In hockey, some folks belong in certain places. Put them anywhere else, and it's just not right.
Examples: Bobby Orr should be on the blueline of the Boston Bruins; Mike Bossy should be on right wing for the New York Islanders; and Sidney Crosby should be at centre ice for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
How about a coach? Let's go with Scotty Bowman. With mild apologies to Detroit Red Wings fans, Scotty should forever be the guiding hand of the Montreal Canadiens.
Now here's a local example: Trevor Sprague.
Last season, Sprague served as general manager of the Cariboo Cougars. Where he really belongs is behind the bench. So when the Cougars announced via Facebook last week that Sprague is going to share head coaching duties with Bryan MacLean in the 2014-15 B.C. Hockey Major Midget League season, a piece of the universal hockey puzzle that had been slightly askew popped back into its proper spot.
Before Sprague became GM of the Cougars in what was part of an MML pilot project, he was their head coach for five full seasons and part of another. In his five full campaigns, he led the Cougars to a regular-season record of 137-50-13. Along the way, the 15- to 17-year-old Cats secured four second-place finishes and a fourth-place finish. In the playoffs, they were runners-up to the Vancouver Northwest Giants three times.
When Sprague became GM last season, he did it so that MacLean - who had been his assistant coach the previous two seasons - could get the experience of being the head man. Sprague wanted to give MacLean the chance to develop as a coach and sharpen some of the tools that will hopefully help him land a job in the junior ranks some day. Originally, Sprague's plan was to have MacLean at the controls of the Cougars for two years but the pull of the bench was too strong. So now, the two men will work side-by-side, along with fellow coach Mike Matthies. This coming season, MacLean will look after the forward lines, Matthies will handle the defence and Sprague will focus on big-picture issues.
Knowing he's going to be much closer to the action again, Sprague - a huge Boston Bruins fan - is like a guy who has just been given the keys to the TD Garden on game day. His excitement is palpable.
"Obviously it's my passion, being behind the bench," said the 36-year-old Sprague, who has coached minor hockey in one form or another since he was 17. "But anything to do with hockey - if it's a GM role or an assistant coach's role or a head coach's role - it's something that I want to be a part of."
Sprague, MML coach of the year in 2009-10, said his time as Cougars' general manager will serve him well as he resumes his coaching career.
"I learned a lot as a GM, doing a lot of things behind the scenes, and I think it makes me a better coach," he said. "It was great working alongside a long-term mentor on the management side of things, Andy Beesley. I learned a lot from him and obviously he's moved on with the Prince George Cougars [as vice president of business operations]."
MacLean, it should be noted, did a fine job with the Cariboo club last season. Because of the turnover of players from the 2012-13 season, his roster was filled almost completely with MML rookies. Then, after just two games, he lost the services of the player who would have been his leading scorer, Brogan O'Brien, when O'Brien jumped to junior A with the Prince George Spruce Kings. Injuries also took a bite out of the young Cats as the season rolled along, yet MacLean still guided them to a 17-21-2 record and a playoff berth.
"You're going to see that [groundwork] coming into this year, the work that he did with them, and how the team's going to play and progress this year," Sprague said.
The Cougars have a summer evaluation camp Aug. 8-10.
You can bet Sprague is already counting down the days.
