MEET THE KAMLOOPS BLAZERS’ OWNERS

Tom Gaglardi 

Thomas (Tom) Gaglardi is Governor & Co-Owner of the Kamloops Blazers Hockey Club.

A passionate and knowledgeable leader who is deeply involved in all aspects of the family business, Tom began his career in the hospitality industry at the age of 14 as a busboy in the restaurant of one of his family’s Downtown Vancouver hotels and has worked in every area of the business since then. He spent considerable time in construction, hotel and restaurant operations, finance and real estate development. After completing his studies at the University of British Columbia, Tom joined the family business as a Regional Manager of the Sandman Hotel Group. At age 23, he was promoted to President of the hotel group, and at 26 he became President of Northland Properties Corporation, the family’s parent company, which is currently the largest family-owned hospitality company in Canada.

Under his direction, Northland has grown to include a large portfolio of hotels in Canada, UK and under development in the USA, including Sandman and Sandman Signature Hotels, and the Sutton Place Hotels & Resorts, along with several restaurant chains including Denny’s Restaurants of Canada, Moxie’s Grill & Bar, Chop Steakhouse & Bar, Shark Club Sports Bar & Grill and other notable restaurants.  The family also owns and operates a large real estate portfolio and the world renowned Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

In addition to being a co-owner of the Kamloops Blazers Hockey Club, Tom was introduced as the owner of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League on November 21, 2011.  Tom took over ownership of the American Hockey League’s Texas Stars and the operations of their home rink, the Cedar Park Center, on December 17, 2014 and subsequently acquired all the Dr. Pepper Ice Rinks in Texas. Tom is the Owner & Governor of the Kamloops Blazers, the Dallas Stars and the Texas Stars.

Tom is an active member in his community both here at home and in his adopted hometown of Dallas. He founded the Sandman Harvest Foundation which has raised over $1 million for disadvantaged and medically challenged children living in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. He also serves as trustee for the PA and JM Gaglardi Senior Citizens Society, a non-profit society providing housing for seniors in Kamloops, BC.  In Dallas, Tom has established The Dallas Stars Foundation which focuses its efforts on providing support to the children of the community so they may lead quality lives and develop into contributing members of society.

Tom and his wife Brittney have three sons, Charlie, Bennett, and Wilson. Tom splits his time between Vancouver and Dallas and enjoys playing golf and spending time with his family at their cottage on the shores of Kamloops Lake near Savona, BC.

 

Shane Doan

Shane is considered by many to be one of the true leaders in the National Hockey League. The Halkirk, Alberta native demonstrated his leadership qualities at a very young age. He was instrumental in leading the Kamloops Blazers to back to back Memorial Cup championships (1994, 1995) during his three year junior career. He won the Stafford Smythe Trophy as the tournament’s most valuable player in 1995. On Feb. 19, 2005, Shane was part of the first group of players honoured as Blazer Legends.

Drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round (7th overall) of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, Shane was the Jets’ final first-round pick prior to the franchise moving to Phoenix. Shane has played all of his 18 NHL seasons with the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes franchise, the longest current tenure of any player with the franchise, and is the final remaining Coyote player to have worn a Jets’ uniform. His best season was 2007-2008, when he led the Coyotes in scoring and in points (78). He nearly equaled that mark in the 2008-2009 season when he again led the team in goals (31) and points (73). He has recorded 13 seasons with the 20 or more goals, and has been the team’s captain for nine seasons.

On December 31st, 2015, Shane scored his 381st career goal to become the franchise’s all-time goals leader. That same season on February 12th, 2016, Shane recorded his 931st career point to become the franchise’s all-time points leader as well.

Shane scored the tie-breaking and game-winning goal for Team Canada in the finals at the World Cup of Hockey in 2004.

Shane was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2006 Olympics and was chosen to be captain of Canada’s 2007 World Championship team.

Community and Personal Interests

Shane and his wife Andrea have four children Gracie, Karys, Josh and Carson. He has been quoted as saying “My favourite hobby is playing with my kids. They’re so much fun!”

Shane has a number of charities which are important. Here are some of his favourites.

