A double-overtime loss ending a shot at a championship was all too familiar for Melfort Mustangs assistant coach and former Estevan Bruins player Dan Meyers.
“Last year I was here, we went to the league final and lost in double overtime,” said Meyers, shortly after the Mustangs were eliminated by the Portage Terriers in extra time at the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup (WCC). “When I saw that double overtime come up, I was ‘oh, son of a gun, hopefully it’s a different fate this round.’ But it is what it is.”
Meyers played for the Bruins in 1990-91 and 1991-92, before joining the Mustangs for the 1992-93 season in his final year of junior A eligibility. He retired from the SJHL half way through that year to go play with the Kinistino Tigers of the North Saskatchewan Junior B Hockey League, where his linemate was a 16-year-old version of current Melfort bench boss Trevor Blevins.
Since that time, Meyers has been working his way up the coaching ranks helping with his son Tyson’s teams. When Tyson moved on to play with the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League’s Battlefords Stars last year, Blevins asked the elder Meyers to help assist him and the decision was a no-brainer.
Meyers said the Mustangs have Tyson on their list and his son’s goal is make the Mustangs next season. He said the time until then behind the Melfort bench has been great and ending his first year as an SJHL assistant coach in Estevan at the WCC is a highlight.
“I enjoyed my two years I played here,” said Meyers. “I had great billets when I played here and the fans were great. I’ve had a lot of people throughout the week make little comments at me. They remember when I played, so that’s kind of a neat feeling.”
