By Glen Erickson /
With an underachieving veteran group lingering below the .500 mark in the WHL standings, it has become apparent that general manager Craig Bonner has seen enough.
An early-season coaching change – Barry Smith was fired Oct. 26 – did not have the desired affect as the team has posted a 3-6-0-1 record under the tandem of Scott Ferguson and Geoff Smith. On Nov. 23, Bonner announced the Blazers have hired former NHLer Guy Charron as the new head coach. Ferguson, Smith and Dan DePalma will remain as assistant coaches.
“Guy brings a new dimension to our team,” Bonner said in a press release. “We are confident we will benefit from his knowledge and experience, and he is a proven teacher at all levels. It’s hard to overlook the success he’s enjoyed in both the Junior and pro classes.”
Charron played 734 NHL games over 12 seasons and has also coached for a total of 17 seasons in the NHL, AHL and QMJHL. He was the head coach for Team Canada that won a gold medal at the 1990 World Junior Championship.
The recent adjustments in Kamloops have not just been limited to the “behind the bench” variety. Citing concerns about the veteran leadership, Bonner acquired 20-year-old goalie Kurtis Mucha from the Portland Winterhawks for a fourth round pick in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft. And then, he effectively released goaltender Justin Leclerc, also 20, by placing him on waivers.
“We are very excited with the acquisition of Kurtis,” Bonner said. “He is a proven and highly regarded goaltender in our league with over 200 games of experience. We feel with the addition of Kurtis, we have upgraded the goaltending position.”
Leclerc, from Saskatoon, regularly faced over 35 shots per game during his tenure in Kamloops. This season, he faced an average of over 40 shots per game. The Blazers tandem of Leclerc and 18-year-old Jon Groenheyde are ranked last, 30th and 31st respectively, among active WHL goaltenders this season. Both have compiled save percentages of .893, and goals against averages well above four per game. Leclerc was undefeated in three shootouts this season.
After tending to the plight between the pipes, Bonner wasn’t finished. He also traded 20-year-old defenceman Giffen Nyren to the Calgary Hitmen for a conditional sixth round pick in the Bantam Draft.
Nyren probably feels like he has won the lottery, returning home to Calgary to skate for an upper echelon team during his final season of Junior eligibility. Known for his offensive skills, Nyren is quiet and not overly physical. He was acquired by Kamloops last season from the Moose Jaw Warriors, and posted three goals and 11 assists in 25 games this season.
Bonner then looked west to Vancouver where he picked up 20-year-old Ryan Funk, a veteran of 242 WHL games with both the Giants and Saskatoon Blades. In return, the Blazers shipped defenceman Brett Lyon to Vancouver, the team that sent him to Kamloops last season. |