HMMM

I had heard his name somewhere else but not GB!


The list of candidates for the Green Bay Gamblers' coach and general manager position has been trimmed to two.


University of Wisconsin assistant coach Kevin Patrick no longer is being considered, leaving negotiations to continue with Houston Aeros assistant Luke Strand and the apparent top choice, St. Louis Bandits coach Jon Cooper.

Patrick — like Strand, a former Gamblers assistant — said in a phone interview on Tuesday he withdrew his name from consideration with the Gamblers after he found out he was one of two finalists for the head coaching job at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, an NCAA Division I program. It's unclear what chance Patrick had for landing the Gamblers job if he'd stayed in the running.

"The opportunity to be a finalist and go for that (Alaska) job, it made sense to focus on that job," said Patrick, who will interview in Fairbanks on Thursday.

The Gamblers interviewed seven candidates after firing Mark Mazzoleni on Feb. 26 and narrowed the field to three several weeks ago. It's almost certain a coach will be in place before the United States Hockey League entry draft next Wednesday.

The hiring process apparently was on hold because Cooper, twice the North American Hockey League's coach of the year, was leading his team in the playoffs. The Bandits won their second consecutive Robertson Cup championship this past weekend.

Strand and the Aeros — top affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild — were bumped from the American Hockey League playoffs on April 25.

There is a chance another candidate could reemerge if the Gamblers can't complete a deal with their top choice, but odds seem strong the task of turning around the USHL's worst team last season will fall to Cooper or Strand.

"If in fact that is who are the finalists there, there's two very good candidates," Patrick said.

The Gamblers have refused to reveal the candidates publicly.


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