Not interested..at least not yet!
That is how Kelowna Rockets head coach Jeff Truitt views the possibility of becoming a member of the Team Canada coaching staff for the upcoming World Juniors.
Truitt isn't heading to the Memorial Cup next week to interview for a spot on the coaching staff, simply believing that Craig Hartsburg will be back to guide the team with Curtis Hunt as his assistant along with a representative from the Quebec league.
Truitt says he would be more than interested in joining the staff when the tournament is a little closer to home with Canada hosting in 2009 and again in 2010.
Will Truitt be heading to the Memorial Cup in Vancouver to watch any of the action?
Nope!
Instead he's meeting David Michaud and I for lunch next week.
__________________________
Ok Matt Kassian just signed a NHL contract with the Minnesota Wild giving me the general feeling that Kristofer Westblom is just days away from signing a deal of his own.
Kassian, the Kamloops Blazers tough guy was a second round pick of the Wild but to see them sign him when they already have toughness with Derek Boogaard comes as a bit of a surprise. Rumor has it that Kassian signed for just 75 thousand bucks. I'm making it sound like that is chump change, yet in the hockey world it really is.
It should be announced shortly that Westblom has inked a deal, likely for a little bit more than his BC division counterpart.
____________________________
Which team has the most pressure heading into the Memorial Cup? That's easy it's the Vancouver Giants.
Anytime you are the host team and are taking the backdoor into the tournament, the weight of the junior world is on your shoulders. The Giants do not want to embarrass themselves in front of the hometown faithful and want to prove to themselves and others that they were the better team, not Medicine Hat in the Western Hockey League final.
To make matters worse the Memorial Cup tournament has been hosted in BC on three separate occasions with the host team winning all three times.
The New Westminster Bruins, Kamloops Blazers and Kelowna Rockets all hosted the M.C and won it as the host.
The Giants are hoping that trend continues with the tournament beginning tonight at Pacific Coliseum.
____________________________
The Vancouver Giants now confirm they are going with a new look by shaving off their beards after a game seven loss to the Tigers earlier this week.
When the host team hits the ice tonight to open the tournament, the Giants are going with a clean shave look which translates into a fresh start for a team that was bounced in the championship series.
Giants enforcer Garet Hunt won't be playing at the Memorial Cup, but the fact he's actually skating is a miracle in itself.
The little guy broke his leg against the Kamloops Blazers late in the season but is on the slow road to recovery. The fact he rehabilitated that quickly is amazing.
Speaking of injuries, Cody Franson is still questionable for the Giants first game at the M.C after missing the last three games of the WHL final with an undisclosed injury. I mentioned a few weeks back on this blog that I had a feeling Franson was playing injured because of his less than stellar play in the post season. Franson is a quality kid who I've interviewed many times and would like nothing more than to see him end his junior career on the ice competing for a championship - not sitting on the trainers table.
______________________________
I used this term loosely but Kelowna media will be well represented at the Memorial Cup this weekend in Vancouver.
All joking aside, Kelowna Daily Courier Sports reporter Doyle Potenteau will be at the tourney with laptop in hand. Potenteau has several angles he can take when bring the Memorial Cup back to the readers in K-Town.
Westbank's Scott Wasden plays for the WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers while Giants d-man Cody Franson is from Sicamous.
If you are unaware who Doyle is, he'll be the best dressed newspaper reporter with a tape recorded in his hand. While his colleagues will have mustard stains on their t-shirts (Doyle will have a dress shirt and tie combination) Pontenteau will be looking like a million bucks.
What he does after dark when the evening games are complete is nobody's business.
That is how Kelowna Rockets head coach Jeff Truitt views the possibility of becoming a member of the Team Canada coaching staff for the upcoming World Juniors.
Truitt isn't heading to the Memorial Cup next week to interview for a spot on the coaching staff, simply believing that Craig Hartsburg will be back to guide the team with Curtis Hunt as his assistant along with a representative from the Quebec league.
Truitt says he would be more than interested in joining the staff when the tournament is a little closer to home with Canada hosting in 2009 and again in 2010.
Will Truitt be heading to the Memorial Cup in Vancouver to watch any of the action?
Nope!
Instead he's meeting David Michaud and I for lunch next week.
__________________________
Ok Matt Kassian just signed a NHL contract with the Minnesota Wild giving me the general feeling that Kristofer Westblom is just days away from signing a deal of his own.
Kassian, the Kamloops Blazers tough guy was a second round pick of the Wild but to see them sign him when they already have toughness with Derek Boogaard comes as a bit of a surprise. Rumor has it that Kassian signed for just 75 thousand bucks. I'm making it sound like that is chump change, yet in the hockey world it really is.
It should be announced shortly that Westblom has inked a deal, likely for a little bit more than his BC division counterpart.
____________________________
Which team has the most pressure heading into the Memorial Cup? That's easy it's the Vancouver Giants.
Anytime you are the host team and are taking the backdoor into the tournament, the weight of the junior world is on your shoulders. The Giants do not want to embarrass themselves in front of the hometown faithful and want to prove to themselves and others that they were the better team, not Medicine Hat in the Western Hockey League final.
To make matters worse the Memorial Cup tournament has been hosted in BC on three separate occasions with the host team winning all three times.
The New Westminster Bruins, Kamloops Blazers and Kelowna Rockets all hosted the M.C and won it as the host.
The Giants are hoping that trend continues with the tournament beginning tonight at Pacific Coliseum.
____________________________
The Vancouver Giants now confirm they are going with a new look by shaving off their beards after a game seven loss to the Tigers earlier this week.
When the host team hits the ice tonight to open the tournament, the Giants are going with a clean shave look which translates into a fresh start for a team that was bounced in the championship series.
Giants enforcer Garet Hunt won't be playing at the Memorial Cup, but the fact he's actually skating is a miracle in itself.
The little guy broke his leg against the Kamloops Blazers late in the season but is on the slow road to recovery. The fact he rehabilitated that quickly is amazing.
Speaking of injuries, Cody Franson is still questionable for the Giants first game at the M.C after missing the last three games of the WHL final with an undisclosed injury. I mentioned a few weeks back on this blog that I had a feeling Franson was playing injured because of his less than stellar play in the post season. Franson is a quality kid who I've interviewed many times and would like nothing more than to see him end his junior career on the ice competing for a championship - not sitting on the trainers table.
______________________________
I used this term loosely but Kelowna media will be well represented at the Memorial Cup this weekend in Vancouver.
All joking aside, Kelowna Daily Courier Sports reporter Doyle Potenteau will be at the tourney with laptop in hand. Potenteau has several angles he can take when bring the Memorial Cup back to the readers in K-Town.
Westbank's Scott Wasden plays for the WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers while Giants d-man Cody Franson is from Sicamous.
If you are unaware who Doyle is, he'll be the best dressed newspaper reporter with a tape recorded in his hand. While his colleagues will have mustard stains on their t-shirts (Doyle will have a dress shirt and tie combination) Pontenteau will be looking like a million bucks.
What he does after dark when the evening games are complete is nobody's business.
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