THE NEW ERA BEGINS
The Queen City Sports & Entertainment Group was unveiled at a news conference at the Brandt Centre carried live on 620 CKRM on Monday. These gentlemen are the new owners of the Regina Pats. From left: Anthony Marquart, Todd Lumbard, Gavin Semple, Shaun Semple and Jason Drummond.
It was perhaps the most highly-attended news conference I’ve attended at the Brandt Centre…
WHL Commissioner Ron Robison introduced the owners one-by-one…
Regina Pats GM Chad Lang addressed the crowd. All signs point to Chad returning for the 2014-15 season…
The one you’ve heard the most about — Anthony Marquart…
Two-thirds of the Pup Line: Mike Sillinger (left) and Jamie Heward. Darren “Caesar” Bradley is in the middle. I suppose mascot K-9 makes up for the absence of Frank Kovacs for the Pup Line…
Pats alum Bobby Lowes, Graham Tuer and Kim McDougall…
This group of alumni really got me. From left: Doug Trapp, Kurt Wickenheiser, Barry Trapp, Drew Callander and Todd Strueby. If we start connecting with these guys and getting them back in the arena, we roll….
My brother speaks on behalf of Evraz Place…
Rider President Jim Hopson, Evraz Place’s Neil Donnelly, the Silver Fox Kelly Remple and Brenda McIntosh…
Trainer’s Corner: Mark “Torch” Simpson, Greg Mayer and Norm Fong….
It appears the Pats are going Back To The Future.
These are tremendously exciting times for those of us who hold this team so close to our heart…
RP
Maybe it's the loose fitting jersey but it looks like Shaun has lost some weight. Must be from walking the fairways on his backyard golf course.
Now we need the owners to build a NEW arena. Keep all the profit by owning the rink as well (parking, concessions, etc…)
With the deep pockets these owners have there would be no need for gov't funding.
A rink where you wont see big barrels in the bathroom collecting the water from the leaks in the roof. And the fly paper hanging all over catching all the various flies and varmints.
No CHL owner in their right mind owns the rink they profits just aren't there….if anything they will negotiate reasonable lease agreements or marketing partnerships or even work in deals/breaks to improve their own parts of the arena…ie. Offices, work-out rooms, player's lounges, locker room etc. Brent Sutter donated a 1.3 million dollar score clock to the centrium as a gift to the community of Red Deer and other owners have done similar gestures across the CHL. A 35-50 million dollar investment to build a 5,000 seat arena is not a feasible investment for private owners in Jr. Hockey….even at… Read more »
Bottom line is, one can have the best business model available but to make that business model work, the team still needs to win! Sad to see the Parker's go before this team could perform in the playoffs, but very excited to see if this change results in more wins in the playoffs!
Caesar
How does Heward and Sillinger feel standing there when they wanted to buy the team? Why do all these guys come down to the rink for this type of thing? Like a bunch of guys hanging around their old High School.
A lot of grandiose rhetoric and back slapping. A lot of talk about a lot of things but I haven't heard much about the on ice performance. Over the last 20-30 years this "flagship franchise" has been far behind the acceptable curve for a team like the Pats. I want to hear that they are changing the culture and want to turn this into the Portland East. You won't need gimmicks or selling advertising if the teams wins championships. These people will come to you. The seats will be sold and the change will take place. It's all about the… Read more »
Obama just texted Broten to let him know he won't be in tomorrow. All these faces from the past has got him swept up in reminiscing his glory days of the 80's and work can't get in the way of that.
Silver Fox, you're wife owns a great fashion store and you wear a black undershirt under a white dress shirt…wow, speaking of blast from the past the 80's want their fashion sense back.
I think Remps looks great!
RP
A couple things: 1) Remple is pure confidence. 2) When Jerry Jones took over the Dallas Cowboys he had Tex Schramm explain every detail of the football operations to him. Once he was up to speed Tex Schramm to his big surprise was out the door. If I'm working for the Regina Pats in a Hockey Ops role and I see Mike Sillinger standing there, I have to be honest. I would be a nervous wreck. 3)Say what you will about the glory days of the 80s. I was at that game where Calgary won in Game 7. I can't… Read more »
I wish I could have been there too. I got my start with the Pats and they will always be close to my heart. The Pats will bring back the community luster and be the toast of the "winter" town again soon. Bringing back the alumni is the first step. Winning is the next logical step when the leadership demands it. It takes the right leadership. Trust your leadership.
Trust is earned. Alumni matters when guys are showing up to meetings with rings on their fingers. Telling today's players, "you know when Dennis Sobchuck was our Coach…" or "…I remember when Bernie Lynch was telling us…." – really doesn't carry weight.
Chad Lang has nothing to worry about with Mike Sillinger hanging around the rink. Mike Sillinger is no different than Mike Blaisdell. Both are great guys to go fishing with or to drink a beer with, but to put either of them in charge of a Hockey Operation at the WHL level good luck.
The most interesting person in that group is Bob Lowes being in attendance. The biggest mistake the organization ever made is letting him go. They would do very well to have him at the top of the list if any changes are being made.
Remple is probably looking at that picture at his office thinking "Damn I look good!"
To many cooks.
Did you mean "too" many cooks? Duh!?
To many cooks is right!!!! It's pretty telling. I think if you look deeper a lot of these guys when hockey ended yes they went onto other things, but never quite found that comfort level with anything.
Bob Lowes was there, but Todd Ripplinger wasn't and that is very interesting. The other guys like the Trapps and Wicks are just supporting their buddy Todd Lumbard. Why the other ones showed up I couldn't tell you.
Definitely have to be weary of the too many cooks scenario. Look what happened in 2011 with the Riders. I'm sure Hopson watching that press conference knows that full well.
Todd Ripplinger was there as well.
I have to agree with a previous poster. The majority of those guys would appear to just be buddies with Todd Lumbard. Todd has a business background and he knows what he is doing on the hockey side. Barry Trapp was his junior Coach so he's probably there with Doug as a guest. It would be exciting to see your teammate actually get the team. Regarding the other guys, Bob Lowes would have know Todd Lumbard or crossed paths during that time before Lowes got traded. I have no idea why Jamie or Mike would be there. I don't think… Read more »
If Ripper was there great. It broke his heart to not be a Pat and that guy truly loves the team.