Thunder plays waiting game for new coach

Tim Graham

Tuesday, June 16, 1998 | 10:55 a.m.

Bob Strumm has his blinders on. He knows there are others in the race, but he refuses to acknowledge their presence.

The Las Vegas Thunder general manager still is searching for a head coach. With several high-profile coaching vacancies up for grabs in the NHL, candidates are jockeying for the positions and the Thunder has been forced to wait.

"I would like to have a head coach right now," Strumm said, "but we don't. "There's a couple things at issue. Hey, everybody has issues.

"But I'm not at any disadvantage."

The Florida Panthers, who consider former Thunder and current Utah Grizzlies head coach Butch Goring among their three frontrunners, had been expected to announce their man Monday.

But now that decision -- considered Domino No. 1 -- isn't expected until late this week. Once that tile is triggered, the Grizzlies will know their situation -- as will the Thunder.

And then another potentially major factor presented itself Monday when the Anaheim Mighty Ducks fired Pierre Page.

But Strumm is confident, no matter who goes where, that he will find a suitable replacement for Clint Malarchuk.

"I'm not focusing on Florida, I'm not focusing on Utah, I'm not focusing on the Belmont Stakes," Strumm said. "I'm focusing on getting a coach for the Las Vegas Thunder.

"I am, right now, not worrying about anybody else's situation."

The top candidate for the Florida opening is Terry Murray, brother of Panthers general manager Bryan Murray. But if Goring gets the gig, Utah could land the man Strumm wants: Bob Bourne.

Bourne is Goring's assistant and wants the Utah post if it becomes available. But if Goring gets passed over and remains with the Grizzlies, Bourne likely would join the Thunder to be a head coach.

But there is a way Bourne could be led to Las Vegas even if Goring departs Utah. The Grizzlies could hire Chris McSorley, who left the Thunder under duress in March.

McSorley is close friends with Grizzlies vice president Tim Mouser.

"If guys have other priorities then I think we have enough quality coaches we can go with," Strumm said. "We'll come up with a great one.

"There's as many as 10 guys I'd be comfortable with. There's four (other than Bourne) that, to me, would be leading candidates."

Those four are Guy Charron, a former Calgary Flames assistant who has worked with the Canadian national team; Steve Martinson, head coach of San Diego in the West Coast Hockey League; Chris Nilan, head coach of Chesapeake in the East Coast Hockey League; and John Perpich, an assistant with Fredericton in the American Hockey League who has been an aide with the Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals.