I talked to Cole Zahn today about his decision to step down as an assistant coach with the Bruins. Aside from talking about that, I asked him what he thought went wrong this season, and he certainly pulled no punches.
"There's some things behind the scenes that went on, that I don't think the kids put themselves in good situations. I don't think they were down here for the right reasons. I don't want to lump the group together, but I think there were a couple of players that put themselves in front of the team," Zahn said.
"There were a couple of incidents where I think a lot of the team was looking around saying, 'What the heck were these guys doing breaking rules and putting themselves ahead of the team?' I think the leadership group has gotta settle that down, they gotta step in and say, 'We're here for one reason, to win a championship, and if you're not here for that, we don't want you here.'"
I've written a few things this year about off-ice issues and I'm glad Cole came out and said it.
I also asked him about his feelings on the dismissal of Keith Cassidy, given that he played under Keith for two years in Selkirk and then was his assistant coach for three more years there.
"From my point of view, he's a good friend and it's a (crappy) situation to be in. We've known each other for quite a while and to see a guy like him get let go, it was tough on me, but at the same time that happens in the hockey world. He does a heck of a job with the younger guys, he's a great technical coach and I think he's going to land on his feet and land in a real good job. Any organization would be fortunate to have a guy like him as their coach."
Zahn will scout for the Bruins, primarily in southern Saskatchewan, while continuing to work his other job in Estevan and spending time with his wife and nine-month-old daughter.
He said he'd like to return to coaching at some point, but right now it's not his top priority.
"Right now, my main focus is taking care of my family and making sure my daughter grows up and knows who her dad is. I want to be around and spend as much time with her as I can."