• Along with Mark Recchi, Shane hosted the annual Recchi-Doan Charity Classic which raised approximately $500,000 for needy children in the Thompson/Kamloops area.
• Shane and his wife Andrea were named the recipients of the 2007 Pat Tillman Community Leadership Award.
• Shane also initiated, hosted and skated with more than 200 underprivileged and homeless children in the Scottsdale, Arizona area.
• For the past 15 years, with Shane championing the cause, the Coyotes and their wives have purchased toys, games and teaching tools for children they visit on a regular basis at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

Key Awards

• 1993-94: Memorial Cup Winner
• 1994-95: Memorial Cup Winner
• 1994-95: Memorial Cup All-Star Team
• 1994-95: Stafford Smythe Memorial Award (MVP)
• 2002-03: Phoenix Coyotes scoring leader and MVP
• 2003-04: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2008-09: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2011-12: Mark Messier Leader of the Year Award

Click here to view Shane Doan’s career statistics

 

Jarome Iginla

Jarome has played with the Flames, Penguins, Bruins and Avalanche over the course of 19 NHL seasons.

As a youngster, Jarome’s first love was baseball (he was the catcher on the Canadian National Junior team), but he also starred in the St. Albert Minor Hockey Association before graduating to juniors. Early on, he dreamed of one day playing both sports in the big leagues “like Bo Jackson”. He played his minor hockey career in St. Albert, before joining the Kamloops Blazers as a 16-year-old. 

Jarome played three seasons in the Western Hockey League and won two Memorial Cups with the Kamloops Blazers (1994, 1995). He was picked in the first round (11th overall) by the Dallas Stars in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.

His best NHL season was 2001-2002 when he had 96 points and 52 goals, winning the regular season goal and point scoring titles. He also won the Lester B. Pearson Award as the league’s best player as voted by his peers, and was a nominee for both the Hart Trophy and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. He won the goal scoring title again two seasons later in 2003-04, tying Ilya Kovalchuk and Rick Nash with for the league-lead with 41 goals. His career-high in points came in 2007-08, when he scored 50 goals and totaled 98 points.

Jarome has represented Team Canada at the Olympic Games three times (2002, 2006, 2010), winning gold in 2002 and again in 2010. He was an alternate captain for Canada at the 2006 Olympics, and in 2010 he notably set up Sidney Crosby’s “golden goal” in overtime to give Canada a gold medal victory.

Jarome was named captain of the Calgary Flames in October 2003, a title he held for 10 seasons before being trade to the Penguins in 2013. On May 19, 2004, he scored his 10th playoff goal to help the Flames advance to their first Stanley Cup Finals in 15 years.

Jarome scored his 500th NHL goal on January 7th, 2012, while still a member of the Flames. He recently ecliped 1200 career NHL points in the 2014-15 season with the Avalanche.

On January 4th, 2016, Iginla became to 19th player in NHL history to score 600 career goals.

Community and Personal Interests

Jarome also supports many charities. Among his favorites are:

• KidSport – a charity that provides funds and athletic equipment for needy children so they can learn and enjoy sports.
• “Shoot For A Cure” – Spinal Cord injury research and prevention.
• Jarome Iginla Hockey School – a non profit organization that distributes all profits to various charities.

Jarome and his wife Kara have three children, including their daughter Jade, son Tij and son Joe. They spend much of their summer off season in BC’s Okanagan.

• 1994-95: George Parsons Trophy (Memorial Cup Most Sportsmanlike Player)
• 1995-96: WHL West First All-Star Team
• 1995-96: Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (WHL Most Valuable Player)
• 1995-96: Canadian Major Junior – First All-Star Team 1996
• 1996-97: NHL All-Rookie Team – 1997
• 2001-02: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2001-02: Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy – 2002, 2004
• 2001-02: Art Ross Trophy
• 2001-02: Lester B. Pearson Award
• 2001-02: Olympic Gold Medal
• 2001-02: NHL First All-Star Team
• 2002-03: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2003-04: King Clancy Memorial Trophy (in recognition of humanitarian contributions)
• 2003-04: NHL Foundation Award for Community Service
• 2003-04: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2003-04: NHL Second All-Star Team
• 2007-08: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2008-09: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2008-09: NHL First All-Star Team
• 2008-09: Mark Messier Leader of the Year Award
• 2009-10: Olympic Gold Medal

Click here to view Jarome Iginla’s career statistics

 

Mark Recchi

Born and raised in Kamloops, BC, Mark had an outstanding junior hockey career with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League. He had such a big impact that after only two seasons, his number 8 was retired by the team shortly after he left for the NHL. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins (67th overall), first playing in the NHL in 1988, and was a key player in their Stanley Cup winning team in 1991, the first of three Stanley Cups in Recchi’s career.

Mark was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1992 and in three seasons, helped form the formidable “Crazy Eights Line”, setting the Flyers single season point scoring record with 123 points in the 1992-1993 season. In all three seasons as a Flyer, he won the Bobby Clarke Trophy (Flyers MVP). He also won the Flyers Class Guy Award for his excellent rapport with the media. He was later traded to the Montreal Canadiens, but was reacquired by the Flyers after three seasons. He was consistently among the team’s top scorers and was a finalist for the Lester B. Pearson trophy as NHLPA MVP during the 1999-2000 season. He finished third in scoring – only five points behind Jaromir Jagr. During his Montreal tenure, Mark also won Gold with Canada at the 1997 Wold Championship.

