News of CBA brings big relief to hockey figures with local ties
Professional hockey players with ties to Spokane were spread wide and far when it was announced that the National Hockey League owners and players have agreed in principle to end the nearly year-long lockout.
Cam Severson was returning from a family visit to Saskatchewan. Kurt Sauer is in Colorado, having a follow-up medical appointment about his hip. Doug Lynch was training in Kelowna, British Columbia. Also on the road was NHL referee and Spokane resident Dennis LaRue.
Meanwhile, current Chiefs defenseman Sean Zimmerman – who is a top-rated NHL prospect – awaits details regarding the status of the draft. ESPN is reporting that a draft lottery will be held July 21 and that the draft will be on July 30 in Ottawa.
Sauer is a lock to return to Colorado and Lynch is a long shot to make the club in Edmonton. Somewhere in the middle is Severson, who was likely the most relieved of all of them.
Severson, who played for the Chiefs from 1997-99, played four seasons of minor league hockey before finally getting his chance to play in the NHL briefly in 2002-03 with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. He also played there the following season before signing with the Nashville Predators during the off-season last year – only to be denied by the lockout.
“Anybody who knows my situation knows that I’m really looking forward to getting back, after four years in the minors, finally getting a shot in the NHL and then, after one season, getting locked out,” Severson said.
It has been a frustrating year for Severson, but he made the most out of it. He took up the Predators on a chance to play for their International Hockey League farm club in Milwaukee.
“It was a long process, but it’s definitely what we planned on happening,” said Severson. “A lot of guys never got to do anything. I was lucky enough to be with a team that gave me an opportunity to play. Some guys had to go to Europe. I was very, very lucky to be playing anywhere.”
With the IHL’s Admirals, Severson played in 63 games with 14 points and a whopping 255 penalty minutes (second to Nashville star Jordin Tootoo). The season’s worth of play allowed him to stay in game shape. He will begin hard training in Spokane over the next couple of weeks.
Severson’s not guaranteed to return to Nashville – which holds a club option on him – but he’s not worried.
“Teams are going to be looking for players that played last year,” said Severson. “Some players missed out on a whole year. I feel like I’m one step ahead of those players. … If Nashville doesn’t want to take the option, I’m pretty confident I’ll have an opportunity.”
LaRue, a 16-year veteran, was laid off last September by the league and cheered the news.
“It’s great for the game and really good for all the people in the game that are employed by it. … It’s been a long year for all of us,” said LaRue. “I expect that it will be business as usual when it comes to training camp (in mid-September).”
Severson had spoken last fall of getting the matter resolved at all costs and reiterated that sentiment Wednesday.
“It’s a huge deal for the fans, they are definitely the ones that suffered the most,” he said. “It’s kind of gotten to be so long, hopefully kids are out there playing hockey and still enjoying it. … I hope we get all those fans and the younger kids back.”
In the meantime, Severson is busy preparing for his youth hockey camp in Spokane at the end of the month and awaiting ratification of the deal so he can begin talking to Nashville.
“Nothing can happen until the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) is signed, so the main focus is just trying to figure out what this agreement is going to be. Then it will be taking the next step; going to training camp. It’s a day-by-day process.”