Reportedly up for sale since the beginning of last season, the Coquitlam Jr. 'A' Adanacs have been "transitioned" to a new executive group headed by Coquitlam Minor Lacrosse Association president James Abbott, it was announced in a press release Sunday.
An agreement was said to be in place, subject to final legal paperwork, to shift the Junior Adanac Club (Intermediate A/B & Junior A/B) from co-owners Ken Wood and Rocky Zimmerman to the new executive, effective Jan. 1.
Wood and Zimmerman, who guided the Coquitlam Jr. 'A' squad to its first and only Minto Cup national championship as hosts of the tournament in 2010 before losing in the Minto final last year, announced the team was for sale after a spat with Coquitlam Minor Lacrosse over practice floor time and a claim they received "literally no support" from the city regarding the matter and generally overall.
"At this time, on behalf of all former and current players, parents and fans of the Coquitlam Junior Adanacs, we would like to thank Ken and Rocky for their tremendous contribution to the sport of lacrosse and for bringing Coquitlam its first Minto Cup in club history," the press release said. "So many current or past professional lacrosse players made the Junior Adanacs their choice in Junior A lacrosse with the knowledge that they were playing for an organization which prides itself on success."
The release also named Tosh Nishimura as the new general manager of all four teams within the Junior Adanacs organization.
When contacted by The Tri-City News on Tuesday morning, CMLA first vice-president Garrett Ungaro said head coach Curt Malawsky has stepped down to due family commitments and the search is currently underway for his replacement.
"We are going to continue to run the Junior club independently," Ungaro said. "It will be status quo. What we mean to do is sit down with all the coaches and see their requirements [for floor time] but the Jr. A's will have first priority.
"Will there be more flexibility? Maybe marginally."
Wood said he expects the deal to be officially completed within the next week.
"Technically, we haven't signed any documents yet or exchanged monetary funds but it's pretty much a done deal," he said.
Wood, who was co-owner of the Jr. A's for eight years and its general manager the last six, called the transition "bittersweet" and said both he and Zimmerman leave with mixed emotions.
"[The club] has come along ways since we took over," Wood told The News. "It kind of pains me [to sell it], to be honest. However, the new group is keeping it local and the desire to keep the Jr. A's a Minto Cup contender, and that so important to us."
Meanwhile, the release went on to report that Nishimura will work with Wood and Malawsky to prepare for the upcoming Midget draft and to assist with player signings for the 2012 season.
Nishimura is a Coquitlam Junior Adanac alumnus, having played for the team during the 1994 and '95 seasons and has also played in seven President's Cup national Sr. B series, winning with the Burnaby Bandits in 1999. Nishimura was also selected as the Most Sportsmanlike player in the WCSLA league in both 1998 and 2005.
"[Nishimura] brings excitement and a winning mindset to the club and is looking forward to working with all 4 teams," the release said. "The Coquitlam Junior Adanacs look forward to a fresh start as they continue their quest to bring another Minto Cup to Coquitlam with some great initiatives planned to promote the Club and continue the winning heritage."
