EVERETT — Everett Silvertips general manager Garry Davidson set June 1 as his target for having a new head coach in place.
It looks as though the Western Hockey League team may not hit that deadline.
June is nearly upon us, and an Everett coaching hire does not appear imminent.
Everett has been without a head coach since Mark Ferner was fired in January. Davidson, who served out the remainder of the season as the interim head coach, said after the season that he wanted to have a new coach hired by the beginning of June.
June 1 arrives Saturday, but it looks like the Tips won’t be making a hire by then. Contacted Tuesday, Davidson declined to discuss the status of Everett’s search other than to say it was more likely an announcement of a coaching hire would come next week rather than this week.
One of the possible reasons for the delay was the unavailability of Portland Winterhawks assistant coach/assistant general manager Travis Green. Green, who served as Portland’s acting head coach this season while head coach Mike Johnston was suspended, is widely rumored to be among Everett’s top targets because of his ties to Davidson — Davidson worked with Green in the recent past as Portland’s director of player personnel. However, Green was unavailable because of Portland’s continuing progress through the playoffs and Memorial Cup. Portland’s season ended Sunday when the Winterhawks lost 6-4 to the Halifax Mooseheads in the Memorial Cup championship game, meaning the Tips are now able to inquire about Green’s services.
One other name that’s emerged in Everett’s coach search is Edmonton Oil Kings assistant coach Steve Hamilton. The Edmonton Journal reported Hamilton was interested in the Silvertips position. Another potential candidate, former Everett associate head coach Jay Varady who spent the past two seasons coaching Ducs d’Angers of the French professional league, is no longer available as last week he was named the general manager and head coach of the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League.
Check out Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at NickHPatterson.
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