Shea Weber Conspiracy Alert: "The Kelowna Connection"

Blake & Lacey Comeau

So former Rocket Blake Comeau was married in his adopted hometown yesterday -- the place he played for four years as a WHL junior: Kelowna. In full attendance were many of his fellow Rockets alumni. It is after all, Kelowna Rocket Alumni Week going on this very hebdomad. Several of these alums also have serious matters on their minds though.

Including Comeau, three former Kelowna Rockets teammates intend or intended to go to contract arbitration. Blueliner Josh Gorges just re-signed on a one-year deal with Montreal. And rumor has it that fellow defenseman, Shea Weber is also looking for a short term deal. Now I'm really curioius what happens with Comeau?

July 27, 2011 Update:
Katie Strang NYI Reporter: When asked about the likelihood of signing the 25-year-old winger before August 4, general manager Garth Snow said "it looks like it will go to arbitration...We've had some discussions that have been positive, but if a deal isn't struck, arbitration is a tool we can use to come to a resolution." Snow said during a rally for a new (NYI) Coliseum Wednesday.

Aug 2, 2011 Update:

@KatieStrangNYI Katie Strang: #Isles avoid arbitration with Blake Comeau; 25-year-old winger agrees to terms on one-year deal worth $2.5 million

@DarrenDreger Darren Dreger: Shea Weber asked for $8.5 and Preds submitted $4.75 million. Arbitrator has 48 hrs to decide on 1 year term.

@FriedgeHNIC Elliotte Friedman: But, as one agent said, "This is the strategy for a player (Weber) who wants to leave."


Original article continued:

Blake Comeau, Shea Weber & friends

Pictured to the right are Comeau and Weber hanging together at the Kelowna Wal-mart supporting good causes in their community this off-season. 

When Comeau was asked about his Stanley Cup preferences before the final game, here's what he said: "We play against Boston out in the East and obviously I’m from British Columbia, that’s where I live in the summer so it would be nice for the province of British Columbia to maybe bring home a Stanley Cup, they haven’t done it yet. Just to see how passionate everyone is out here, obviously. I’m leaning towards them I guess, I would say."

Weber, Gorges, Hannan, McLean, Fiddler

As for Josh Gorges, he was as an RFA with MTL. His signing allowed MTL to avoid arbitration with him, but the one year deal ($2.5M) put Gorges just a year away from UFA status

Considering The shot blocking extraordinaire will certainly be in demand on July 1, 2012, I imagine MTL was likely looking to lock him up long-term. Yet, it seems as though Gorges resisted. Why the insistence on a short-term deal?

Do some of these former Kelowna Rockets alumni have some sort of pact between them to re-unite somewhere closer to home in the near future? Hmmm. (Aug 2, 2011 Edit: In the middle of negtiations with NSH, Weber even switched to Gorges agent, Jarrett Bousquet).

Josh Gorges & the Memorial Cup

Pictured above are Weber and Gorges along with older alums Scott Hannan, Brett McLean and Vern Fiddler. Lefty Gorges and righty Weber were the perfect teammates for those three season in Kelowna, much of that time as a pairing, including the Mem Cup run in 2003, followed up by actually winning the ultimate junior prize in 2004 (that's team captain Gorges with the cup to the right).

Much ado about nothing here? Perhaps. But if "The Kelowna Connection" theory holds true, we maybe seeing a splashy re-union on the west coast soon.

Are you catching my drift here Canucks fans? (Its also worth noting, Comeau played with Alex Edler in Kelowna for one season -- the latter was himself a Rocket in 2005-06. )