman Kris Hartley across the chest during the second period of a game in Kamloops on Friday.
The Blazers were in the process of dropping a 5-1 decision to the Kelowna Rockets at the time, a loss that would be their fifth in a row. One night later, without Ranford in the lineup, they would lose 1-0 in a shootout to the Rockets in Kelowna.
Ranford will sit out the Blazers’ last two regular-season games — they are at home to the Prince George Cougars on Friday and will play in Prince George on Saturday.
Should the Blazers make the playoffs, Ranford will sit out the first three games of the first-round series. Should the Blazers not qualify, Ranford will be forced to watch the first three games of the 2011-12 regular season.
The Blazers go into tonight’s games in ninth place in the Western Conference, two points out of eighth and three out of seventh.
From here, I would suggest that Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, who handles discipline, got this one about right. While Ranford’s crime was unforgivable, there wasn’t any attempt to injure Hartley, nor was the linesman knocked off his feet or even off-balance.
Still, there is no excuse for Ranford’s action.
But, in the end, Ranford and the Blazers will pay more than six games for this.
For starters, we will never know if Ranford’s presence might have made a difference in that 1-0 game in Kelowna on Saturday. The score would indicate that was a winnable game for Kamloops; however, Ranford has ended his regular-season with zero points in his last six games.
And, of course, we will never know what kind of impact he might have in the approaching two-game series with Prince George.
Let’s not forget, too, that for the rest of his WHL career, Ranford may as well wear a scarlet letter as someone who put a stick to an official. After all, what do you think the odds are of Ranford ever getting a break from the men in stripes, at least during the rest of his days in this league?
———
In Edmonton last night, the Oil Kings scored the game’s last seven goals and beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 8-1. . . . Edmonton F Jordan Hickmott played in his 300th regular-season game. Hickmott, who also has played with the Prince Albert Raiders and Medicine Hat Tigers, had a goal, his 28th, and an assist. . . . The victory lifted the Oil Kings, who are seventh in the Eastern Conference, to within a point of the idle Brandon Wheat Kings. Each team has two games remaining. . . . The Hurricanes (23-34-13), with two games to play, are ninth, two points behind the Prince Albert Raiders (28-36-5), who have three games to play. . . .
In Medicine Hat, F Max Reinhart scored the game’s first two goals to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 4-1 victory over the Tigers. . . . Reinhart has 34 goals. . . . The Ice was 1-for-3 on the PP; the Tigers were 1-for-9. . . . The victory kept the Ice in the chase for third place in the Eastern Conference as it now trails the Tigers by three points. Each team has two games remaining. . . . The Tigers are four points behind the Central Division-leading Red Deer Rebels, who also have two games to play. . . .
In Swift Current, G Mark Friesen stopped 32 shots to help the Broncos to a 6-0 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . The shutout was Friesen’s sixth this season. . . . Regina was 0-for-9 on the PP; the Broncos were 3-for-5. . . . F Brad Hoban had three goals, giving him 23, while F Justin Dowling returned to the lineup from an ankle injury and got his 20th goal. . . . The loss ended Regina’s faint hope of catching Prince Albert for the conference’s last playoff spot. The Pats now are six points back with just two games remaining. . . . The Broncos are a point behind Regina, so won’t be in the postseason either.
---
There are six games on Wednesday’s schedule.
The Prince Albert Raiders meet the Hitmen in Calgary. The Raiders can clinch at least a tie for eighth place with a victory. The Hitmen, the WHL’s defending champions, will finish last in the Eastern Conference and out of the playoffs. . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors, who will finish fifth in the conference, are in Saskatoon to face the Blades, who will finish first overall in the WHL this season. . . .
The Everett Silvertips are to meet the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash. The Silvertips aren’t likely to have G Kent Simpson (ankle) or F Landon Ferraro (groin) in their lineup. . . . Everett, which will finish with four road games in five nights, is eighth in the Western Conference, but a victory would life it past the idle Prince George Cougars and into seventh. . . . The Americans will finish fourth in the conference. . . .
The Vancouver Giants, having lost six in a row, are in Portland to face the Winterhawks. Vancouver, with four games left, is tied with the Chilliwack Bruins for fifth in the conference. The Bruins have three games left. . . . The Winterhawks, with four games left, continue to lead the conference, but are just one point ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . .
The Chiefs, who have four games to play, are at home to the Bruins. The Chiefs, by the way, will open the playoffs on the road as their building isn’t available on the March 25 weekend. . . .
The Kelowna Rockets, who will finish atop the B.C. Division and thus be the conference’s second seed for the first round, are at home to the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle is last in the conference. It is four points out of a playoff spot with four games remaining.
---
There would seem to be quite a tussle going on in the boardroom of the Chilliwack Bruins, with minority owners Moray Keith and Jim Bond trying to keep the WHL team right where it is.
The Chilliwack Progress has more right here, including confirmation from Keith on reports that Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins has expressed interest in being involved.
That story is right here.
