While living and attending school in Winnipeg as a teenager in the 1970’s, I spent one summer visiting my dad who was making his home in Vancouver at the time.
My father, Harold, was working as a salesman and asked his boss if I could be hired to work alongside him for the months of July and August.
The answer was yes.
My dad had lots of experience in the field.
I was a rookie who really knew nothing about sales but anxious to give it a shot and earn some much-needed pocket change.
After I spent four weeks on the job, my dad was called by the boss to his office.
Judging by the mood in the building that day, we both thought that a pink-slip was coming and that my dad was about to be given the heads up that I was going to be dismissed.
Well, a Miller was fired that day, Harold and not me.
The company wanted me to continue selling for them until I had to return to Winnipeg in five weeks to go back to high school.
Yes, this was awkward and to my dad’s credit, he insisted I finish out my term at work and not too worry about him because he was confident of finding another job in the near future (which he did).
The reason I recall this rather bizarre incident from 45 years ago is because of what the Kelowna Rockets did on Wednesday.
The Rockets trigger happy president and general manager Bruce Hamilton fired head coach Adam Foote.
Kelowna Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton announced today that the Rockets have released head coach Adam Foote from his duties as of Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020. Assistant coach Kris Mallette has been named the Rockets interim head coach.
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) February 19, 2020
Coaches are let go regularly when a team is underachieving, but rarely is one terminated while his son continues to play for the team.
Nolan Foote is the Rockets team captain and best player.
He led the Rockets in scoring until leaving to help Canada capture the gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championship that concluded last month.
My story has nothing to do with hockey and I was in no way a key salesman on the team, but the commonality is the dad got turfed and the son stayed.
How often does that happen in any line of work?
Ironically, perhaps one of the reasons that Adam may have lost his job is because Nolan has only played in half of the Rockets 54 games (33 points including 15 goals in those 27 games) because of Team Canada commitments and most recently missing considerable time with lingering soreness due to a lower-body injury.
“I’ve had the opportunity to do this a few times when we’ve let people go and he (Adam) was the most classy guy I’ve ever dealt with. He probably had a funny feeling something was up. He’s from the game, he knows the game and he knows the business of it, so he was great … there’s no fun in days like this,” Hamilton told the media.
Watch Kelowna Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton comment on the coaching change and provide an update on the status of Nolan Foote ⬇️
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) February 20, 2020
The new head coach, 12th in the history of the Kelowna Rockets, is Kris Mallette, an assistant with the team since 2014 and a former Rockets player.
The pressure is on with Mallette only getting an “interim” label and the team hosting the Memorial Cup in May.
So, what are his thoughts regarding Nolan going forward?
“It’s been a whirlwind to him over these last 72 hours. He was traded, he was injured, he came back, he tried to play for us, and then obviously with his father being let go, I just wanted to let him know that our first priority is to get him healthy. He is one of our best players, he is the captain of our team, so to get him healthy is the first priority for us. He’s going to be around and he’s going to be involved heavily in getting this group trending in the right direction, and he’s all aboard, but it’s a lot for him to go through, and understandably so,” said Mallette in a media scrum shortly after landing the job.
Watch Kris Mallette’s full introductory scrum ⬇️
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) February 19, 2020
The Rockets are 24-26-2-2 and fourth in the B.C. Division.
They have lost seven of eight and 10 of their last 13.
Since January 1st, Kelowna has just two regulation wins in 19 games and both were against lowly Tri-City.
The other three Rockets victories over that stretch were in overtime or a shootout.
PG Cougars assistant coach Jason Smith must be chuckling a bit to himself.
Smith was fired by Kelowna on Oct. 23, 2018, and replaced by Foote after Smith compiled a record of 92-54-12 in just over two seasons.
.@Kelowna_Rockets fire head coach Jason Smith. From GM Bruce Hamilton: “The success of our hockey club ultimately falls with myself, and I feel at this time we need to go in a different direction.” #whl #hockey @GlobalOkanagan
— Jules Knox (@Jules_Knox) October 22, 2018
With Foote running the bench, the Rockets missed the playoffs last season and are struggling again this season.
Foote’s overall record was just 48-49-8-4, a far cry from the numbers Smith recorded.
The Rockets will play in Prince George Tuesday and Wednesday after they visit Victoria tonight (Friday) and Saturday.
No one can deny the success the Rockets have enjoyed with four WHL championships and a Memorial Cup title, all earned in the last 18 years.
At the moment though the team appears to be shooting themselves in the Foot(e).
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This is season two of Hartley’s Cat-Scan, a weekly podcast show that primarily features the Prince George Cougars.
My guest on the 23rd Cat-Scan in year two is former PG Cougars sniper Blake Robson.
Blake is now an agent advisor for many WHL players and one of his clients including Cougars goalie Taylor Gauthier.
Robson also reflects on being traded from Portland to Prince George, getting drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL and the disappointment of losing to the Kootenay Ice in seven games in 2002, a year that Kootenay went on to capture both the WHL title and Memorial Cup.
CAT SCAN: @Hartley_Miller talks with former @PGCougars forward @blakerobson18 in this week’s episode of the podcast
| https://t.co/kULyb8QGR3 #cityofpg #sports #NorthernUprising pic.twitter.com/6Ie02aqtE3— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) February 20, 2020
FROM THE QUOTE RACK:
Pete Rose is using the Houston Astros saga to ask for reinstatement into Baseball. He says he has been punished enough, especially after losing a fortune betting on the LA Dodgers in the 2017 World Series.
*Comedy writer Jim Barach http://jokesbyjim.blogspot.ca/
This just in: Houston Astros hitters seek permission to wear catcher’s gear during their at-bats this season.
*Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times http://www.seattletimes.com/author/dwight-perry/
Pete Rose asks for reinstatement, cites Astros and steroids (from @AP) https://t.co/rahPKt2utR
— Stephen Wade (@StephenWadeAP) February 6, 2020
Spring training began this week for MLB teams and the Baltimore Orioles have just been eliminated from playoff contention.
*Contributor Marc Ragovin of New York
A report says the Las Vegas Raiders will attempt to sign Tom Brady and also lure Rob Gronkowski out of retirement to join him. Compensation to New England involves draft choices plus a bearded lady to be named later.
*Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
Tampa QB Jameis Winston, who threw 30 interceptions during the 2019 season, just had Lasik surgery. 30 passes to someone in the wrong uniform. Does Lasik correct colour blindness?
*Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Five unlikely sponsorship deals:
5. Alex Ovechkin – American Dental Association;
4. Lindsey Lohan – MADD;
3. Michael Vick – Fido;
2. Tiger Woods – Fidelity Investments;
1. Paris Hilton – Smarties
*Canadian comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com
Hartley Miller is the news and sports supervisor and morning news anchor for 94.3 the GOAT and Country 97.
He also is the 94.3 the Goat radio colour commentator for P.G. Cougars home games.
His column appears Fridays on myprincegeorgenow.com.
Send along a quote, note, or anecdote to [email protected]