After years of underachieving, the Prince Albert Raiders finally decided to change direction.
The Raiders fired general manager Donn Clark on Monday, ending Clark’s eight-year tenure with the team.
“This has been a very difficult decision for the board of directors, but one we had to make to move our organization forward,” team president Dale McFee said in a press release. “Donn Clark has provided a tremendous service to the Raiders the past eight seasons and we want to thank him for his loyalty, hard work and dedication.”
Clark was in his second stint with the team, having first coached the team from 1993-95. He was hired again as the team’s head coach in 1999, took over as director of hockey operations the following year, and has been general manager since 2002.
Clark was replaced by head coach Bruno Campese, who will serve as both head coach and general manager for the remainder of the season.
During the Clark’s tenure as general manager, Prince Albert has often gone into the season considered, if not a contender, at least a respectable playoff team. But rarely has it worked out that way. In his first five seasons the Raiders finished with losing records four times and won a total of just two playoff series.
This season the Raiders are 15-25-3-2 and in fifth place in the East Division, a whopping 14 points out of the playoff race.
Clark told the Saskatoon StarPhoenix that he knew about the change for a month, but stayed on through the trade deadline to help Campese’s transition.
“From a hockey operations (perspective) I don’t think we’ve had the success we’d have liked over the last few years,” Clark told the StarPhoenix. “The team underachieved from what I thought the talent would be. I’m not saying we had a championship team, but it could have been better.
“The big thing for me is that the club over the last few years consistently made money,” Clark added. “We went from being on the verge of bankrupt … our team over the last four years made almost $750,000 which is good for a small market club. The Raiders today are in a lot better shape than when I got here, and I feel very good about that.”
Around the WHL: Former Everett Silvertip forward Morgan MacLean was released by the Prince George Cougars for what was described by the team as off-ice issues. MacLean has joined the Prince George Spruce Kings of the British Columbia Hockey League. … Wednesday’s trade between Prince Albert and Kelowna that had the Raiders sending right wing Brent Ottmann to the Rockets for a conditional draft pick has been nullified. Ottmann decided to remain with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Nipawin Hawks rather than join the Rockets. … Red Deer goaltender James Reimer was named the WHL Player of the Week. Reimer allowed just four goals in three games, compiling a 1.31 goals against average and .966 save percentage in going 2-1.
League leaders: Points — Colin Long (Kelowna) 67; goals — Colton Yellow Horn (Tri-City) 31; assists — Long, Mark Santorelli (Chilliwack) 44; penalty minutes — Scott Gabriel (Portland) 157; wins — Tyson Sexsmith (Vancouver) 28; goals against average — Dustin Tokarski (Spokane) 1.84; save percentage — Jacob DeSerres (Seattle) .927.
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