Barrie Colts: Dale Hawerchuk has done an amazing job since taking over the Colts bench three seasons ago. He gives his players a lot of leeway on the ice and really encourages them to use their creativity. Although he did sign a contract extension this summer, an NHL out clause does exist in the deal. If things go south with the Jets early on, look for Hawerchuk to make a triumphant return to Winnipeg.
Belleville Bulls: George Burnett is the Captain Serious of the coaching world. He stresses education, is up front with his players and demands work ethic that doesn’t take time off. His Bulls teams are consistently in the hunt, and rarely does he mortgage the future, although he did make a couple of shrewd moves to send his team to the Eastern Conference final last year. Assistant coach Jake Grimes is primed to make a move into the head coaching ranks.
Erie Otters: Kris Knoblauch learned a lot about himself with the way things went down last off-season. Revitalized by his return to the CHL, last year’s learning curve was steep. Knoblauch was faced with a new team, new opponents, new management and the very best CHL player to come along since Sidney Crosby. There will be pressure, there will be a ton of exposure to NHL types and it will be up to Knoblauch to prove that his surprise run to the 2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup with Kootenay was no fluke.
Guelph Storm: Not only is he the head coach, but being part owner of the Storm franchise instantly added a whole new wrinkle to Scott Walker’s duties. Walker expects from his players what he expects from himself. He does not mince words when dealing with his players, and at times can be brutally honest with his assessments. If he can blend the talent he currently has, add a dose of Scott Walker type hockey and have his team stay healthy, the Storm should contend for the OHL title.
Kingston Frontenacs: It’s been a calculated and slow process to get the Fronts to where they are now. Similar to the Halifax Mooseheads last year, Kingston will have three players that will be discussed as first-round NHL picks for the 2014 draft. It’s up to coach Todd Gill to continue that steep but successful path of development. It’s a big year for Gill, and his Achilles heel has been goaltending. If Matt Mahalak can rebound from a subpar 2012-13, it will go a long way to making Gill look good. This is the year that will make or break Gill as a head coach in the CHL.
Kitchener Rangers: Troy Smith has had ample time as an assistant under both Peter DeBoer and Steve Spott. He now gets to drive the bus. Smith has plenty of experience with the under-17 program and should have a good feel for the league. He’s got an extensive video background and is familiar to both veteran players and recruits. Kitchener’s style of play shouldn’t change much, but Smith will be more diplomatic handling his players, and that’s a necessity for a first-year coach. Smith’s patience waiting behind both DeBoer and Spott has finally paid off.
London Knights: After years of urging, Dale Hunter finally caved when Hockey Canada came calling this summer. And Hunter answered that call with a gold medal at the Ivan Hlinka tournament. Hunter is as unflappable a coach as you will find anywhere in the CHL. His team is stacked, and if everyone returns as expected, there will be pressure to go through the front door as host of the MasterCard Memorial Cup. Don’t expect his trap and transition style of play to cease during the 2013-14 season. And don’t expect the pressure to get to him.
Mississauga Steelheads: In his second go-around as an OHL coach, James Boyd has done a fine job under tough circumstances. When Eugene Melnyk sold this team to Elliott Kerr two years ago, the franchise trimmed costs to bare bones. In Year 2 of an apparent three-year plan, Boyd must once again try to recruit players, convince them to play in front of subpar crowds in a more budget-conscious framework and still win. That’s not easy for the most tenured of coaches with an NHL pedigree, yet Boyd seems to be very comfortable providing all of that for his owners. Boyd has taken some of what Dave Cameron taught him and added his own wrinkles while operating primarily the same way and without a major superstar. There’s not a better man for this job than Boyd.
Niagara IceDogs: Head coach and GM Marty Williamson took a lot of heat for not moving Ryan Strome and Brett Ritchie at last year’s trade deadline, but he had the blessing of ownership to do so. The Burkes look after the business side while Williamson looks after the hockey, and when the two worlds collide, there seems to be great synergy. Williamson has had some really good teams going back to his 2009 team in Barrie, yet is still looking to get over the championship hump. Williamson will use an experienced back end and veteran goaltending to supplement a young forward group that has a ton of potential. The development of that forward group will determine whether or not Williamson gets another title shot as early as next season, when the Dogs move into a new house. Jason Brooks is a big loss as an assistant, but back trouble and being closer to home have made way for Williamson to hire David Bell, who Williamson worked with in Barrie.
North Bay Battalion: All this franchise has ever known is Stan Butler, and it will remain that way well into the future. Butler’s team traditionally plays a boring but effective style and that will not change as the franchise moves north. Rarely has he had home-ice advantage as big crowds in Brampton were a rarity. Butler may have to step up his emotional game as the rabid North Bay fans will heap expectations on this team not seen in Brampton. Starting away from home for the first nine games will allow this team to bond, and when things open up in the renovated Memorial Gardens, it will be awesome. Adding Steve Chabbert was key, as he has NHL experience and is a blast from the past as a member of the Centennials.
