Coaching Carousel

 Change has been a constant theme in the AJHL this off-season. This year, the coaching carousel has been spinning rapidly with seven of the league's 12 teams opening up. Today we will look at which jobs became available and how those teams have filled them, if they have filled them.

Bonnyville Pontiacs

Out: Ayrton Nikkel

In: Chad Mercier

Ayrton Nikkel lasted one season with the Yaks. The rookie head coach saw the team finish outside the playoffs for the first time since the 2001/02 season, with a record of 20-30-1-3. Bonnyville knew they were going to dress a young roster last season and the inconsistencies showed on a nightly basis. Now the Pontiacs reach to their past for their next head coach. Chad Mercier last coached the team from the 2006/07 campaign to the 2012/13 season. During that time, Mercier compiled a 221-156-41 record with six ties. Mercier won three playoff series during that stretch and reached the 35 win plateau twice. The biggest challenge for Bonnyville will be rebuilding their roster. Mercier also has been absent from the AJHL for 12 years. Time will tell if this move will pay off.

Camrose Kodiaks

Out: Shawn Germain

In: TBA

Camrose continues their search for their next head Coach, their fourth in three years. Last season, the Kodiaks started with Dean Fedorchuk before relieving him of his duties on October 22nd, despite having a 7-5-1-1 record at the time. Shawn Germain took over the head coaching duties, getting the Kodiaks into the playoffs where they fell to the Calgary Canucks in five games. Germain will remain with the team in a reduced role, which will be announced at a later date. However, the search for a coach stretches towards its second month. Whoever takes over the role will have pieces like Spencer Masters, Garrett Thom and Bowen Grycan. Overall this Camrose team should be competitive and the right head coach could bring them to the next level.

Devon Xtreme

Out: Kelly Buchberger

In: TBA

The newest coaching position to open in the AJHL. The announcement of Kelly Buchberger resigning his job came as a surprise. Everyone knew the inaugural season for Devon would be a challenge with an extremely young lineup in a difficult division. With several returning players and many of them beginning to play Kelly Buchberger hockey towards the end of the season, year two promised to be an improvement for the Xtreme. There will still be a number of returning players, but how will they respond with a new man behind the bench? Devon will never be a straightforward assignment and things now feel a little uncertain for the league's newest franchise.

Drayton Valley Thunder

Out: Geoff Walker

In: TBA

After last season, I don't think there's any surprise that Geoff Walker resigned his position as head coach and general manager of the Thunder. After getting fired, then re-hired and seeing an ownership change come from that situation, this move felt inevitable. Whoever comes in will be facing a rebuild. Not only are key players graduating like Cooper Brown, Mathias Bessy and Jace Moffat, but potential top players like Justin Ivanusec are announcing that they are playing elsewhere. Drayton Valley hasn't been a stable organization since their early days. There is hope that a new coach to go with the new ownership group will provide a clean slate for Drayton Valley, as they try to get back to the glory days of the early-2000s.

Fort McMurray Oil Barons

Out: Sam Klassen

In: Sam Klassen

Can a "coaching change" be any more dramatic than Fort McMurray's? The team announced Sam Klassen's firing after one season, then fired their GM Joey Bouchard and within a week saw the forced resignation of their president. Within a couple weeks, Sam Klassen saw his duties restored with the addition of the interim general manager tag. The dynamics of last season make it very difficult to judge Klassen's first year in the AJHL. In a lot of ways, this campaign will feel like year one. If there's a plus for the Oil Barons, the team has a solid core of returning players. If they can find a good goaltender, they could be eyeing to make some noise.

Lloydminster Bobcats

Out: Jeff Woywitka

In: Eric Labrosse

This was a surprise announcement. There was no official announcement of Jeff Woywitka leaving the team. All Woywitka did was lead the Bobcats to the postseason, while also being named a finalist for the AJHL Coach of the Year award. Now the Border City Bunch turns to Eric Labrosse. In his two seasons with the Northern Manitoba Blizzard, based in The Pas, Labrosse posted a 74-37-1-4 record including a surprising MJHL championship last season and leading the Blizzard to the quarterfinals at the Centennial Cup. Labrosse has an impressive track record, showing that he can be a successful coach, but how long of a leash will he have. Lloydminster is notorious for going through coaches quickly despite success. It shows with Labrosse being the team's fourth coach in as many years. Will Labrosse be another coach who gets cast aside, or will he be the long awaited answer for the Bobcats.

Olds Grizzlys

Out: Brad Tobin

In: Tyson Soloski

It's a new era in central Alberta. An ownership change has ushered in hope after years of misery in Olds. Last season, the Grizzlys showed flashes early under interim head coach Brad Tobin, but faded down the stretch finishing last in their division. Now, a young Tyson Soloski takes over the helm. Having coached with several levels at the Calgary International Hockey Academy and winning a couple championships there, Soloski breaks into the AJHL hoping to bring success to Olds that hasn't been felt since the 1990s. The first step will be rebuilding the roster. There will be very few returning players. This season may be a rough go, but if everything goes to plan, Olds could become a contender within a few seasons.