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pontcanna
07-06-2012, 02:00 PM
Former New York Rangers assistant GM will head Victoria Royals

BY CLEVE DHEENSAW, TIMESCOLONIST.COM JULY 6, 2012 12:38 PM

The Victoria Royals went off the grid — eschewing the usual Western Hockey League suspects — in naming former New York Rangers assistant GM Cameron Hope on Friday as their new general manager.

The Royals’ head coaching and general manager positions were vacated June 22 by Marc Habscheid, who said he was pursuing non-hockey opportunities with the company that owns the WHL club.

Hope admitted he was re-settling into a law career in Edmonton — after seven seasons with the Rangers management team from 2004 to 2011 — when the call came “out of left field” from Royals owner Graham Lee.

“It was not something I was looking for. I was not thinking about getting back into hockey … I was blindsided by this fantastic opportunity,” said Hope, 48.

Lee said due diligence may have uncovered a hidden gem.

“I know a lot of NHL guys and they all highly recommended Cam,” said Lee, a Vancouver businessman.

“As I sourced this, his name kept popping up more and more. When I called him, we hit it off right away.”

Lee has decided to separate the GM and head coach positions and Hope’s first order of business is to hire a head coach for a club that struggled to a 24-41-7 record last season.

“We’re looking together right now but I want Cam to make the final decision,” said Lee. “He is the GM. I want that coach to coach for him.”

Hope said the search is “far along in the process” and that he expects to name the new head coach “within one to two weeks.”

When pressed for names, Hope said: “The right guy will be the right guy.”

Asked what was the main lesson he learned in his time with the Rangers under administrators such as Glen Sather and Don Maloney, Hope replied: “That you can never cut corners in trying to create a culture that wins.”