Chris Lewgood has signed a contract to be the head coach and general manager of the Estevan Bruins for years to come.
The club announced a four-year contract extension with Lewgood late last month that will take him through the 2019-20 season. Lewgood had one year remaining on the three-year pact he signed with the club in 2013.
With the Bruins hosting the 2015-16 Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup tournament, both sides wanted to have Lewgood’s extension finalized before the start of the season.
Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Lewgood said he loves being in Estevan, and he wants to be with the Bruins for the long-term.
“We had some talks, and the executive batted around some ideas,” Lewgood said. “They've been really easy to work with, and in the end it didn't take much for us to come to an agreement.”
He believes it was important to have the contract resolved before the start of a pivotal season.
“The focus needs to be on hockey and on the business, and not on these types of situations,” said Lewgood. “I'm excited to have it out of the way, so we can focus on what's amounting to a very big year here in Estevan, and then build for the future as well.”
Lewgood says he wouldn’t have allowed the contract to be a distraction if it wasn’t resolved before the start of the season.
The extension should also help with recruiting, not just for the upcoming season, but future years as well.
“If you're the one doing the recruiting, the player ultimately hopes it's you who's there,” said Lewgood. “We've done a lot of recruiting. It's pretty much all we've done as far as enlisting our own guys. There have been some trades, and this and that, but as far as the guys we have recruited from day one, it's just starting to come into its own this year.”
Club president Cory Prokop said the executive didn't want Lewgood to be thinking about his contract while trying to piece together a contending club for the Western Canada Cup, and handling the duties associated with hosting the Western Canada Cup.
“We also felt that he was doing a fantastic job as the head coach and general manager of the club, and providing the proper direction, not only for next year, but well into the future,” Prokop said. “We wanted to make sure we had him wrapped up for a good chunk of time well into the future.”
Prokop said he is pleased with the work Lewgood has done on the recruiting front. The Bruin president lauded Lewgood’s ability to bring together a good compliment of scouts in Saskatchewan and in Canada, while creating a talent pipeline with the U.S.
“He spends a lot of time talking to potential players and building those relationships,” said Prokop. “We've noticed that, and the amount of time he puts into finding a stable of future talent for the hockey club, not only for next year, but for two, three and four years down the road.”
Lewgood is also well-respected in the community, and Prokop is pleased with the relationships Lewgood has built with sponsors and supporters.
Four years was the contract length the executive wanted from the outset, Prokop said. He added that it works well for the hockey club, and for Lewgood’s family.
“It's a solid base to keep building on moving forward, instead of the revolving door that we've had here for many years,” said Prokop.
Lewgood was hired by the Bruins in the spring of 2013. He led the Bruins to a 27-20-3-6 record during the 2013-14 season. But with a much younger club in 2014-15, they struggled early on, then surged in the second half of the season to finish with a 22-27-1-6 record, and qualify for the post-season.
The club has been knocked out of the playoffs by the Battlefords North Stars in both seasons. In 2013-14, they lost in five games in a best-of-seven quarter-final series. And last season, they were knocked out in five games in a best-of-five preliminary round match-up.
