SASKATOON - The Saskatoon Blades are hoping their next great head coach will be one that has been promoted from within. Dan Da Silva has been named the 19th head coach in franchise history as he takes over for Brennan Sonne, who left the team to join the coaching staff of the Seattle Kraken's AHL team.
Sonne compiled a record of 131-54 and 14 under Sonne over three seasons.
During that time the Blades went to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals and last season won the Scotty Munro Memorial trophy as the team with WHL's top regular season record.
DaSilva moves up the ladder from the Blades associate coach to the head coaching position. The 39-year-old native of Saskatoon gets to be the bench boss of the team that he watched while growing up and couldn't be happier. Blades General Manager Colin Priestner had this to say about the hire.
"It was very important to us to keep the culture and the family of the Blades intact, and while Dan will institute his own ideas, in the general day to day identity, the vibe within our group will remain the same.
The Blades organization says it is thrilled to have Dan and his wife Chelsey, along with their two sons Dawson and Lucas, as part of the organization for years to come.
