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Bruno, Big Stew and business too

May 19, 2015 | 9:27 AM

The Bruno Campese era ended on Friday with the Prince Albert Raiders’ confirmation of his decision to leave the organization rather than accept the offer from President Dale McFee and the board to stay for at least one more season.

The 52-year-old was with the Raiders for eight seasons, taking over as general manager partly through his first campaign. His tenure was eventful on both sides of the spectrum of positivity and negativity. There were the Cole Cheveldave trade and hiring of Cory Clouston at the wrong end.  Moves like landing Leon Draisaitl, as well as many good trades like the Craig Leverton, Jordan Tkatch and Dakota Conroy deals were on the right side. (Conroy was acquired for a seventh-round pick, became a 30-goal scorer but also quit after last season’s overage deadline).  The team’s ability to find good free agents under Campese was another highlight, none better than MacKenze Stewart (more on big Mac later).

The biggest challenge for Bruno’s successor will matching his business acumen. The only reason the Raiders will turn a small profit for 2014-15, a season that saw declining attendance without playoff revenue, is Campese’s relentless and constant line-by-line review of the budget. The second-biggest challenge will be matching Campese’s work ethic.  He is as close to a 24-7,365 days-a-year worker I’ve ever met. Bruno also deserves credit for many off-ice improvements in support services like billeting.

I agree it is time for someone new.  It’s also time for the Campese detractors, those who said they wouldn’t renew their tickets or come back to the rink until there was a new general manager, to ante up to the ticket wicket as early-bird season’s tickets remain on sale until the end of the month.    

Congratulations to MacKenze Stewart for signing an entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks (including a $175,000 signing bonus). It’s just another hurdle in a great success story involving a young man who was deaf as a child and didn’t start playing hockey until age 12. The pleasant, articulate, hulking hockey player, with the support of mom Colleen (who raised MacKenze and his sister as a single parent), worked extremely hard to make the Raiders after his second training camp. The Calgary product eventually became an effective regular on the Raider blue line late that season. The Canucks took a flyer on Stewart, selecting him with their final pick in the seventh round of the 2014 NHL draft.

The Canucks weren’t pleased as first when the Raiders moved big Mac up to the forward line last season, but have now changed their tune and rightfully so. Their plan is to start Stewart’s pro career as a winger with their AHL team in Utica, New York. Stewart terrorized opposing defencemen while getting two goals and five assists with a plus-1 rating in 12 games up front in the Green and White. The excitement level in the media room increased considerably whenever we saw Big Stew penciled in as a forward. However, the move to the wing likely means MacKenze Stewart will not return as an overager. There is no way the Canucks would send Big Stew to P.A. as there is little chance he would be used here as a forward.  The Raiders will have a tough enough time deciding on 20-year-olds, which include incumbents Tkatch and Leverton up front and need any 20-year-old forward to put up big points. Meanwhile, Jesse Lees and Hunter Warner are strong candidates on the back line.

Good luck Big Stew, we are all pulling for you.

Finally, the Raiders hit a home run with the hiring of business manager Mike Scissons. The former Blades staffer has essentially spent the last 12 seasons in the same role in Saskatoon and will bring experience, energy and creativity to the job in Prince Albert. He is also one of the most pleasant and positive personalities I have met in my 11 years in the WHL.   

dwilson@panow.com

On Twitter: @RaidersVoice