---
JUST NOTES: The Kamloops Blazers have added F Matt Needham to their roster for the remainder of their season. Needham, the Blazers’ first pick in the 2010 bantam draft, already has played 11 games with Kamloops, earning seven points. He had 45 points in 38 games with the midget AAA Prep team at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton this season. . . . Goaltenders Jacob DeSerres and Andrew Hayes were teammates for a Memorial Cup-bound team -- the host Brandon Wheat Kings -- a year ago. Earlier this season, both lost out in the 20-year-old numbers game, cleared WHL waivers and chose to try their luck in the QMJHL. Now they will meet up in the first round of the playoffs there, DeSerres with the Saint John Sea Dogs, who are having a record-setting season, and Hayes with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, who go in as the No. 16 seed. . . . Adam Brown of the Kelowna Rockets was named the CHL’s goaltender of the week. He was 3-0-0, 0.65, .979 last week. . . . D Brendan Kennedy, who was selected by the Prince Albert Raiders in the sixth round of the 2009 bantam draft, will play next season for the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks. His twin brother, Jeff, who is a forward, also will play for Salmon Arm. Jeff’s WHL rights belong to the Kamloops Blazers, who placed his name on their protected list in November. The brothers are twins -- they will turn 17 on Feb. 6 -- from Terrace, B.C. They played this season with the midget AAA Prep team at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C.
That is the price Ranford, who leads the Blazers in all three major offensive categories, will pay for cross-checking linesman Kris Hartley across the chest during the second period of a game in Kamloops on Friday.
The Blazers were in the process of dropping a 5-1 decision to the Kelowna Rockets at the time, a loss that would be their fifth in a row. One night later, without Ranford in the lineup, they would lose 1-0 in a shootout to the Rockets in Kelowna.
Ranford will sit out the Blazers’ last two regular-season games — they are at home to the Prince George Cougars on Friday and will play in Prince George on Saturday.
Should the Blazers make the playoffs, Ranford will sit out the first three games of the first-round series. Should the Blazers not qualify, Ranford will be forced to watch the first three games of the 2011-12 regular season.
The Blazers go into tonight’s games in ninth place in the Western Conference, two points out of eighth and three out of seventh.
From here, I would suggest that Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, who handles discipline, got this one about right. While Ranford’s crime was unforgivable, there wasn’t any attempt to injure Hartley, nor was the linesman knocked off his feet or even off-balance.
Still, there is no excuse for Ranford’s action.
But, in the end, Ranford and the Blazers will pay more than six games for this.
For starters, we will never know if Ranford’s presence might have made a difference in that 1-0 game in Kelowna on Saturday. The score would indicate that was a winnable game for Kamloops; however, Ranford has ended his regular-season with zero points in his last six games.
And, of course, we will never know what kind of impact he might have in the approaching two-game series with Prince George.
Let’s not forget, too, that for the rest of his WHL career, Ranford may as well wear a scarlet letter as someone who put a stick to an official. After all, what do you think the odds are of Ranford ever getting a break from the men in stripes, at least during the rest of his days in this league?
———
In Edmonton last night, the Oil Kings scored the game’s last seven goals and beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 8-1. . . . Edmonton F Jordan Hickmott played in his 300th regular-season game. Hickmott, who also has played with the Prince Albert Raiders and Medicine Hat Tigers, had a goal, his 28th, and an assist. . . . The victory lifted the Oil Kings, who are seventh in the Eastern Conference, to within a point of the idle Brandon Wheat Kings. Each team has two games remaining. . . . The Hurricanes (23-34-13), with two games to play, are ninth, two points behind the Prince Albert Raiders (28-36-5), who have three games to play. . . .
In Medicine Hat, F Max Reinhart scored the game’s first two goals to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 4-1 victory over the Tigers. . . . Reinhart has 34 goals. . . . The Ice was 1-for-3 on the PP; the Tigers were 1-for-9. . . . The victory kept the Ice in the chase for third place in the Eastern Conference as it now trails the Tigers by three points. Each team has two games remaining. . . . The Tigers are four points behind the Central Division-leading Red Deer Rebels, who also have two games to play. . . .
In Swift Current, G Mark Friesen stopped 32 shots to help the Broncos to a 6-0 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . The shutout was Friesen’s sixth this season. . . . Regina was 0-for-9 on the PP; the Broncos were 3-for-5. . . . F Brad Hoban had three goals, giving him 23, while F Justin Dowling returned to the lineup from an ankle injury and got his 20th goal. . . . The loss ended Regina’s faint hope of catching Prince Albert for the conference’s last playoff spot. The Pats now are six points back with just two games remaining. . . . The Broncos are a point behind Regina, so won’t be in the postseason either.
---
There are six games on Wednesday’s schedule.
The Prince Albert Raiders meet the Hitmen in Calgary. The Raiders can clinch at least a tie for eighth place with a victory. The Hitmen, the WHL’s defending champions, will finish last in the Eastern Conference and out of the playoffs. . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors, who will finish fifth in the conference, are in Saskatoon to face the Blades, who will finish first overall in the WHL this season. . . .
The Everett Silvertips are to meet the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash. The Silvertips aren’t likely to have G Kent Simpson (ankle) or F Landon Ferraro (groin) in their lineup. . . . Everett, which will finish with four road games in five nights, is eighth in the Western Conference, but a victory would life it past the idle Prince George Cougars and into seventh. . . . The Americans will finish fourth in the conference. . . .
