The Coaching Carousel Continues

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It was very interesting to see Kelly McCrimmon step down in Brandon today and had the Head Coaching duties over to Cory Clouston McCrimmon who is also G.M. and owner of the team brings in a guy who despite being only 41 years old has a wack of experience at the junior and pro level. The official release can be found here.

So why was now the right time for McCrimmon? I've been told that the 2nd winningest coach in team history has reviewed his situation each season. We'll find out if that's true this Saturday when he joins us on The Pipeline Line at 10:25 am mst. You can hear the interview on the TEAM 1260 in Edmonton or online here. It's good to see that assistant coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk is staying with the club and that Darren Ritchie will become a full time assistant coach. Both guys bring tremendous assets to the team.

Hartsburg To Undergo Heart Surgery. "Chewey" On the mend

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Everett Silvertips head coach Craig Hartsburg will undergo heart surgery and will be lost to the club for atleast the first half of the season. The Tips release can be found here. Obviously the main concern is Hartsburg's health, but you have to wonder how this will effect the Tips, if it does at all. They're currently 5-2-1-1 in what might be the most competitive division in all of junior hockey, with apologies to the mid-west division of the OHL. 4 of the 5 teams in the WHL's U.S division are atleast 3 games above .500 and Portland leads the way with an 8-2-1 mark.

Meanwhile Brandon Wheat King assistant coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk is getting closer to returning to the bench. In early August 'Chewey' suffered a broken back after falling at the rink in Brandon. Former Wheat King and Gylywoychuk teammate Mike Vandenberghe took over the assistant coaching duties, but word is 'Chewey' is set to return December 1st.

Wishing Gylywoychuk a speedy recovery

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Some sad and shocking news out of Brandon that assistant coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk has suffered a broken back after apparently falling down some stairs at the Keystone Centre yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

I've known Dwayne, or "Chewy" as he was known to his friends, since he played with the Wheat Kings. My family billeted players back then and Dwayne was always friendly to us brats who followed around the hockey players. He was given the nickname "Chewy" I believe by Trevor Kidd, because of the noises he made while sleeping on the bus. Word is he sounded a lot like Chewbacca the Wookie from Star Wars.

The Winnipeg product is the leader in games played for the Wheat Kings (323) and has been on the bench since 2003 as an assistant coach.

Gylywoychuk is recovering at Brandon General Hospital. Hope to see you up and around at the rink soon Chewy.