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 12th in the series.
What years did you coach in Yorkton?
I have been in the Yorkton area since 1961. I played two years of Junior with the Melville Millionaires. Played a year of Senior hockey with Yorkton Terriers in 1963-64. Turned pro in '64 and played seven years. Made Yorkton my off-season home. Returned in 1971 and started coaching the Senior Terriers.
I coached the Junior Terriers in 1974-75, Gerry James moved over to Melville to coach the Junior Millionaires.
Who was the best Terrier you coached? Why?
Brian Propp who played with Melville that season was probably the best hockey player in the league. He was one of the midget players taken to enter the midget playoffs. The second best player that was in the league was a player that played for me. Kelly Dean was his name, but I was not able to communicate with the lad and I traded him to Melville. He finished the season with Gerry James. The players that replaced the midgets were good, but we lost the balance of overall stability. We had players such as Jim Wishloff, Brian Lauder, and I was able to keep my best penalty killer Matt Schickowsky as he was just a bit too old to join the midgets. I did retain one of the best goaltenders by the name of Brett Nakrayko. He and his brother Gary finished the season with me.
Did you coach after Yorkton? Where?
I also, during that time, ran the Rollie Wilcox hockey school, and it was taken over by Dennis Polonich and Bernie Federko. Hope this gives you some insight into the junior season.
Where do you live today? What do you do?
I moved to the Canora area in 2001 and at this time run a Nelson Courier route in Yorkton, Canora, Kamsack, Pelly, and Norquay.
