Published: Friday, February 3, 2012
Soetaert: No comment 'at this time
EVERETT -- Doug Soetaert is remaining silent on his ousting.
The former Everett Silvertips general manager, who was fired Thursday evening, has chosen not to comment publicly about his departure, at least for the time being.
Messages were left with Soetaert both Thursday and Friday. When reached Friday and asked if he had any comment, Soetaert responded via text message saying, "not at this time."
Soetaert was fired after spending nearly a decade as Everett's general manager. He was the Tips' original GM, being hired in 2002, a full year before the team began play. He had been in charge of Everett's hockey operations ever since, with the exception of the 2005-06 season when he spent a year as general manager of the Calgary Flames' American Hockey League affiliate in Omaha, Neb.
During Soetaert's reign the Tips quickly rose to prominence in the Western Hockey League, winning three U.S. Division titles, a Western Conference championship, and a Scotty Munro Trophy for the league's best record, all during the team's first four seasons. However, Everett has not hung a banner since 2007, and this season the rebuilding Tips are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in the franchise's nine-season history.
Soetaert's contract was set to expire at the end of the season. Silvertips president Gary Gelinas said Thursday the team decided not to renew Soetaert's contract after team officials decided to go in a new direction, and that the move was made now in order to get a new GM in place in time for the offseason.
Check out Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at NickHPatterson.
The former Everett Silvertips general manager, who was fired Thursday evening, has chosen not to comment publicly about his departure, at least for the time being.
Messages were left with Soetaert both Thursday and Friday. When reached Friday and asked if he had any comment, Soetaert responded via text message saying, "not at this time."
Soetaert was fired after spending nearly a decade as Everett's general manager. He was the Tips' original GM, being hired in 2002, a full year before the team began play. He had been in charge of Everett's hockey operations ever since, with the exception of the 2005-06 season when he spent a year as general manager of the Calgary Flames' American Hockey League affiliate in Omaha, Neb.
During Soetaert's reign the Tips quickly rose to prominence in the Western Hockey League, winning three U.S. Division titles, a Western Conference championship, and a Scotty Munro Trophy for the league's best record, all during the team's first four seasons. However, Everett has not hung a banner since 2007, and this season the rebuilding Tips are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in the franchise's nine-season history.
Soetaert's contract was set to expire at the end of the season. Silvertips president Gary Gelinas said Thursday the team decided not to renew Soetaert's contract after team officials decided to go in a new direction, and that the move was made now in order to get a new GM in place in time for the offseason.
Check out Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at NickHPatterson.
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