The Yorkton Terriers are celebrating their 40th anniversary in Junior Hockey. Over the course of the season Yorkton This Week will be providing vignettes looking at the proud heritage of the team through the eyes of those who have stood behind the bench in the past four decades as head coaches of the Terriers. This is the first in the series.
What years did you coach in Yorkton?
I was director of player personal in the mid 80's and I coached on an interim basis from January 1987 to the end of the season after Norm Johnston's departure and prior to Dennis Polonich becoming head coach.
What do you remember most about the community?
I always remember the solid fan base we had then and continue to have today.
Who was the best Terrier you coached? Why?
There were many quality players. Some that come to mind are Perry Fafard and Lee Albert, two of the fastest skaters I have ever seen, and Grant Ottenbreit for his physical dominance in the league and being the character he was.
It was nice to have coached my brother Mark for that short period as well.
But the one Terrier who was one of the most talented players to wear a Terrier jersey would have been Ed Zawatsky, who many years later became the most successful coach ever in Terrier history, and also remains a very close friend.
Is there a particular game which stands out in your memory? Explain why that game is memorable.
The most memorable game of course would have been my first one as head coach and that was against the Estevan Bruins coached by my former Terrier coach, Gerry James. He had coached me from 1972-1974 and someone that I will always admire and have a great amount of respect for.
And we did defeat them 8-6.
Did you coach after Yorkton? Where?
After my association with the Terriers I continued to coach minor hockey for 15 years and really enjoyed every minute.
Where do you live today? What do you do?
I continue to reside in Yorkton and I am employed as a Chartered Financial Planner with Western Financial Group for the past 21-years.
