Rockets GM Comments on Blazers Sale

Sorry folks, not much to report on the second day of Rockets rookie camp. All the talk revolved around the Kamloops Blazers being sold. What is Rockets majority owner Bruce Hamilton's take on the sale of the Kamloops Blazers?

"The common line out of there is getting it back to it's glory days, but nobody is going to get back to it's glory days simply because the rules today don't allow what they did, and the player pool is monitored by the draft not by the list system any more. They can say that all they want, but they have to get out there and work hard and find players", Hamilton told me Friday. "The key in Kamloops is getting the hockey operations running properly, and I think they have done a real good job there."

As a WHL owner, is the sale of the Blazers for just over 7 million dollars music to your ears?

"The big mix up on this is, teams are worth what someone will pay for them in your community. Is ours worth more than that? Probably. Is Red Deer worth more than that? Probably. Is Medicine Hat worth that? Probably not, but it's whoever will pay that. "

Could we see other community owned teams like Swift Current, Moose Jaw or Prince Albert eventually becoming privately owned businesses?

"Centers like that are probably concerned, but Kamloops and Lethbridge are the only two that are/were in a position where someone would be interesting in owning them. I don't think that in Moose Jaw, Swift Current or Prince Albert, there is interest in anyone owning those teams and taking on the challenge. Those teams raise a lot of money away from the rink to keep them in business, and the cost of doing business is nothing but going up. In Swift Current, you have a small population base which you need to grind every cent out of the community you can to be there, and I think Prince Albert and Moose Jaw are both similar, just their population base is higher", Hamilton added.

Bruce, on another topic, why don't you allow fighting in rookie camp?

"I never allow it. In the rookie camp for sure their isn't any, and in main camp I ask them not too, but if someone gets foolish and does something that is out of bounds, then they usually deal with it. Their are two things - no fighting and no hitting from behind. All I ask them to do is show me what you do best, so play as hard as you can. If your a skater, be a skater, if your a stickhandler, be a stickhandler. Kids 15 and 16 shouldn't be afraid to play because they are afraid of someone jumping on them and fighting them," Hamilton said.

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So Don Hay has signed a long term contract extension with the Vancouver Giants. On this vary blog months ago I stated that Hay was just too good of a coach for an NHL team to pass up, and the Giants would likely be in the market for a new head skipper.

At the time fellow blogger Gregg Drinnan said I would be eating crow, that Hay would not move to the pro level and would stay put in Vancouver. So yes Gregg ,for your enjoyment I am eating crow now that Hay has signed for another five years. The picture above is Gregg holding a...crow! Gregg, I should remind you this isn't the first nor the last time I will put my foot in my mouth,and eat crow. I will eat crow again, and am now quite fond of it. If you are wondering about Gregg's wardrobe in this picture, he is actually dressing up in comparison to what he usually wears at hockey games!
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Wheat Kings GM Kelly McCrimmon e-mailed me last night saying that the Wheat Kings have signed 16 year-old Brayden Schenn to a players contract. This summer, you may have read on this blog comments from Brayden's dad that his son wouldn't report to Brandon. I am glad for Kelly and for Brayden that things have worked out, and he'll attend camp next week. Having another Schenn in this league isn't a bad thing!