When the Lacombe Generals brain trust went searching for a new head coach they didn’t exactly test the waters by jumping into the deep end of the pool. This was more like going in ankle deep which was far enough.
General Manager Jeff McInnis was on holiday when he got the word Ryan Tobler was leaving to go to Colorado of the ECHL, opening up the head coaching spot. He immediately thought of one person,Curtis Austring. But McInnis said instead of grabbing the phone and offering the job to Austring, he tried to find everyone but him to take the job.
“I didn’t want to ask him because I didn’t want to be the guy to take the game away from him. I wanted him to make that decision so I tried to go around it and no, it was perfect for him.”
As far as Austring was concerned, he admits he was in the process of making the decision about playing another year when he got the phone call.
“I was excited, almost as a way out. To still be a part of everything and still not have to put myself in the thick of things, in the heat of the battle,” he said. “At the end of the day I just felt like last year, it felt like it was a conclusion for me.”
It wasn’t an immediate, yes I will take the reins. Austring said he mulled it over, talking with his family about the change to make sure everyone was on board.
He said he had to come to terms with where he was at when it came to playing, did he accomplish what he wanted to as a player and in the end he felt it was enough time on the ice and this was too good an opportunity to pass up.
“It’s just being supportive of the guys at the end of the day because it’s a special group to be a part of. We’re all volunteering and we’re all showing up because we just want to be here and we want to be around hockey and participate and compete.”
McInnis says Austring bleeds the Generals colours and has a competitive fire burning hot inside him so it just made sense to have someone with his drive to win behind the bench. Even though he was still a player months ago McInnis is confident it will work.
“In senior hockey your roster usually changes five or six guys a year, sometimes maybe eight guys,” he said. “He’s so respected amongst the returnees that you don’t have to worry and the newbies will just, I assume, fall in line.”
Austring says his coaching philosophy isn’t much different than the style of play the Generals have brought to the ice over the years.
“It’s really a structured, sound defensive game, create turnovers and let’s get creative on offence, ” he said. “At this level, this brand of hockey, it really comes down to the motivational level of the guys and how bad do they want to compete and to win and it’s really just tapping into that.”
He says he’s looking forward to having Ken Richardson on the bench helping him out. Austring says the former Red Deer Rebel and pro hockey player has a good set of eyes and will deliver some great feedback on what’s going on out on the ice.
Richardson has some coaching experience on his resume, serving as a player/coach down in Corpus Christi of the CHL during his last pro season. He says this position with the Generals will be somewhat similar with Austring being the tactician and he can be more of an observer.
“ I can help them maybe mentally focus on what the challenges are for the game or what might be happening on the ice, maybe focus on some of the other things that we need to touch on to improve our game.”
He is ten years removed from the game but he thought coaching was something he could manage but minor hockey wasn’t going to work for him.He’s excited about working with the experienced hockey players on the roster who know the game technically, adding, the Generals opportunity though fits into a busy life off the ice.
“They understand that you have other obligations so you’re not looked to just drop everything in your life and get back into hockey,” he said. “They let you get into it, little bits at the time.”
The Generals have a new name,a new rink to call home, a new dressing room, new coaching staff and maybe some new fans this coming season. But for the rest of the Chinook Hockey League, it’s likely going to be the same old, hard to beat Lacombe Generals.
