Garry Davidson is out after nine years as the general manager of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. The team made the announcement early on Thursday evening.
“Davidson is departing the organization, effective immediately,” read the news release.
The announcement makes it sound as though the Silvertips are restructuring in an attempt to cut costs.
“The past two seasons have necessitated the restructuring of Silvertips hockey operations, and this process is ongoing,” it read. “The Silvertips remain focused on the long-term on-ice and business success for our players, fans, partners, sponsors and our ownership. Further information on this process will be provided in the coming weeks.”
Davidson, who turned 70 on May 15, took over as GM in February 2012, after four seasons as the Portland Winterhawks’ director of player personnel.
In the past seven regular seasons, Everett has finished atop the U.S. Division on five occasions and has been second twice. The Silvertips lost out in the WHL’s championship final in 2018.
In 2019-20, Everett was second in the U.S. Division, one point behind the Winterhawks, when the season was halted after 63 games.
This season, in which teams played entirely within their division, the Silvertips ran away with the U.S. Division, going 19-4-0 and finished nine points ahead of Portland.
In Davidson’s first full season with Everett, the Silvertips were 25-40-7. From that point, they won 39, 43, 38, 44, 47, 47, 46 and 19 (of 23) games.
The Silvertips are owned by CSH International, Inc., which is controlled by Bill Yuill, the chairman and CEO, who is from Medicine Hat. In 1989, the company purchased the Seattle Thunderbirds before selling and buying the expansion Silvertips in 2002.
If you’re wondering, Dennis Williams, the Silvertips’ head coach, is signed through the 2022-23 season. The team signed him to a two-year extension on Feb. 12, 2020. Williams has been the head coach since May 15, 2017.
If Davidson’s departure is a sign of how tough things have been financially since the pandemic brought a premature end to the 2019-20 season, it might be that this is only the tip of the iceberg. The WHL now has gone through two springs without any revenue-producing playoff games, and it’s not a secret just how much those games mean to junior hockey teams and their bank accounts.
On top of that, someone is going to have to pay for all that went into the developmental season that the WHL’s 22 teams recently completed. Could it be that a paring of payrolls will be undertaken in an attempt to bring down expenses?
It would seem that there is a huge change coming to the Brandon Wheat Kings organization. . . . At the moment, Rick Dillabough is the Wheat Kings’ director of sponsorship and business development. Over his 30-plus years with the Wheat Kings, Dillabough has worn a lot of hats. He also put together the definitive book on the organization — Brandon Wheat Kings: The First 40 Years in the WHL.
The Val-d’Or Foreurs advanced to the QMJHL’s championship series on 
Thursday night, sweeping the Chicoutimi Sagueneens from the best-of-five semifinal series with a 6-3 road victory. . . . Earlier, the Foreurs had won 5-2 and 4-2 at home. . . . The other semifinal features the Victoriaville Tigres and the Charlottetown Islanders. That series is tied, 1-1, after the Islanders won, 5-4 in OT, at home on Tuesday and then dropped a 9-2 — yes, 9-2 — decision on Wednesday, also at home. They’ll play again tonight and Sunday afternoon in Victoriaville, with a fifth game, if needed, in Charlottetown on Tuesday.
Dorothy will be taking part in her eighth Kamloops Kidney Walk, albeit virtually, on June 6. If you would like to be part of her team, you are able to make a donation right here. . . . Thanks in advance for your generosity.
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If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:
Living Kidney Donor Program
St. Paul’s Hospital
6A Providence Building
1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6
Tel: 604-806-9027
Toll free: 1-877-922-9822
Fax: 604-806-9873
Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca
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Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney
Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre
Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street
Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9
604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182
kidneydonornurse@vch.ca
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Or, for more information, visit right here.
TAKING NOTE 