The Vancouver Giants, having lost six in a row, are in Portland to face the Winterhawks. Vancouver, with four games left, is tied with the Chilliwack Bruins for fifth in the conference. The Bruins have three games left. . . . The Winterhawks, with four games left, continue to lead the conference, but are just one point ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . .
The Chiefs, who have four games to play, are at home to the Bruins. The Chiefs, by the way, will open the playoffs on the road as their building isn’t available on the March 25 weekend. . . .
The Kelowna Rockets, who will finish atop the B.C. Division and thus be the conference’s second seed for the first round, are at home to the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle is last in the conference. It is four points out of a playoff spot with four games remaining.
---
There would seem to be quite a tussle going on in the boardroom of the Chilliwack Bruins, with minority owners Moray Keith and Jim Bond trying to keep the WHL team right where it is.
The Chilliwack Progress has more right here, including confirmation from Keith on reports that Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins has expressed interest in being involved.
That story is right here.
---
JUST NOTES: The Kamloops Blazers have added F Matt Needham to their roster for the remainder of their season. Needham, the Blazers’ first pick in the 2010 bantam draft, already has played 11 games with Kamloops, earning seven points. He had 45 points in 38 games with the midget AAA Prep team at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton this season. . . . Goaltenders Jacob DeSerres and Andrew Hayes were teammates for a Memorial Cup-bound team -- the host Brandon Wheat Kings -- a year ago. Earlier this season, both lost out in the 20-year-old numbers game, cleared WHL waivers and chose to try their luck in the QMJHL. Now they will meet up in the first round of the playoffs there, DeSerres with the Saint John Sea Dogs, who are having a record-setting season, and Hayes with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, who go in as the No. 16 seed. . . . Adam Brown of the Kelowna Rockets was named the CHL’s goaltender of the week. He was 3-0-0, 0.65, .979 last week. . . . D Brendan Kennedy, who was selected by the Prince Albert Raiders in the sixth round of the 2009 bantam draft, will play next season for the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks. His twin brother, Jeff, who is a forward, also will play for Salmon Arm. Jeff’s WHL rights belong to the Kamloops Blazers, who placed his name on their protected list in November. The brothers are twins -- they will turn 17 on Feb. 6 -- from Terrace, B.C. They played this season with the midget AAA Prep team at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday . . .
THE MacBETH REPORT:
G Billy Thompson (Prince George, 1999-2003) signed a two-year-plus-option contract extension with Amiens (France, Ligue Magnus). Amiens finished in fifth place in the 14-team league and is currently tied 1-1 with Briancon in a best-of-five quarterfinal series. The league doesn’t publish goaltending statistics on its website but the club's press release says that Thompson's play had a major influence in the team's results and he made a favourable impression on the club's management with his professionalism both on and off the ice.
---
It seems that not all of the Chilliwack Bruins’ owners are in favour of selling the team and having it relocated, likely to Victoria. Moray Keith, who is a minority owner, told Tyler Olsen of the Chilliwack Times, via email:
“I can assure you that, although (fellow minority owner) Jim Bond and I are minority shareholders in the Bruins, we are taking every step possible to ensure Bruins hockey continues in Chilliwack.
"We are unwavering in our belief that WHL hockey is viable and can flourish at Prospera Centre."
Olsen points out that Keith also is involved in the ownership of the Chiefs Development Group, which manages Prospera Centre, the home of the Bruins.
Olsen’s story is right here. And there also is news in his story of a movement afoot to pack Prospera Centre for a Saturday night visit from the Vancouver Giants.
---
The Vancouver Giants had quite a day, with fines, suspensions and a player released from hospital.
Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun has the story right here.
G Billy Thompson (Prince George, 1999-2003) signed a two-year-plus-option contract extension with Amiens (France, Ligue Magnus). Amiens finished in fifth place in the 14-team league and is currently tied 1-1 with Briancon in a best-of-five quarterfinal series. The league doesn’t publish goaltending statistics on its website but the club's press release says that Thompson's play had a major influence in the team's results and he made a favourable impression on the club's management with his professionalism both on and off the ice.
---
It seems that not all of the Chilliwack Bruins’ owners are in favour of selling the team and having it relocated, likely to Victoria. Moray Keith, who is a minority owner, told Tyler Olsen of the Chilliwack Times, via email:
“I can assure you that, although (fellow minority owner) Jim Bond and I are minority shareholders in the Bruins, we are taking every step possible to ensure Bruins hockey continues in Chilliwack.
"We are unwavering in our belief that WHL hockey is viable and can flourish at Prospera Centre."
Olsen points out that Keith also is involved in the ownership of the Chiefs Development Group, which manages Prospera Centre, the home of the Bruins.
Olsen’s story is right here. And there also is news in his story of a movement afoot to pack Prospera Centre for a Saturday night visit from the Vancouver Giants.
---
The Vancouver Giants had quite a day, with fines, suspensions and a player released from hospital.
Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun has the story right here.
Posts
