More news from Portland

Boy, are things-a-hoppin' in my old home town these days!

From the Portland Tribune:

http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=122541186260373800

http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=122532423854652600

http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=122532177677836100

In the second linked article, Rob Gagne gets a mention as the team's new equipment manager, a position that has never officially been filled before in the team's history. I got to know "Gags" during the past two USHL seasons, when I was the play-by-play guy for the Tri-City Storm and he was the equipment manager with the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets. Rob is as nice a guy as you'd ever want to meet, knows his stuff (He's worked in the NHL and AHL) and is an outstanding hire for the Hawks. It's a shame that Innes Mackie was let go, as he was well-liked by the fans, as one of the three founding members of the team when it moved from Edmonton in 1976. But adding Gagne, along with Trainer/Strength and Conditioning Coach Rich Campbell, are two moves that will undoubtedly pay dividends in the future, as the franchise moves back towards the respectability it once had.