Oshawa Generals: The Generals move into Year 2 with D.J. Smith behind the bench. Smith is masterful with video work and preparation, but he must continue to distance himself from the Bob Boughner/Warren Rychel style of play he enjoyed as an assistant with the Spitfires when they won back to back MasterCard Memorial Cups in 2009 and 2010. Those were exceptional teams that had outer-worldly talent and toughness. Those teams come along once every 50 years. Smith must continue to put his own stamp on a Generals team that will be in transition. There were issues in the room when Smith took over, but those have slowly dissipated and now Smith will really be able to mould this team into his own. Smith is not for the faint of heart.
Ottawa 67’s: Chris Byrne has turned out to be a great replacement for Brian Kilrea. Byrne has a good sense of what to keep behind closed doors and what’s to be known publicly. He has his own ideas on systems and how to run a bench and is not afraid of distributing the work load amongst the rest of his staff. Byrne has had no issues moving into the new age, having hired 19-year-old Matt Pfeffer to help out with statistical analytics. Assistant Misha Donskov is great in the skills-coaching area. He’s a pro and does a nice job of playing the good guy when needed. Adding Shean Donovan to the staff is a great way to reinforce Byrne’s teachings.
Owen Sound Attack: Greg Ireland’s teams play with edge, and combined with Owen Sound’s high-end skill his squad is a threat to the rest of the Western Conference. Ireland has a wealth of professional coaching experience and has learned that professional methods don’t always get professional results when dealing with teenaged kids.
Peterborough Petes: It’s been a long time coming for Jody Hull. He’s been a loyal assistant for the organization, and now he gets a shot to be the main guy after the interim tag was removed from his title and a contract extension was signed. It will be difficult for Hull, who surely heard his share of nay saying in the “good guy” assistant’s role up to December of last season. Having said that, he comes to the table with a depth of NHL playing experience, he wore the Petes colours as a player and has a good feel for returning the organization to once-proud prominence. His recent experience as an assistant with Canada’s under-18 program should also help moving forward.
Plymouth Whalers: Mike Vellucci continues to be one of the most underrated coaches in the CHL. His teams are consistently in contention in the tough Western Conference yet his name rarely gets mentioned for NHL consideration. Who knows how long Kirk Muller will last in Carolina but should he falter, Vellucci may very well be the Hurricanes’ next coach.
Saginaw Spirit: At times you have to wonder why Greg Gilbert isn’t in the NHL. In the meantime, keep an eye on this Spirit team over the next two seasons. Gilbert has had enough time to erase the bad memories left by Todd Watson, who he replaced in December 2011. He’s had such an impact that the Spirit extended Gilbert through the end of the 2015-16 season. Gilbert is tough, but fair and you can’t argue with the success he’s had everywhere he’s been as a player and a coach.
Sarnia Sting: Trevor Letowski will prove to be a good hire. Jacques Beaulieu, who Letowski replaces, had a reputation of being extremely hard on his players, and his off-season antics sealed his demise. It was important for Sarnia to have someone take the job who is familiar with this club. Beaulieu did a great job securing the future by acquiring picks and giving valuable ice time to some of his youngsters last year. I can’t say for certain what style Letowski will employ, but I’ll be interested in the results. Bringing Andy Delmore aboard will be huge in the development of the back end.
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds: Sheldon Keefe made quite the mark after replacing Mike Stapleton. The question now is, with a full training camp and season ahead, did the Hounds simply not respond to Stapleton, or is Keefe the real deal? I tend to think the latter, but only time will tell.
Sudbury Wolves: Previous to Trent Cull’s departure back to the AHL, former Kitchener associate coach Paul Fixture was hired in the Nickel City. Shortly thereafter, Fixture found himself as head coach. Fixture didn’t feel there was much room to move up in Kitchener — Spott seemed like a fixture for the foreseeable future. When Fixture decided to take the Sudbury job, I’m not so sure he thought about an upward move so quickly. Having said that, Sudbury’s ownership and management team is steady.
Windsor Spitfires: There’s no question Bob Boughner will get an NHL job someday. In the meantime, he’ll be challenged to return the Spitfires to Western Conference prominence with a team that was being built to host the 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup. When that bid failed, so did some of the ability to legally attract top notch U.S. players. Having said that, the ownership group including Boughner is still a big draw, and the proximity to Michigan will always be helpful. Boughner does his best to employ an NHL feel to practices and games, and if there’s anyone in the league who can make the sum of the parts greater than the parts themselves, it’s Boughner.