WEYBURN - The Weyburn Red Wings have signed head coach and general manager Cody Mapes to a multi-year extension. Mapes is going into his third season as the team’s bench boss, and his fifth year with the team overall after spending two seasons as an assistant coach.
“It’s a privilege to be able to come to the rink every day and work with a great group of people. It’s our belief that we have started to build something special here in Weyburn and I am excited to continue to be part of it.”
In just two years under Mapes, the Red Wings have improved from a 31-point 12th place finishing team in 2021-22 to a 55-point eighth place finish in 2022-23.
At the college commitment level, Mapes has helped the team immensely. This season saw a total of eight commitments come from the Red Wings including a NCAA Division I commitment for Ty Mason. Mapes also helped develop two players, Braden Birnie and Drew Kuzma, into NCAA Division I athletes before making the tough decision to trade them to championship contending teams where colleges already had eyes.
Under Mapes’ watch, the following Red Wings have committed to college hockey programs: Ty Mason – Western Michigan – NCAA Div. I; Ryley Morgan – Nipissing University Lakers – USports; Jordan Edwards – Marian University Sabres – NCAA Div. III; Jakob Kalin – Niagara University Purple Eagles – ACHA Div. I; Matt Reidy – Concordia Thunder – ACAC; Jackson Hassman – NAIT Ooks – ACAC; and Mi-Kwan Tallman – Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons – NCAA III.
To put that into perspective, the Wings haven’t had a single college commitment since the 2018-19 season when Tyran Brown committed to NCAA Div. III with Northland College, and Cade Kowalski committed to Ferris State University in NCAA Div. I after a mid season trade to the Flin Flon Bombers.
During his second year with the team, Mapes lead the Red Wings to their first playoff appearance since 2018 as well as the team’s first playoff win since 2016 (excluding survivor series in 2017 and 2018) over a Battlefords North Stars team that would only lose two more games on their way to a second place finish at the Centennial Cup.
