ESTEVAN — The Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins have announced Tucker Neuberger is their new assistant coach.
Neuberger moves into the role vacated by Drew Kocur after Kocur was promoted to the club's permanent head coach/general manager in early May. Aren Miller will remain an assistant coach with the club.
Neuberger spent two years coaching in the Prairie Junior Hockey League (PJHL) with Fort Knox, where he led the team to a 37-36-7 record overall.
Originally from Weyburn, Neuberger is already familiar with the southeast region and the SJHL. Prior to his time coaching, he played over 80 games with the SJHL's Weyburn Red Wings from 2013-16, before joining the team as an assistant coach for three years from 2016-19.
Neuberger said that familiarity and his existing rapport with Kocur – whom he played hockey with growing up and coached against in the junior B ranks – made it a natural fit to come to Estevan.
“Just having that familiarity with Drew made the fit feel comfortable,” he said. “Throughout this process, I thought our conversations were productive and I just felt that we both are motivated and hardworking. I also appreciated [Drew’s] outlook on how the coaching staff will operate as a group.”
As for his own coaching philosophy, Neuberger said it’s once again a collaborative approach he believes is vital to get the most out of the players.
“I enjoy working with the players and seeing the improvement of both individuals and the team throughout the course of the year,” he said. “It’s important for me to help create an environment and build a culture that pushes players to work hard but also allows them to be themselves.”
Kocur said knowing Neuberger’s dedication to the game and his players will make him a great fit on the Bruins' staff.
“We’re very excited to have Tucker join the staff,” Kocur said. “He is very detailed, hardworking and has a strong passion for hockey. He is motivated and his knowledge for the game is strong. He will be a very big asset to our club, and we’re looking forward to getting started."
