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GBG BLEED BLUE
04-16-2007, 06:32 PM
Press Release from:www.saskatoonblades.com



Saskatoon, SK: The Saskatoon Blades this afternoon announced that Director of Player Personnel Paul Olekszyk has been relieved of his duties effective immediately.

Olekszyk, had been a with the organization since 2000 where he began as an area scout before being promoted to the hockey club’s Director of Player Personnel in the spring of 2003. Blades Head Coach and General Manager Lorne Molleken commented on today’s move “We would like to thank Paul for his contributions to the Saskatoon Blades Hockey Club and wish him the best of luck in all of his future endeavors.”

In other Blades news, 2007-08 season tickets will be available for purchase beginning April 20th and can be booked by calling the Blades Ticket Team at 306.975.8844. Stay tuned for exciting new ticket options and promotions to be announced in the coming days. Saskatoon Blades Hockey... Bleed Blue.


This is interesting because he was responsible for bringing in/help scout some of the players that we have now,maybe this is like the Chad Mercier situation, he might be moving on to bigger and better things. Now who will fill this position?? With the Bantam and Import drafts coming up I would like to think that there is a plan,but then again maybe not.

Trav
04-16-2007, 06:51 PM
and it doesn't sound like a resignation but maybe I'm wrong. I bet Doug Molleken will take over, Lorne's brother. He was the head scout in Moose Jaw when Lorne was there if i'm not mistaken.

howley
04-16-2007, 11:40 PM
jared brodsky.....

nivek_wahs
04-17-2007, 03:02 AM
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/sports/story.html?id=2ed4fb6a-d5fc-4245-8637-494ab0add26e

Blades trim scouting staff
Head scout Olekszyk fired just days before bantam draft
Doug McConachie, The StarPhoenix
Published: Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Saskatoon Blades have fired head scout Paul Olekszyk just 18 days before the crucial WHL bantam draft.

Blades' coach-GM Lorne Molleken said the decision was made Monday, less than 24 hours after Molleken, Olekszyk, assistant general manager Jarrod Brodsky and Molleken's brother, Doug, attended Manitoba's bantam championships in Winnipeg.

Neither Molleken or Olekszyk were willing to provide details of the decision. Olekszyk, reached by telephone at his home in Calgary, responded: "I can't say anything until I've meet with Lorne (next Tuesday)."

Molleken also disclosed the Blades have severed connections with scout Sean Wilson in Calgary, but again declined to elaborate, other than to say "the bottom line was that I have to feel comfortable with the whole (scouting) situation . . . and over the last while, I didn't."

Olekszyk, who joined the Blades as a scout in 2000 and was promoted to the top scouting position in 2003 -- before Molleken was hired by the Blades to oversee hockey operations -- said he was informed of his firing Monday morning.

"I don't have any comments," he said, but when asked if anything happened in Winnipeg to lead to his dismissal, Olekszyk answered "no."

Molleken, who heads to Calgary Thursday and then on to Vancouver for bantam tournaments, said it was not a different viewpoint on bantam prospects that led to the dismissal.

"Different opinions about players is good," he said.

However, from the beginning, "we all have to be on the same page (as to the type of players we want)."

Molleken said he talked with Brodsky at length about his decision and believes the Blades can still have a very successful draft on May 3. He admitted he hasn't seen every player available, but by the time the draft is held in Calgary, he will have seen the top players likely to be available to Saskatoon in the first two or three rounds.

After Molleken took over the Blades' operations, he extended Olekszyk's contract, but he also brought his brother into the scouting picture and has said in the past he wanted both men to see every player on the team's protected list. As well, area scouts, such as Wilson in Calgary and Russ Kutzak in Winnipeg, see all local players in their area.

Each WHL team has a list of 50 protected players -- obtained either through the bantam draft or by later being added to that team's list -- and it is continually changed or upgraded.

"Paul did a good job with the parents (of players) and has a tremendous work ethic," Molleken said, but whatever problems or disagreements there were behind closed doors had progressed to the point where it had to be dealt with now.

"We've got a pretty good list . . . I'm comfortable," he said, of the upcoming draft.

Molleken said he'll go into the draft with Brodsky, brother Doug, Kutzak and Vancouver-based scout Al Cyr.

Molleken will name a new head scout sometime after the draft.

dmcconachie@sp.canwest.com




© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007

westbeach55
04-18-2007, 04:25 AM
must have been some internal problems happening to let go of your head scout a couple weeks before the bantam draft.