Crushers respond to salary speculation

Wade Sullivan knows that $1,000 wouldn’t make or break the Junior A Crushers financial situation. But he still wanted to set the record straight.

The Weeks Hockey Association president scoffed at the notion that coach Doug Doull has an annual salary of $75,000, which was suggested by Coun. Peter Boyles on Monday, when council voted against a $1,000 sponsorship deal with the hockey club, after what at times was emotional debate. “Doug’s salary is probably closer to half of what (Boyles) said it is,” Sullivan said of his third-year coach. “Doug knew when he took the job that we could not afford what other teams in the league are paying their coaches.”

According to Doull, the figure of $75,000 that Boyles speculated upon is “Not even close to the truth. Not even close,” and he added that his salary is not in the “top echelon” of financial compensation coaches receive in the Maritime Junior Hockey League. Sullivan went on to say that when the Town of New Glasgow was considering a sponsorship with the Crushers over the summer, the town had a few financial-related questions and asked to meet with him (the town subsequently pledged $7,500 in sponsorship money).

“I went through every line of our financial statements,” at the meeting with New Glasgow officials, Sullivan said, adding that he would have addressed any questions that county council may have had. No one reached out to him, “but (Boyles) would rather make up a number and sling it around at a council meeting. He should background-check the numbers he’s been given.”