The Yorkton Terrier brain trust which has taken the team to two Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League finals, and a second place in the Sherwood Conference this season will be at the helm of the franchise for at least the next two seasons.
The Terrier Hockey Club recently announced both General Manager Don Chesney and Head Coach Trent Cassan have signed new deals with the team.
Both Chesney and Cassan renewed their contracts with two-year extensions.
"Both Don and Trent have done a great job of putting an exciting team together the past couple of years and the Terriers are sitting with a great young team this year, that has lots of promise for future years," detailed a release announcing the deals.
In the same release Team President Lyle Walsh added, "That it is a pleasure to announce to the team and fans that we were able to re-new these individuals for the next couple of years.
"We are very happy both gentlemen committed to the Terriers for a couple more years. This ensures stability for the club and ensures the franchise will move forward in the proper direction under their leadership."
"It's great to know the franchise has faith in both Trent andmyself," Chesney told Yorkton This Week.
Cassan said being with the Terriers "is a very good place to be". He said he played his Junior hockey here, and is now in his fourth season as a coach.
"I really like the community," which made signing a contract extension an easy step to take.
"The extension shows a lot of faith in myself and Don," he said, echoing Chesney's sentiment. He added he couldn't "think of a better spot to be in terms of a first class organization."
The two deals were both inked before the Terriers started playoff action this year, and Chesney said having the new deals takes wondering about where they might be this fall out of the equation heading into action against Melville (see related story this issue).
Chesney and Cassan have become a very successful duo for the Terriers although they come at the game from different generations.
Chesney said a key is communication.
"We talk extensively," he said, adding it helps too that the two know each other from Cassan having played under when Chesney was coaching the Terriers.
"He (Cassan) knows what I was about as a coach," he said.
"And I know what he was like as a player."
Knowing each other helps the two stay on the same page, and Chesney said they do share a common goal.
"We want success," he said.
Cassan simply stated, "We get along well," and that means a lot in terms of working with someone every day.
"I enjoy coming to the rink every day. If you enjoy your job it doesn't seem like a job," he said.
