WINDY CITY EXODUS
If actions speak louder than words, then recent actions by three star players in Lethbridge paint the picture of one of junior hockey’s most dysfunctional franchises.
Ryan Pilon became the third player to leave the team and request a trade last week, following in the footsteps of Jaimen Yakubowski and Sam McKechnie, who did likewise and were subsequently traded to Seattle on Oct. 24.
Pilon, the third overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, returned to his home in Duck Lake, Sask., while awaiting his next destination. There won’t be a shortage of interest for the nephew of former NHLer Rich Pilon.
There comes a time when serious questions need to be asked in the face of adversity. The Lethbridge Hurricanes, owned by the community and run by a board, should finally be able to see the fork in the road. They can choose to stay the course, an unpopular choice amongst fans for what seems like at least a decade, or they can now come to the realization this method doesn’t work and give in to the many suitors who come knocking on their door to purchase the team.
The president of the board, Brian McNaughton, told the Lethbridge Herald the team isn’t for sale, despite recent interest from Florida Panthers winger and Lethbridge native Kris Versteeg, who lobbied to the community with an open letter.
"We believe everybody that’s expressed these interests are legitimate, well-intentioned people," McNaughton told the Herald, "and we would love to have them involved with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, but their condition of involvement is if they owned the team.
"Our condition is that we’re volunteers and we’re here to run the hockey team. Our win-loss record to date is not what we all wanted, but we believe that you’re going to see a change over the next couple of months."
The board can fire and hire as many coaches and general managers as they wish – and they’ve done so many times in the last decade – but when several high-end players view your organization as undesirable, it perhaps hints at a larger issue. Community-run teams are becoming a thing of the past, and for every situation that is successful (see: Kitchener Rangers), this blueprint is largely unsuccessful just about everywhere else.
WILDCATS WITHDRAW BID INTENTIONS
And so there are two.
Hosting rights for the 2015 MasterCard Memorial Cup will now come down to the Quebec Remparts and Chicoutimi Sagueneens after the Moncton Wildcats withdrew their bid last week. The issue at hand revolves around the Moncton Coliseum’s air-conditioning system, which isn’t up to par for tournament standards.
Coincidentally, the Coliseum’s antiquated air system is why such stringent rules were put in place for the privilege to host the national championship. In 2006, the Wildcats hosted the event, and due to hot and humid conditions, the league adopted a new policy.
Wildcats owner Robert Irving contests a verbal agreement existed with the city and mayor George LeBlanc. The mayor says there was simply a misunderstanding.
Nevertheless, this now means the tournament will be based in Quebec for the third straight cycle in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League territory, with the Remparts and Sagueneens now having a 50-50 shot at hosting the event.
ANDREWS MIMICS HERTL ON FNH
This season’s Friday Night Hockey schedule is off to a good start with an entertaining tilt between the Wildcats and last year’s MasterCard Memorial Cup champion Halifax Mooseheads.
Mooseheads veteran Brent Andrews took a cue from San Jose Shark rookie Tomas Hertl with a pretty between-the-legs goal.
Andrews was perhaps the most relieved the play actually worked.
RYCHEL ON THE BLOCK?
Family ties could be separated soon as trade talks heat up in the Ontario Hockey League. After failing to see their bid beat out the London Knights to host this year’s MasterCard Memorial Cup, the Windsor Spitfires could be preparing for a major sell-off, and their most prized asset is one closest to the organization.
Columbus first-rounder Kerby Rychel is the son of general manager and part-owner Warren, and most likely the biggest name on the market for this year’s deadline. That the elder Rychel and his coaching staff were in London to scout the Knights-Storm game on Thursday sent off bells and whistles throughout the league.
ASSAULT CHARGES LIKELY COMING IN MASCOT INCIDENT
The contestant who tackled the Victoria Royals mascot during an intermission game a week ago is likely to be charged with assault, according to a report.
In case you haven’t seen the incident, here’s the video:
"From what we’ve seen, I’d say charges are likely to be recommended," Victoria police spokesman Const. Mike Russell told the Times Colonist. "Officers have talked to many witnesses. Certainly there’s a fair few since there were a couple thousand people there."
The alleged assailant was remorseful and trying to make amends, Royals GM Cam Hope told scribe Gregg Drinnan.
Meanwhile, on the mainland, Vancouver Giants veterans Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck are facing assault charges of their own. Kulak was also charged with uttering threats.
It doesn’t appear to be a big distraction, as Kulak and Houck combined for three of the Giants’ five goals in a 5-1 win Saturday. Team captain and Montreal Canadiens prospect Dalton Thrower, meanwhile, is on the shelf with a suspected upper-body injury.
– In case you missed the other CHL viral video, here’s Baie-Comeau head coach Eric Veilleux doing his best to get the ref’s attention:
– It’s odd seeing the Kitchener Rangers in a major rebuild.
– Yahoo’s Neate Sager breaks down the events which led to Kingston defenceman Ryan Hutchinson returning to the team.
– Sager also has this tear-jerking story on how Oshawa defenceman Will Petschenig is playing through the loss of his father.
– Suspension news: Guelph’s Robby Fabbri will sit 10 games while Charlottetown’s Troy Vance will miss six games. Meanwhile, London’s Matt Rupert delivered a hit on Friday that has suspension written all over it.