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pontcanna
07-06-2012, 09:50 AM
Royals set to name new hockey boss

The Victoria Royals have called a news conference for this morning, with speculation mounting the Western Hockey League club is set to announce a new general manager or head coach or both.

Those positions have been vacant since the departure of Marc Habscheid on June 22 to pursue non-hockey opportunities with the company that owns the Royals.

Cory Clouston, Doug Soetaert and Dave Hunchak all said Thursday they know nothing about today’s announcement.
“It’s not me,” said Soetaert, who was let go last season after eight years as GM of the Everett Silvertips of the WHL.
“There was interest, for sure, on my part.”

Clouston, the former Ottawa Senators head coach who was most recently head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings before being let go at the end of last season, had also expressed interest in Victoria. But he said: “I don’t know anything about it [today’s announcement].”

Hunchak, former head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors, is currently assistant coach of the Kamloops Blazers.
“I have not been contacted by the Royals organization,” he said. “I am under contract with the Blazers and am happy where I’m at.”

Former ECHL Victoria Salmon Kings head coach and GM Mark Morrison, now assistant coach of the Winnipeg Jets’ AHL affiliate, said earlier he is content in St. John’s.

Other potential candidates include Dave Lowry, assistant coach of the NHL Calgary Flames before changes were made at the end of last season; Kris Knoblauch, let go last month as head coach of the Kootenay Ice after leading them to the 2011 WHL title; former Victoria Cougars WHL player Eric Thurston, former head coach with the successful University of Alberta Golden Bears CIS program; and former NHLer Tim Hunter, who has 14 years experience as an NHL assistant coach with Washington, San Jose and Toronto, and is now head coach with Okanagan Hockey Academy.

Royals owner Graham Lee has said he is open to the possibility of separating the head coaching and GM positions and hiring two people.