Yorkton Terriers head coach Trent Cassan has became a hot commodity in coaching circles since taking over as the bench boss in Yorkton, after all the young coach has lifted the Junior A hockey club to back to back SJHL titles in addition to winning the National Championship this past spring in overtime. Despite coming off of a stock raising championship run, Cassan will be continuing with the Terriers over the next two years as he has extended his contract with the Terriers in a move that was announced by the team earlier this week.
Cassan will stay on with the Terriers for the next two seasons with an option for a third season, also becoming the team's general manager in the process as former general manager Don Chesney will be taking a full time role as director of marketing and public relations. Terriers assistant head coach Casey O'Brien will assume Cassan's old role as assistant general manager in moves that Cassan says will continue the nucleus that helped create the 2014 RBC Cup champions.
"The way things have worked with the team all along is that no one person has made a big decision in the operations of the Terriers alone," mentioned Cassan who says that even with the new job title of general manager that the winning philosophy will continue. "That is going to be how things operate going forward with Don, Gerry Carson (Head of Scouting), Casey and the rest of the office weighing in on the day to day decisions of the hockey club."
One change for the Terriers will be the absence of Gord Pritchard, a valuable assistant who served as the assistant general manager that Cassan says the team will miss more than some would think as Pritchard heads over to a new start in an office role with the WHL's Regina Pats.
"Gord was a huge part of our staff and did so while also working a full time job which some may not have realized as he always always there to help out the team in a variety of roles," said Cassan about the well respected former Terriers employee who the head coach wishes the best of luck. "I know Gord wants to make a living in hockey and he will be a good hire for the Pats because he is a great guy to have around who does whatever is asked to help people."
With Don Chesney stepping down as general manager after helping to guide the Terriers to their recent success, Cassan mentioned the work that Chesney has put in for the team in recent years along with the help he has given the head coach in growing as a young bench boss during their time together.
"Don has helped me out in whatever ways he can and has made coming to the rink everyday enjoyable for not only myself and the coaching staff but also for the players," said Cassan.
"Hopefully his presence continues with us in his new role and I am sure it will as Don has been involved with nearly every major decision that has been made over the past few seasons so his advice will continue to be something that is a huge help."
Retaining assistant coach Casey O'Brien, Cassan is also looking forward to the future with his now longtime assistant coach.
"Casey is a great assistant coach who shares a lot of the same philosophies in both team building as well as on ice strategy which makes both of us a good fit behind the bench because we both have a lot of similar ideas in ways to approach different things," explained Cassan who also noted that O'Brien helped out in a big way when Cassan was gone for the Jr. A Challenge early last season. "When I was gone, both Casey and Don stepped up to make sure that I could take the opportunity to help coach Canada West where not only did things go as smoothly as possible but we also won a few games which shows what quality type of assistant coach Casey is."
Staying in Yorkton for two more years, the former Yorkton Terriers player and now arguably the most successful head coach in team history is excited to continue his young career as a Junior head coach in the city.
"It is an honour to get to coach the Yorkton Terriers because this is such a well ran Junior A hockey program. Everyone from Lisa in the office to (team president) Dave Baron to volunteers to the fans and everyone in hockey operation are top notch people who make coming to work at the rink everyday fun which has me excited for the future with the Terriers."
Cassan's extension will be a boost to the Yorkton Terriers as they look to remain atop the SJHL following two of the most successful seasons in team history, winning back to back league championships and the RBC Cup on the backs of talent that is also leaving Yorkton over the summer as a core group of veterans along with NCAA bound Brett Boehm will be turning the 2014/15 Terriers roster into what should be a new look squad.
Captain Devon McMullen is off to the University of Regina, starting goaltender Kale Thomson also finished his Junior career with the RBC Cup win as did key blueliners Brady and Chase Norrish, all things that the staff of Cassan, O Brien', and Carson will have to deal with on the hockey side of things as they look to rebuild on the fly while maintaining the standard of play that fans have came to expect under coach Cassan over the past few seasons.
That goal will begin soon enough as the Yorkton Terriers will kick off their season preparations shortly with the beginning of training camp as well as the preseason, hoping that new faces step up and key players from last year's team continue to grow. After winning back to back league titles and enjoying the spotlight of representing the SJHL as champions, the Terriers should have good faith that their staff will be able to reload and regroup. After all, winning and winning often has been the theme in the city of Yorkton ever since the reigns were handed to the promising young head coach just a few short seasons ago. Now after all the glory of championships, the Terriers are hoping that Cassan can help maintain that success of the next few seasons.
