Below is a summary of a light-hearted conversation I had with a very tight-lipped Global Entertainment Vice President of Operations Barry Kohlus Friday afternoon. I was attempting to get him to spill the beans about the expected announcement of a Wenatchee hockey team on Tuesday:

Me: Hi Barry. I hear congratulations are in order. So congrats.

Barry: Congratulations. For what?

Me: Well, I understand Global has come to terms with the ownership group for a hockey franchise that will be coming to Wenatchee. So congratulations.

Barry: Where did you hear that?

Me: I have a press release with your name on it in front of me that says Global is holding a press conference Tuesday at 12:15. I assume the announcement of a hockey franchise will be made at the press conference. Am I right?

Barry: There will be a an announcement made on behalf of the facility and the PFD about the future goings-on at the Greater Wenatchee Regional Events Center.

Me: Does that future include a hockey team?

Barry: I don’t know.

Me: Are you going to be a tough nut to crack Barry?

Barry: It looks that way.

Those are the types of conversations reporters have with their sources … sometimes. Other times (actually, most of the time) the conversations are more direct.

In this situation everyone I spoke to was sort of playfully dancing around the obvious — that there will be an announcement of a Wenatchee hockey team Tuesday — so I decided to play along and see if I could get a Global official to leak the news. My tactic didn’t work.

I will say that typically my interactions with sources, while usually friendly, are much more formal and professional. I just wanted to share this because it seemed like it was some ripe Applesauce material.