In the two weeks since the Prince George Cougars cast out the message they are looking for a new head coach, more than 50 prospective candidates have taken the bait.
"I've received a lot of resumes, from former NHL head coaches down to minor hockey coaches, and anywhere in between," said Cougars general manager Todd Harkins.
"Every time I talk to them, guys are excited about the team we have and the group of players we've assembled. Guys are just trying to find an opportunity to coach in the best junior hockey league in the world."
The Cougars announced on April 12 that head coach Mark Holick would not be returning next season to fulfill the final year of his contract as a result of a mutual agreement between Holick and the team. Holick served three-and-a-half seasons as head coach after the Cougars hired him in January 2013.
Two of those seasons were under the new ownership regime headed by team president Greg Pocock. The EDGEPRO Sports and Entertainment group also includes NHL defencemen Dan Hamhuis and Eric Brewer, who are using their pro hockey contacts to help the Cougars in their search.
"I think with the new ownership and the way things are run now and the excitement for kids wanting to come to play in Prince George in the New Ice Age, it's a great spot for somebody to come in on the legacy Mark Holick's built the last three-and-a-half years," said Harkins.
In their last 40 regular-season games the Cougars' record was eight games below .500 and they were swept out of the playoffs in four straight by the Seattle Thunderbirds. Two weeks later, Holick was cut loose.
"It was hard on both of us at the end there, when you're not winning - it was hard on the kids and it was hard on both of us," said Harkins. "It was a tough situation and we just came to an agreement that was best for both sides. There were no hard feelings at all. He's a great coach and even better person. It's the nature of the job. Coaches have a life-span and sometimes it's best for them to go someplace else to coach and learn the trade with another team."
Harkins said he will leave it up to the new coach to decide the fates of Cougar assistants Roman Vopat and Mike Hengen. Vopat's contract expires at the end of June and Hengen has one year left on his.
While Holick made it known to the Cougars before Harkins was hired as GM he wanted to fill a dual role as head coach and general manager, Harkins says he has no interest in coaching.
"Absolutely not, I'm not a coach," said Harkins. "It's not the job I was hired to do and I will not be the coach of the Prince George Cougars."
Harkins has two sons in the Cougars system. Jansen is heading into his fourth season with the team and Jonas could possibly make the Cats as a 16-year-old rookie defenceman. The potential for conflicts are another reason the 47-year-old Harkins doesn't want the job.
"You don't coach your own kids in minor hockey, so why would you coach them in the Western Hockey League?" said Harkins.
Harkins said several candidates are still coaching teams in the playoffs and they won't be free to negotiate until they've fulfilled terms of their own contracts.
Bruce Boudreau is now unemployed after the Anaheim Ducks fired him Friday, but it's safe to say he's out of the Cougars' price range. The same can probably be said about fired Ottawa Senators coach Dave Cameron and former Minnesota Wild bench boss Mike Yeo (fired in February).
One possibility for the Cougars is Dean Chynoweth, fired last week as head coach of the AHL's San Antonio Rampage. The Calgary native has been a head coach in the AHL the past four seasons. He was a WHL head coach for nine seasons with Swift Current and Seattle until he was hired in 2009 as an assistant by the New York Islanders.
Other higher-profile candidates with their most recent job postings in parenthesis are: Craig Berube (Philadelphia Flyers, NHL), Keith McCambridge (Manitoba Moose, AHL), Kurt Kleinendorst (Iowa Wild, AHL), Claude Noel (Vancouver Giants, WHL), George Burnett (Hamilton Bulldogs, AHL) and Scott Hillman (Indy Fuel, ECHL). Guy Charron, a former head coach of the Calgary Flames who was with the Kamloops Blazers as recently as 2013, could also be in the mix.
The Cougars are not limiting their job search to this continent.
"I've had resumes from North Americans coaching in Europe and even from European coaches who speak English," said Harkins. "Some guys I've called, some guys I've set up interviews already and I've had interviews with coaches.
"It's very exciting with the amount of resumes and the quality of people that have shown an interest, and that's a good sign for our organization and for our kids."
