Hurricanes Shareholders Meet "Get Out and Vote" The Message

Between 75 and 100 Lethbridge Hurricanes shareholders showed up Thursday night at Exhibition Park to talk about the team's upcoming Annual General Meeting.

Jerry Ellerman, one of the organizers of the meeting had one main message to those in attendance. He said, "It's your club and your vote so come on August 19th and vote and have your say."

That was pretty much the basis of the meeting was to get the message out to shareholders about the importance of this upcoming meeting. Ellerman told me after that from his point of view, without a doubt, this AGM is likely the most important meeting this hockey club has ever had or will ever have. Personally, I tend to agree with that. Regardless of which shareholders you want to see on the board, there's no question this meeting next Wednesday is important, but only if the shareholders come out and have a say.

The way I see it is this. All that's gone with this Hurricanes team in the off-season has shown one thing in my opinion. People in Lethbridge do give a damn and care about what happens to this team and where they want it to go regardless of who's view and who you support. I think we've seen that more in the past 3 months that in the past. That I think is a huge positive and something the fans and the board members as well as the players and staff can use moving ahead into the future. All that's taken place maybe isn't all that bad. It's got people talking and has kept the interest in this team right through the slow hockey months of summer regardless of whether you think it's negative or positive press.

Ellerman also stated to me that the biggest thing is that the Annual General Meeting be organized and constructive and open. Ellerman is also running for a board position as are 4 other men who made their intentions known Thursday evening.

A number of board members attended the shareholders meeting too, including President Bryan McNaughton.

I was unable to attend myself because of prior commitments, but was filled in by Ellerman after the meeting concluded.

The AGM is slated for Wednesday night at 7 at the Ramada. Only shareholders are allowed to attend and vote.

Thanks,
Pat

Shareholders Plan to Meet Again Prior to A.G.M

The Lethbridge Hurricanes are holding their Annual General Meeting next Wednesday, August 19th, but before that happens a group of shareholders which organized a meeting back in June plans on meeting again this week.

Jerry Ellerman has been the go-to man for a group of shareholders and I had a chance to speak with him briefly today to ask him about the meeting he's arranged for this Thursday, August 13th at 7 o'clock on the main floor of the Exhibition Grand Stand next to Bully's.

PS: What's the Purpose of this second meeting given the A.G.M is next week?

JE: "We're trying to get as many people to show up as humanly possible. We just finished doing a phone blitz of as many shareholders as we could get a hold of. Everybody is saying they want change......we say, well if you want change, it's your club, you come out and say what you want."

PS: Are there any of the shareholders you've talked to interested in running for the board?

JE: "There are the 5 of us that are running. We have the floor open to any new perspective board members. We're going to open up the floor to any shareholders so we can discuss openly what they like, what they don't like and what they'd like to see changed."

PS: What else do you plan to discuss Thursday?

JE: "What I'd like to see happen is for the people to show up and give everybody there, kind of a direction as to where they want to see things go. A couple of years ago we had an AGM where the people were just as upset as they are now and nothing got accomplished. We've got some questions that we should go up and ask properly so we can get some action and just to see what the people really want.

Thanks,
Pat

Hurricanes Release 2009/2010 Schedule

The Lethbridge Hurricanes will start the upcoming WHL campaign on the road for the first three weeks. The Canes' 09/10 schedule kind of looks like this in a nutshell:

The entire month of the September will see the team play on the road because of the renovations to the Enmax Centre. They'll open the season September 18th in Cranbrook and then the next night in Medicine Hat on the 19th for the Tigers home opener. The following weekend the Canes' will head to Red Deer on the 25th and to Swift Current on the 26th. After that it's off to B.C. the following week for games in Vancouver and Kamloops on the 29th and 30th of September and then Lethbridge will head up to Prince George to play the Cougars in back-to-back games October 2nd and 3rd. The Hurricanes home opener is scheduled for Friday October 9th against Edmonton. In mid-October, the Canes will play in Brandon, Regina, and Moose Jaw and then after that most of the Hurricanes games between the 20th of October and and the WHL Christmas break will be either at home or close to home.

In total, Lethbridge will make two trips into B.C. this year (besides the regular games with division rival Kootenay). They have to play in P.G., Vancouver, and Kamloops twice this year. The American teams also visit the Enmax Cenre this season. Portland will be in Lethbridge October 21st, Seattle on October 30th, Everett stops by November 4th, Tri-Cities November 13th, and last but not least Spokane visits January 15th. Most of the Canes' road trips are piled in September and early October as well as a busy road month in February.

August 30/09 @ 11:00 AM – Blue & White Game for the Lethbridge United Way
See the Hurricanes of tomorrow for the first time as they battle it out in the annual Blue and White intra-squad game at Adams Ice Centre. Volunteers from the Lethbridge United Way will be on hand to take donations for this very worthwhile cause.

To view to the entire Canes' schedule for this coming season click on this link:
http://www.lethbridgehurricanes.com/?s=1&p=5728&op=9


Also, the first of many "Hurricanes This Week" talk shows on CJOC will debut Monday September 14th with a media rountable followed the following Monday with the new G.M. and Head Coach Rich Preston joining myself and Colour Analyst Fred Jack for the entire hour. As the weeks move ahead this season, I'll post on my blog who the upcoming guests will be on the talk show as well. Can't wait to get this new era in Hurricanes hockey started!

Should be fun!

Thanks,
Pat

If you've had a chance to look at the schedule, what are your thoughts??