For the first time in their 25-year Western Hockey League history the Prince George Cougars have hired a full-time goaltending coach.
Taylor Dakers, 31, will join the Cougars’ coaching staff this season after five years in a similar position with the Red Deer Rebels and one year coaching Everett Silvertips goalies.
Dakers replaces Sean Murray of Vancouver, who served as the Cougars’ part-time goalie coach the past two seasons.
“First and foremost, I’d like to thank Brent Sutter and the Rebels organization for how they treated my family and I for the past five seasons,” said Dakers, in a team release. “I’m excited to join the Cougars organization and I feel like the city of Prince George, the Cougars organization and the coaching staff is a great fit.”
The Cougars have focused on building up their strength in goal in recent years, selecting Taylor Gauthier 10th overall in the 2015 WHL bantam draft and in this year’s draft in May they picked Tyler Brennan of Winnipeg’s Rink Academy 21st overall. Dakers will be working with them as well as the other two incumbents, Tavin Grant and Isaiah DiLaura, among the 60 players expected for the start of training camp on Aug. 24.
“We’re excited about the future of our organization’s goaltending and we felt we needed to invest in that position,” said Eric Brewer, shareholder EDGEPRo Sports & Entertainment. “Having Taylor here, full-time, is an invaluable asset to our young goalies.”
Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk says it is vital for a junior-aged goalie to have coaching from someone who has played the game at a high level and Dakers has that experience. The native of Langley played four seasons in the WHL for the Kootenay Ice and was drafted in 2005 in the fifth round by the San Jose Sharks. He played two pro seasons with the Sharks’ AHL affiliate in Worcester, Mass., and also played in the ECHL for the Phoenix Roadrunners.
Dakers and Cougars associate coach Steve O’Rourke worked together for three seasons in Red Deer while O’Rourke was an assistant coach.
“Its a unique position and a very important position and I would think most (head) coaches don’t have the technical side of it and it just goes to show the importance of a goatending coach,” said Matvichuk.
“Taylor is very qualified and it’s nice to have someone here full-time who can be on the ice every day with these kids. I think it’s key to have a guy in there on a daily basis doing video, being on the ice and working with the players on and off the ice and building a relationship with them. He’s going to travel with us and it makes our staff better. His experience speaks for itself and we can’t wait to get him to town.”
Last season Dakers worked with Rebels netminders Ethan Anders and Riley Lamb and both distinguished themselves as award winners. Anders was named the WHL’s rookie of the month in January, Lamb was the CHL goalie of the week in February and the two of them combined for three WHL goaltender-of-the-week awards.
The Cougars have yet to announce who will succeed Todd Harkins as general manager. The team announced right after the season ended in March it would not be re-signing Harkins after four seasons as the GM and one season as the head scout.
Cougars president John Pateman told the Citizen in May that no coaching staff changes are being contemplated. Head coach Matvichuk is heading into the final year of his three-year contract. O’Rourke is signed for another two seasons and the contract of assistant coach Shawn Chambers was up for renewal on June 1. Nick Drazenovic is also on staff as director of player development.
