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Parker calm after letting off some steam
Rob Vanstone, The Leader-Post
Published: Monday, April 02, 2007
SWIFT CURRENT -- Regina Pats general manager Brent Parker was not enamoured with Sunday's calls, until the final one.
"It's Russ,'' Parker said while answering his Blackberry following the Pats' 2-1 overtime conquest of the Swift Current Broncos at the Centennial Civic Centre.
"I'm surprisingly calm,'' the Pats' GM told his Calgary-based father -- team owner Russ Parker -- as 1,987 spectators shuffled out of the arena.
Brent Parker did not look like a man whose team had just won a Western Hockey League playoff series for the first time since 1998. It was reasonable to expect jubilation, heel-clicking, etc.
Not on this emotionally draining night.
"I'm spent,'' Parker said after the Pats ended a best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal in six intensely contested games.
Parker has spent more than enough of his money after incurring fines for rather acerbic public critiques of the officials. With that in mind, and in light of the circumstances, Parker refrained from blasting referees Chris Savage and Kyle Rehman -- at least in the presence of a rumpled scribe.
However, Parker can expect to hear from WHL headquarters after being assessed a game misconduct shortly after the Pats won.
"I didn't like some of the obstacles we had to overcome, let's put it that way,'' said Parker, whose team was undeterred despite receiving eight of 10 minor penalties, including both infractions in overtime.
"We'll save the rest for a conversation tomorrow.''
Might that conversation be with an authority figure within the Calgary-based WHL?
"I'll leave it for you to determine that,'' Parker said, "but it will be a 403 area code.''
In some respects, the nature of Sunday's game will ultimately work to the Pats' advantage.
The Pats overcame a series of impediments to post a series-clinching victory in hostile environs. Imagine the dividends that kind of positive reinforcement will pay for a developing team.
The Pats' proclivity for penalties forced goaltender Linden Rowat to repel a succession of shots from in close. At 17, Rowat is an active participant in his first WHL postseason. Entering the series, it was speculated that Broncos goaltender Kyle Moir -- the WHL's all-time leader in games and minutes played -- would give his team an advantage on the basis of experience.
Rowat dispelled that notion by registering a shutout in the series opener. But he saved his best game for Sunday night, when there was precious little margin for error.
"I liked our goalie a little bit tonight,'' Parker said by way of understatement.
This is not to suggest that Moir was deficient. He made some scintillating saves during the game, and even during the final flurry -- which ended when Brett Leffler buried a Garrett Festerling rebound, and the Broncos for good measure.
"Who did score?'' Parker wondered. "Was it Leffler? There were so many guys. I had no idea who scored. I saw the puck go to the net and Moir made two or three great saves. Then I heard the building go quiet, with the exception of our bench.''
And with the notable exception of the 12th-year general manager.
"I jumped out of my pants at the end,'' Parker said while fastening his belt.
In a few seconds, Parker released nine years of pent-up emotion. Shortly thereafter, he was asked how it felt to finally win a playoff series.
"I don't want to make it in any way about me,'' Parker responded. "The kids played really hard and I'm awfully proud of them. What happened in the past has no bearing on them at all.
"There are guys like Kyle Ross and Kyle Deck who went through a 12-win season. Festy (Festerling) wore his heart on his sleeve. It was something really special.
"I'm really gratified to see how happy they are.''
Deep down, Parker was probably just as happy. We can only trust that appearances were deceiving.
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007
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