I’m back

Published 1:52 pm Monday, August 10, 2009

After putting 4,530.6 miles on the car, I’ve returned to Silvertip land following two weeks of vacation. I was hoping the Tips got their offseason news out of the way before I departed, but a few more things of import happened while I was gone. Most of you probably know all this, but here’s a quick summary with requisite links:

– First off, Everett right wing Kellan Tochkin signed with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Tochkin, who was the league’s leading rookie scorer as a 17-year-old last season, went unselected in the NHL draft. However, the Canucks were quick to pounce on the free agent. This was essentially public knowledge before I left, but wasn’t announced officially until several days after the fact. And it probably doesn’t affect Tochkin’s status as a member of the Tips for the next two season.

– Potential overage defensemen Mike Alexander and Shayne Brown were released. This, too, wasn’t a surprise. Alexander was not in Everett’s plans for the upcoming season, and Brown was essentially forced into retirement by chronic injuries. That leaves Everett with holdover forwards Shane Harper and Zack Dailey, as well as waiver acquisitions Alex Poulter and Colin Scherger, as the candidates for Everett’s three overage positions.

– Everett released its tentative 2009-10 schedule. The WHL Web site announced the official regular season schedule today, but I didn’t want to wade through the whole thing to determine if there were any last-minute changes to Everett’s schedule.

– Everett lost an assistant coach when Mark LeRose took an assistant position with the AHL’s Houston Aeros. LeRose, who spent two seasons with the Tips, joins former Everett coach Kevin Constantine’s staff in Houston. He was subsequently replaced when the Tips hired Chris Hartsburg as an assistant. Hartsburg is the son of new head coach Craig Hartsburg.

– Finally, and perhaps most interestingly, former Everett coach John Becanic was hired by the Seattle Thunderbirds as an assistant coach. Becanic was fired in April following two seasons at the helm in Everett. He also spent the four seasons prior to that as a Tips assistant. First off this is great for Becanic from a personal standpoint as I know he didn’t want to move his family. By signing on with Seattle he doesn’t have to. Becanic, though given mixed reviews as a head coach, was a good assistant during his time in Everett, so he will certainly be an asset for the T-birds. Finally, given the tones at the time of his firing, I suspect Becanic will be extra motivated to help Seattle beat the Tips. So the rivalry may have been turned up a notch.