For the third time in less than a year, on Tuesday the 麻豆传媒映画Giants announced a new head coach. This time, their choice has landed an experienced junior coach 鈥� and former WHL coach of the year 鈥� in Lorne Molleken.
鈥淲e hope this doesn鈥檛 continue to be an annual event,鈥� said Ron Toigo, the club鈥檚 majority owner, to a room full of laughter at a morning press conference at the downtown White Spot on Georgia Street.
鈥淲e鈥檝e heard from a lot of players who鈥檝e played for him, a lot in them in the NHL, and I don鈥檛 think we talked to anybody who didn鈥檛 enjoy playing for him 鈥� and that鈥檚 hard to find,鈥� said Toigo, who used Molleken鈥檚 nickname.
鈥淎 lot of guys appreciate what they go through along the way but they aren鈥檛 really fond of some of the coaches they鈥檝e dealt with, but for Mooner, there wasn鈥檛 anybody.鈥�
Former Giants defenceman Dalton Thrower, who also played for Molleken in the WHL with the Saskatoon Blades, was one of at least six who contacted Vancouver鈥檚 vice-president and general manager Scott Bonner.
鈥淲e had players phone us,鈥� continued Toigo, 鈥渟aying, if he wants the job, you guys can鈥檛 go wrong.鈥�
Molleken, 59, is one of only four men to count more than 600 wins as a head coach in Canada's junior leagues. He has 579 wins in the WHL and an additional 97 with the AHL.
In 14 WHL seasons as head coach, he finished only two below .500 when his side didn鈥檛 make the playoffs. He most recently coached the Saskatoon Blades for nine seasons from 2004 to 2013 and was also there in the mid 鈥�90s, leading the prairie hockey club to the WHL finals in 1992 and 1994, when he was also named the league鈥檚 coach of the year. He was the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1998-99 and 鈥�99-00 and also assisted at San Jose and Pittsburgh.
Matt Erhart will remain as the Giants assistant coach. An additional assistant or associate coach will also come on board.
The Regina native and former goalie dressed for the WHL in Swift Current and Lethbridge as well as Winnipeg. He played professional hockey for eight seasons in the IHL, AHL, CHL and NAHL, where he played for the Philadelphia Firebirds 鈥� 鈥淭hat is the league that they made the movie Slap Shot out of,鈥� said the man known as 鈥楳ooner鈥� 鈥� alongside former Giants coach Don Hay. The former teammates and opposing coaches were in touch after the latest Giants announcement. 聽
鈥淗e鈥檚 just sent me a text this morning,鈥� Molleken said of Hay. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure I鈥檒l have a conversation with Donny over the next few days here. I look forward to competing against him and the rest of the coaches in this league because the coaching in this league is second to none.鈥�
After a decade with the Giants, veteran bench boss Hay returned to the Kamloops Rockets following the 2013-14 season. In July last year, Troy Ward as his replacement, only to be let go after 25 games. Erhart was briefly at the helm until Claude Noel the new head coach in November and saw his tenure through to the end of the regular season, which the Giants ended with a 27-41-2 record.
鈥淭alking to him, I always think, 鈥榃hat would Pat think,鈥� said Toigo, referencing the late executive Pat Quinn. 鈥淚 think Pat would be really positive about the moves we鈥檝e made.鈥�
The Giants have been in touch with Molleken since November, after he was the previous season, but the timing didn鈥檛 align. When Noel didn鈥檛 renew his contract with the 麻豆传媒映画club, the Giants were back in touch with Molleken as well as others on their short-list.
鈥淎fter being way for a year, there were many nights in the winter that I wish I was standing back on the bench,鈥� said the coach who, like Toigo, wore a shamrock in honour of Quinn. 鈥淭o get this opportunity, I鈥檓 real real excited about joining this organization. The biggest thing is that our goal will be to get better every day. As a coaching staff, that will be our intent because I feel if we can get better every day, help these young men grow as players and as people, winning and success will look after itself.鈥�
The Giants start their season with two home games against Seattle on Sept. 25 and Kelowna on Sept. 27 before hitting the road for a six-game stint through B.C. and Saskatchewan, including the Blades on Oct. 4.
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