No official decision has been announced, but it seems only a matter of time before the Tri-City Americans begin negotiations to buy out the remaining two years of Tuer's contract. In a move that marked the second time in the past year that the Americans filled a job that wasn't even open, Wagstaff hired Bob Tory away from the Kootenay Ice to take over as the team's director of hockey operations. That leaves Tuer as either the coach only or looking for work. Now, they've told me basically the same thing about the head coaching job. I'm to the point I'd just like to get things finalized one way or the other.
Nobody likes treading water forever.
Ironically, when Tuer came to the Americans, it was also for a position that wasn't open. Tuer was hired after Wayne Overland and McCord bought the team from Ron Toigo in September. Toigo had just hired Milan Dragicevic as the coach of the Americans, so one of the new ownership's first moves was to replace Dragicevic with Tuer. Dragicevic became the coach of Toigo's Vancouver Giants, which begin play in the league in September. No matter what happens, Tuer isn't bitter and knows that any new owner is going to want to bring in his own people.