Bakersfield Condors are looking for a new coach.

Missed this one Wednesday. From the Bakersfield Californian:

It was a job Marty Raymond didn’t even apply for and, in the end, an offer he could not refuse.

Thus, the Bakersfield Condors are seeking a new head coach for the
first time since Raymond took the helm late in the 2003-2004 season and
Raymond will be heading to Zagreb, Croatia as coach for the KHL
Medvescak Bears who play in the Austrian Elite League.

“I didn’t even apply for the job, they came to me,” said Raymond. “Some
guys (including Ryan Kinasewich who played in Utah in 2009-10 before
heading to Croatia this season), put my name in.”

Raymond turned down the first offer but when the team sweetened the
pot, he talked it over with his wife, and the decision was made.

“The (first offer) was OK but not worth disrupting the family,” he said. “The counter offer was a no brainer.”

Thus Raymond found himself in the position many an ECHL player has been
in: lured to Europe due to the opportunity to make more money.

And if you enjoy erroneous translations, you’ll enjoy this article on the topic.

Poll: Should the Reign bring back Brett O’Malley?

The rundown on forward Brett O’Malley:

2010-11 stats [career]: 8 goals, 16 points, minus-12 rating, 40 penalty minutes in 62 games.

Quote: “If I came back here with more confidence and experience, I know I could score more goals and be more of an offensive player.”

Pros: O’Malley was nothing if not consistent as a rookie: Willing and able to kill penalties, be an active forechecker, and bring energy in a second- or third-line role. The 27-year-old rarely took bad penalties, and an above-average slapshot helped him score eight goals.

Cons: The Reign were 19th in the ECHL in goals scored, and O’Malley’s limited puck skills and career stats suggest he won’t help turn that around. Karl Taylor seems to identify a new, quality defense-first rookie forward every summer (Chris Curran, Mike Howe, Robert Pearce) and O’Malley’s turn might be up.


Poll: Should the Reign bring back Jordan Morrison?

The rundown on forward Jordan Morrison:

2010-11 stats [career]: 20 goals, 55 points, minus-29 rating, 40 penalty minutes in 71 games.

Quote: “We’re looking everywhere. It’s a business for us as well and we need to make the best decision for us personally. Hopefully it can work out and I can come back to the Ontario Reign. if not, I enjoyed my time here and that’s about it.”

Pros: Morrison re-discovered his scoring touch after moving from wing to center and being paired with Alex Bourret — from Jan. 1 on, he was a point-per-game player. He led the team in assists (35), points (55), game-winning goals (4), tied for the lead in power-play goals (8) and was second in goals (20).

Cons: Morrison was also last on the team — and among all 759 ECHL skaters last season — in plus/minus (-29). His all-around game could probably use some work, but if Morrison can’t improve defensively under Karl Taylor it might never happen. Could he be as productive offensively if Bourret, who’s also a close friend off the ice, doesn’t come back?


Reign submit protected list.

The Reign submitted their protected list to the ECHL this week, a list of 31 players whose rights are retained for the time being:

Beau Erickson, Jase Weslosky, Shane Connelly, Kellen Briggs, Curtis Darling, Pat Bowen, Jason Fredricks, Luke Beaverson, David Walker, Craig Gaudet, Doug Krantz, Shawn Germain, Chad Starling, Jordan Hill, Matt Delahey, Lane Caffaro, Aaron Lewadniuk, Jordan Morrison, Kyle Kraemer, Justin Taylor, C.J. Stretch, Alex Bourret, Brett O’Malley, Shawn Collymore, James McEwan, Jon Francisco, Chaz Johnson, Jeff Corey, Greg Hogeboom, Jon Rheault and Peter Lenes.

Karl Taylor said Wednesday that the list doesn’t mean much — Darling is retired, Lenes played all of last season in Austria while Briggs, Caffaro and Corey left the team at midseason. The list has to be narrowed down in the coming weeks and it will mean a little more each time.

The conditions for inclusion, as well as every team’s protected list, can be found here.

Poll: Should the Reign bring back James McEwan?

The rundown on right wing James McEwan:

2010-11 stats [career]: 2 goals, 4 points, minus-5 rating, 146 penalty minutes in 36 games.

Quote: “All in all, before my rotator cuff started bothering me, I was getting good in every game, feeling confident. Personally I thought it was getting better and better.”

Pros: The third-year enforcer was among the Reign’s hardest-working players. This season, it was evident in McEwan’s recovery from a grisly hand injury that limited his off-season training. His fighting skills are as good as anyone at the ECHL level and his checking ability made him an asset on any line.

Cons: Injuries have limited McEwan to 63 games the last two years, and at 6-0 and 187 pounds, you wonder how long he’ll be able to maintain his playing style. Nobody spends more time practicing his all-around skills, but McEwan might need to score more and fight less just to play a full season.