Stability is very important when it comes to any organization.
Having someone at the top who knows what he or she is doing, and has experience in the job, ultimately leads to success.
The Estevan Bruins had that with Chris Lewgood. He’d been with the club for seven years.
That might not seem like a long time, but in the coaching world, it’s an eternity. And when you consider the Bruins had eight coaches (including three interims) in the 14 years before Lewgood arrived, it gives you even more appreciation for the work that Lewgood did in Estevan.
The Bruins announced they had “relieved” Lewgood “of his duties” Wednesday afternoon, citing budget reasons relations with the business community. I don’t know if the relationship between Lewgood and the business community was strained or beyond repair, but I know that when it came to on-ice results, player development and recruitment, Lewgood did a pretty damn good job.
He didn’t win a championship during his tenure here, but he did everything but win one.
- The Black and Gold made the playoffs every year he was here. In the 14 seasons prior to his arrival, they missed the postseason five times.
- They won three straight division titles from 2017-2019. Their previous division title was in 2007.
- They made it to the league semifinal three straight years from 2017-2019. Their previous trip to the league semifinal was 2005.
- They reached the league final in 2018 for the first time since 1999. In that 2018 league final, they lost in seven games to a heavily favoured Nipawin Hawks team.
The Bruins also hosted the Western Canada Cup in 2016, and while they were winless during the tournament, they proved that you could successfully host the competition from a financial perspective.
The Bruins have been able to pay off their long-term debt, which is reassuring considering how tough it’s going to be for the club post-COVID-19.
Obviously there are a lot of people who contributed to the successes listed above, but Lewgood deserves a lot of credit.
Stability is probably the biggest thing he brought to this organization. And it speaks to his abilities that he was here for seven years.
Bruin players were heavily involved in the community throughout his tenure (although a lot of people deserve credit for that) and he always talked about how much he and his family loved living in the city.
I’m not saying that dismissing Lewgood was a bad move by the Bruins executive. I’m reserving judgment. Maybe the Bruins will get a dream hire who guides this team to its greatest success in franchise history. Maybe they’ll get someone like Lewgood who is just needs an opportunity to show what he can do at the next level. (Lewgood was a highly successful junior B coach before coming to Estevan).
Hopefully this decision won’t be the catalyst for another Bruin coach revolving door.
The problem facing the Bruin executive is they can’t afford to be wrong. The Bruins are hosting the 2022 Centennial Cup national junior A tournament. Estevan needs to be a powerhouse for that tournament.
On paper, they have the potential to be a contender. They had a tremendous collection of rookies who will be 19 and 20 years old in 2022. And they have two years to recruit talented players to play here with the incentive of playing for a national title.
Perhaps that’s one of the saddest parts about Lewgood’s dismissal: he won’t get to finish what he started.
The Bruins were 18-6-1 after the Christmas break – the best record in the league. They were dominant a lot of nights, routing several top teams. With only four graduating players, this was a young team that made considerable strides and should be even better next season.
They have the potential to be a contender in 2021 – the year before they host nationals.
If this team fulfills its potential over the next couple of years, Lewgood will deserve a lot of credit.
I don’t know what’s next for him, but he earned another shot at running an organization at this level.
