Gasper resigns as Wheat Kings GM

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This article was published 06/05/2022 (1400 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Wheat Kings find themselves in the market for a general manager for the fourth time since the departure of Kelly McCrimmon in the summer of 2016.

The Western Hockey League team announced Friday that Doug Gasper is resigning, for personal reasons, from the job he accepted on April 17, 2021 after former general manager Darren Ritchie left.

“It’s really a blend of a lot of different things,” Gasper said of his decision. “Mostly it’s just probably time to step away and spend more time with my family, being a little closer to home.

“With everything that’s happened with our history, it’s time to be home more often.”

Gasper and his wife Kelly suffered an unimaginable tragedy on June 29, 2018 when their son Troy, daughter-in-law Carissa and grandchildren Kael, Shea and Maks died in a car accident in Saskatchewan. While Doug lived in Brandon this season, Kelly stayed in their Saskatoon home.

Gasper, who was the 17th GM in the team’s WHL history, will finish up his work with the Wheat Kings on June 30 or until they find his replacement. He isn’t leaving for another job.

“There are no plans at the moment,” Gasper said. “I’m just going to take a little time off.”

Team owner Jared Jacobson, who is a husband and a father, certainly understands Gasper’s decision.

“You have to have a work-life balance anywhere you work,” Jacobson said. “It has to be good on both sides for everybody to be happy so I totally understand that family is super important.”

“I want to thank him for everything he’s done,” Jacobson added. “He’s been a great person for the Wheat Kings.”

Jacobson said he would like to have someone in the job as soon as possible but added it’s more important to find the right person.

Gasper, 58, played hockey when he was younger, but got into higher levels of coaching as he pursued his career as a teacher and school administrator in Saskatchewan and Alberta. His education career and scouting dealt with the same age group, so he found they dovetailed nicely into each other.

He got his first shot with the Prince Albert Raiders, spending two seasons there. Many WHL teams allow scouts to also serve as bird dogs for Tier 2 teams as well, so he worked with the Nipawin Hawks of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, and he began helping Hawks head coach Doug Johnson turn that program into a perennial contender.

Gasper joined the Moose Jaw Warriors in 2007 when Troy was playing under-18 AAA hockey there, and Gasper was promoted to assistant head scout in 2012. After two seasons as director of scouting, he joined the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks in 2017 as they sought someone in the WHL’s Eastern Conference.

He left after two seasons, joining the Wheat Kings as assistant manager on Aug. 15, 2019.

“Doug and I talked a little bit before the playoffs and didn’t want to ruffle anything during the playoffs,” Jacobson said. “We waited until now. It’s tough but we want to start right away. Doug is going to help us transition it and get us through the next month or two.

“We’ll see what we get for applications. I’m assuming we’ll get quite a few: We have a good future in front of us, Doug has put us in good shape. Our list looks good. I’m hoping it’s an attractive position for someone looking for a good opportunity.”

While Gasper wishes they could have had a longer playoff run this year, he said it was important to him to leave a strong nucleus in place for his successor.

“I’m very happy,” Gasper said. “We would have liked to have gone a little further this year but the boys battled hard in a tough playoff series. There were lots of different factors for where we ended up but I’m really happy with the way the prospect pool sits right now.

“The age of the hockey club is on the younger side, there is plenty of depth coming up through the pipeline and lots of prospects and picks as well for them.”

It’s a busy time for the Wheat Kings, even after their season ended in triple overtime on Sunday in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Red Deer Rebels. The American priority draft is on Wednesday, May 18, with the main draft one day later on May 19.

Director of player personnel Chris Moulton remains in his role, which is to oversee the draft and the franchise’s team of scouts.

The spring prospects camp takes place at the end of the month, and the Canadian Hockey League’s import draft will be held on July 1.

“Even though the season is over, there’s still lots to do,” Gasper said.

It’s been a tumultuous few years for the club, which certainly predates the sale of the team by McCrimmon to Jacobson on Sept. 8, 2020.

Grant Armstrong was hired on Aug. 23, 2016, three weeks after McCrimmon announced he was leaving to join the National Hockey League’s Vegas Golden Knights. When Armstrong’s contract wasn’t renewed — news that was announced on May 7, 2019 — Ritchie was promoted to GM on July 12, 2019.

Ritchie resigned last season to take an amateur scouting position with the Toronto Maple Leafs

Behind the bench, the team has had three head coaches, David Anning, Dave Lowry and Don MacGillivray, and five assistant coaches, MacGillivray, Aaron Rome, Mark Derlago, Todd Miller and Daniel Johnston.

In the front office, director of game day operations Chris Falko is the only staff member remaining who worked under McCrimmon.

That makes finding some stability in the GM position an important consideration for Jacobson.

“Everybody wanted to have a three- to five-year plan and then a personal thing came up for Doug and I respect that and want to support him and I think he wants to support us in the transition,” Jacobson said. “Hopefully the next person is able to build some off this. The first year isn’t really your picks … To see everything, it’s probably three to five years in the position because that’s when you see your picks coming through the draft-and-develop system.

“That’s the goal, to get somebody who believes in that like Doug did, and hopefully we have smooth sailing moving forward.”

Gasper doesn’t hesitate when asked what he’ll remember about his time in Brandon

“Just working with tremendous people,” Gasper said. “You come to work with the Brandon Wheat Kings because of the people. From top to bottom, it’s just an outstanding organization with quality people.

“You’re always proud to have the Wheat King logo on your shirt.”

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @PerryBergson