Published: Thursday, February 2, 2012
Silvertips fire Soetaert
WHL team looking for new general manager
EVERETT -- Doug Soetaert was the caretaker of the Everett Silvertips' development as a WHL franchise during its formative years.
However, Soetaert will nurture the Tips no longer.
The longtime general manager of Everett's Western Hockey League franchise was fired Thursday evening after nearly a decade of pulling the strings in the Silvertips' front office.
"Doug's contract was expiring this year, and we've been spending months evaluating our direction," Silvertips president Gary Gelinas said. "We made the decision not to renew his contract. We decided to make the decision sooner rather than later so we could find the right individual to bring in and lead the organization.
"It's always difficult," Gelinas added. "Doug's been an integral part of the organization, he's given a lot to the organization and the community, and he's a good person. It's never easy, but we have to do what's best for the organization."
Calls made to Soetaert were not returned.
Everett assistant general manager Zoran Rajcic, who worked under Soetaert from the time the team began play in 2003, said the front office was shocked by the news.
"I grew up under Doug's tutelage and formed a lasting relationship," a somber Rajcic said. "It's part of the business, but this part is very difficult."
Soetaert, a 55-year-old originally from Edmonton, Alberta, was hired as Everett's general manager in 2002, a year before the team began play. He's held the position ever since, with the exception of a one-year hiatus in 2005-06 when he was lured away by the NHL's Calgary Flames to be the general manager of their American Hockey League affiliate, which was then located in Omaha, Neb.
Under Soetaert's watch Everett quickly rose to a position of prominence in the WHL, winning three U.S. Division titles, a Western Conference championship and a Scotty Munro Trophy for the league's best record in the team's first four seasons of existence. Soetaert's roster building, which included an historic 2003 bantam draft class with future first-round NHL draft picks Zach Hamill, Peter Mueller and Leland Irving, was a key part of the success.
However, times have been leaner of late. Everett had a winning record in just one of its previous three seasons, and the Tips are currently in the midst of their worst season ever at 12-30-1-8. Everett is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in the franchise's nine-season history.
"We feel a responsibility to the fans and the community," Gelinas said. "We want to have a team that's capable of winning the championship every season. We've fallen short the last few years.
"We felt we needed a new direction, a new vision in order to be a top team in the Western Hockey League. We've fallen behind what's acceptable to us as an organization, and we want to re-establish our commitment to the fans and the community."
Gelinas said a search for a replacement would begin immediately. He said he hoped to have a new general manager in place by the end of the regular season, particularly so that the new GM has time to prepare for the bantam draft and the import draft. However, Gelinas said there was no official timetable for making a hire and that the priority was finding the right person.
Gelinas also said the organization was satisfied with the performance of the rest of the front office and with head coach Mark Ferner. Ferner was hired by Soetaert prior to this season to replace the departed Craig Hartsburg.
"The front office we have is one of the best organizations in the nation, especially the WHL," Gelinas said. "We want to support that with the product on the ice, by competing every year for the WHL championship. Mark is in his first year, he's a quality coach and we're pleased with the fit. Now we need to identify someone to build a hockey operations department that will produce a more competitive team and give the fans what they deserve."
Check out Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at NickHPatterson.
However, Soetaert will nurture the Tips no longer.
The longtime general manager of Everett's Western Hockey League franchise was fired Thursday evening after nearly a decade of pulling the strings in the Silvertips' front office.
"Doug's contract was expiring this year, and we've been spending months evaluating our direction," Silvertips president Gary Gelinas said. "We made the decision not to renew his contract. We decided to make the decision sooner rather than later so we could find the right individual to bring in and lead the organization.
"It's always difficult," Gelinas added. "Doug's been an integral part of the organization, he's given a lot to the organization and the community, and he's a good person. It's never easy, but we have to do what's best for the organization."
Calls made to Soetaert were not returned.
Everett assistant general manager Zoran Rajcic, who worked under Soetaert from the time the team began play in 2003, said the front office was shocked by the news.
"I grew up under Doug's tutelage and formed a lasting relationship," a somber Rajcic said. "It's part of the business, but this part is very difficult."
Soetaert, a 55-year-old originally from Edmonton, Alberta, was hired as Everett's general manager in 2002, a year before the team began play. He's held the position ever since, with the exception of a one-year hiatus in 2005-06 when he was lured away by the NHL's Calgary Flames to be the general manager of their American Hockey League affiliate, which was then located in Omaha, Neb.
Under Soetaert's watch Everett quickly rose to a position of prominence in the WHL, winning three U.S. Division titles, a Western Conference championship and a Scotty Munro Trophy for the league's best record in the team's first four seasons of existence. Soetaert's roster building, which included an historic 2003 bantam draft class with future first-round NHL draft picks Zach Hamill, Peter Mueller and Leland Irving, was a key part of the success.
However, times have been leaner of late. Everett had a winning record in just one of its previous three seasons, and the Tips are currently in the midst of their worst season ever at 12-30-1-8. Everett is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in the franchise's nine-season history.
"We feel a responsibility to the fans and the community," Gelinas said. "We want to have a team that's capable of winning the championship every season. We've fallen short the last few years.
"We felt we needed a new direction, a new vision in order to be a top team in the Western Hockey League. We've fallen behind what's acceptable to us as an organization, and we want to re-establish our commitment to the fans and the community."
Gelinas said a search for a replacement would begin immediately. He said he hoped to have a new general manager in place by the end of the regular season, particularly so that the new GM has time to prepare for the bantam draft and the import draft. However, Gelinas said there was no official timetable for making a hire and that the priority was finding the right person.
Gelinas also said the organization was satisfied with the performance of the rest of the front office and with head coach Mark Ferner. Ferner was hired by Soetaert prior to this season to replace the departed Craig Hartsburg.
"The front office we have is one of the best organizations in the nation, especially the WHL," Gelinas said. "We want to support that with the product on the ice, by competing every year for the WHL championship. Mark is in his first year, he's a quality coach and we're pleased with the fit. Now we need to identify someone to build a hockey operations department that will produce a more competitive team and give the fans what they deserve."
Check out Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at NickHPatterson.
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