BLADES SHUFFLE STAFF

The Saskatoon Blades look to be going on a powerplay after changes to their scouting system.

Veteran leader Doug Molleken, 54, has signed a two year extension and will direct his focus on Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the United States as Director of Scouting, Eastern Region. The long-time head scout for the Blades will be surrounded by a few of his old birddogs and a lot of new talent.

Doug’s partner will be Dan Tencer, 28, promoted from regional scout to Director of Scouting, Western Region, responsible for Alberta and British Columbia. Before coming to the Blades in 2013, Tencer was the host of the Edmonton Oilers Radio Network and Inside Sports for 7 years on Corus Radio, where he still co-hosts a radio show.

Both men will report directly to Managing Partner Colin Priestner, who will oversee the bantam and European drafts, working closely with General Manager Bob Woods and Assistant General Manager Steve “Hilty” Hildebrand.

This trio has already demonstrated its effectiveness working together with what independent observers noted was an impressive performance at the 2014 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft. The three were point men at the Blades draft table, selecting a total of 12 players. After the last name was called, the influential Western Elite Hockey Prospects group was quick to applaud the Blades’ performance, stating, “The Saskatoon Blades didn’t have a first round selection this year but that didn’t stop them from having one of the top drafts.”

“The amount of scouting, research and conversations those three led put the Blades in a great position heading into that draft. Their work, combined with the reporting of our other scouts, led to the success we realized at the draft,” says Blades President Steve Hogle, who was eyewitness to both the work leading up to the draft as well as the decisions made at the draft table.

“This structure for scouting puts the organization in a great position for years to come,” adds GM Bob Woods. “Their passion is unrivalled, their organization is impressive and their talent is evident in the results.”

Highly respected Saskatoon-based scout Frank Dryka and Winnipeg’s Scott Unger are both back with the Blades and they are joined by a number of new scouts, each with impressive resumes.

“The quality of our people is absolutely stellar and they’ve already shown their input is outstanding. We’re also going to employ cutting edge systems with the view to use another weapon to gain the edge on the competition,” adds Managing Partner Colin Priestner. “We are out for more than respect. We are out to win.”