44 — Wednesday. December 9. 1998 ~ North Shore News

Caps

Andrew McCredie

Sports Editor
andrew@nsnews.com

YOU knew it had to happen sooner
or later.

And Norm McNamara, evidently, knew too.

The coach of the Nor-Wes Caps junior
hockey club resigned last week after a heart to
heart with team owner Ken Wilson. At the time
the Pacific International Junior Hockey League
teant’s season record was 2-21.

“This darn losing streak has been getting
evervone down,” said team owner Ken Wilson
on Monday. “Norm's a good man, he worked
hard to get the club off the ground and perhaps
there’ be a role tor him with the club in the
future.

MeNamiara’s assistants Rob Braithewaite
and Sean Murray have takea over the coaching
duties, and according to the team owner he’s
given them his blessing to do whar they can
with their team.

“They both approached me and asked tor
the opportunity to run the club.” Wilson said
of the coaching duo. “So I'm going to let them
fly at it and see how they can do.”

Sunday afternoon at Lonsdale Arena was the
first game for Nor-Wes in the post-Norm cra,
The faces may have changed but the outcome
was the same as the PoCo Buckeroos doubled
up the Caps 8-4 to drop the team to 2-22.

The 33-year-old McNamara joined the tam
Jast year in their first incarnation, the North
Shore Gviffins, and coached the rookie club ro
a 5-36-21 record. In his defense, he had litle
chanee to recruit or scout prior to assembling

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the squad for regular seasan play.

But that was last year, and expectations were
high tor this season, The Gritfias changed their
name to the historic Nor Wes Caps (the name
of a powerti! North Shore junior club trom
years gone-bv) hoping to draw on some of that
winning tradigon, the team switched their
home ice from cramped West Van Arena to fan-
tricndly Lonsdale Arena: and affiliations with
the Junior A Burnaby Bulldogs and the North
Vancouver Minor Hockey Association meant
player development would get a shot ins the
arm.

The team is still waiting to reap the benetits
of those office, pre-season moves, however.

In terms of getting some on-ice help,
Wilson says the team is behind the eight: bait
because they have used 34 of the 35) cards
assigned to them for the year. (Each team is
assigned a limited number of cards tor making
trades cach season).

“So, we're pretty much set for what we're
going to have for the rest of the season,” he
added.

~My teeling is that the players we have could
play oa any team in the league” Wilson said.
“Bur what we haven't got is a top ter per:
former; we don’t have a top: 10 scorer.

“And | think more than anvtng that’s
been one of our big problems this year.”

Despite the lack of success on the ive,
Wilson remains contident thar the Caps will
turn it around soon.

“We've only got one way to go,” he said.

The team’s chance to go that way was hiss
night against Delta (no score available to press
time}. The Caps host Abbotstord Sunday after-
noon at Lonsdale Arena. Game time is 2:15 p.m.

what will you end up with?

The Honda Homecoming

wi NTO aIZATION

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ach |

NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge

NOR-WES Caps forward Ryan Kremil (#7) fights for a loose puck in the Buckeroo
crease during the Caps’ 8-4 loss to Port Coquitlam Sunday at Lonsdale Arena. The
game was tie first one for the Caps without coach Norm McNamara on the bench.

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