I spoke to Bruins president Jeff Pierson this afternoon to get an update on the applications that have come in for the team's open head coach/GM job.
In one week since parting ways with Keith Cassidy, the team has received more than 30 applications. The number right now is around 31 or 32, but it'll likely be closer to 40 by the time the story comes out in next week's paper.
Jeff said among that group are "at least one WHL assistant coach, one CIS assistant coach, head coaches from other junior leagues, a couple of American coaches, one Austrian coach."
So they obviously have guys from several levels of the game to choose from.
With the deadline being April 26, the hope is the new coach will be hired by mid-May, or by June 1 at the latest, because player cards are issued then.
I asked Jeff if the executive would seek out other prospective candidates other than those who apply.
"I wouldn't rule that out at all. (If) as it goes on and we haven't heard from a particular individual we thought would apply or might be interested, definitely that's a phone call worth making. It's a big deal, so I think we'll look at every different avenue to find the right person. If that means approaching someone that hasn't approached us, absolutely. We owe it to the hockey club to do that," he said.
I asked him roughly how many of the applications so far are people who the board would seriously consider bringing in, and he said "a good third of them", also noting that some of them could make good assistant coaches.
The Bruins will also need a new assistant, with Cole Zahn deciding to step back due to his young child and his duties with his other job. He will still be very much involved though, doing scouting work for the team. He and his family will be staying in Estevan.
Jeff also said there are lots of different people applying than the last time two years ago. He said the fact that the team is established in Spectra Place and their dressing room (the room hadn't been built yet when they were hiring last time) is a factor.
"Now, the word is definitely out about Estevan, the rink we have, the dressing room facilities, and that we're a fairly stable club financially. I think it just makes it that much more appealing to apply here."
See next week's Mercury for full story.