In August 2004, Mark rejoined the Penguins as a free agent, signing a two-year contract. The first year was eventually nullified by the NHL lockout; in the second year, with the Penguins at the bottom of the NHL standings, Mark waived his no-trade clause to be sent to the Stanley Cup contending Carolina Hurricanes. He won his second Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes that season, in 2005-06. Mark capped off a remarkable NHL career winning the Stanley Cup for the third time with the Boston Bruins in 2010-11.

Recchi is 12th all-time in career NHL scoring with 1533 points, 20th in goals with 577, 14th in assists with 956, and 4th in regular season games played with 1652.

In 2000, he was named “Kamloops Male Athlete of the 20th Century”, and the street outside the Blazers’ home arena, now the Sandman Centre, was named “Mark Recchi Way”  in his honour.

Mark is an Assistant Coach with the New Jersey Devils of the NHL.

Community and Personal Interests

Mark has a number of charities which are important to him including:

• Mark hosted the annual Recchi-Doan Charity Classic which raised approximately $500,000 for children in need in the Thompson/Kamloops region.

• In addition, Mark has established a suite program this past season to benefit three charities, Big Brothers – Big Sisters, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Ronald McDonald House Charities. The program involves donating a box per game for every home game in Pittsburgh.

• Although Mark’s primary community efforts are directed back to the Pittsburgh community, he also extends his generosity outside the market. In April of this year, he hosted a young boy and his family from the Children’s Wish of Canada.

Mark has six children, Christina, Cameron, Austin, Samantha, Isabella and Brendan.

Key Awards

• 1987-88: West First All-Star Team (WHL)
• 1988-99: Second All-Star Team (IHL)
• 1990-91: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1990-91: Stanley Cup Winner
• 1991-92: Second All-Star Team (NHL)
• 1992-93: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1993-94: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1996-97: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1996-97: All-Star Game MVP (NHL)
• 1997-98: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1998-99: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1999-00: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2005-06: Stanley Cup Winner
• 2010-11: Stanley Cup Winner
• 2015-16: Stanley Cup Winner (As Player Development Coach)

Click here to view Mark Recchi’s career statistics

 

Darryl Sydor

Darryl Sydor played four stellar seasons with the Kamloops Blazers, and was part of the team’s first ever Memorial Cup winning roster (1992). Sydor was selected 7th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. He debuted with Los Angles during the 1991-1992 NHL season. 

In 1996, Darryl was traded and became part of Dallas’ big four defenseman, which also included Derian Hatcher, Sergei Zubov and Richard Matvichuk. This quartet was a major part of the Dallas Stars’ successful Stanley Cup winning season in 1999.

Darryl was traded by the Stars to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2003. Midway through the season, Darryl was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he captured his second career Stanley Cup in 2003-04.

Darryl was traded back to the Dallas Stars on July 2, 2006. After the 2006-2007 season Darryl signed a contract in Pittsburgh where he played for 2 seasons before again being traded back to the Dallas Stars midway through the 2008-2009 season.

Darryl’s career accolades includes a World Junior Championship with Team Canada (1992), two NHL All-Star Game appearances (1998, 1999), and two Stanley Cups (1999, 2004).

He has now retired from professional hockey and resides in Kamloops with his family.

Community and Personal Interests

• Darryl and his wife, Sharlene, have four sons – twins Parker and Braden, Dylan and Cooper.
• Along with Sharlene, Darryl is the celebrity chairperson at the annual SIDS Gala. SIDS is a charitable organization dedicated to finding a cure for sudden infant death syndrome, which is the most common cause of death among infants between the ages of one month and one year.

Key Awards

• • 1989-90: WHL – West First Team All-Star
  • 1990-91: WHL – West First Team All-Star
  • 1990-91: Bill Hunter Trophy (Top Defensemen in the WHL)
  • 1991-92: WHL – West First Team All-Star
  • 1991-92: Memorial Cup Champion
  • 1991-92: Played for Team Canada in the World Junior Championships.
  • 1993-94: Played for Team Canada in the World Championships.
  • 1995-96: Played for Team Canada in the World Championships
  • 1997-98: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
  • 1998-99: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
  • 1998-99: Stanley Cup Winner
  • 2003-04: Stanley Cup Winner

Click here to view Darryl Sydor’s career statistics