The Nanaimo Buccaneers are looking for a new coach to skipper the ship into next season and beyond.
The city’s Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League team is in the interviewing process, having parting ways with Derek Bachynski after the Bucs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
“We want to make sure we can keep our team moving forward…” said Glen Smith, Bucs general manager. “And we just thought we needed a change at the coaching level.”
Nanaimo finished the regular season with a 22-18-3-5 record, won its first playoff game against the Comox Valley Glacier Kings, then lost the next four to drop the series.
“We did fairly well considering our age,” Smith said. “We just need a little bit different dynamic as far as player personnel and coaching, I think.”
The GM has interviewed several candidates and is continuing the decision-making process.
“We’re looking, we’re not rushing. We want to make sure it’s the right fit,” Smith said.
He and his scouts have been actively recruiting. More than 60 players are already confirmed for the Buccaneers’ spring identification camp and Smith said he’s anticipating 70-90 guys at the May camp.
“The coach is going to have to mesh with what we recruit…” the GM said. “We have a team philosophy of what kind of players we want to be Bucs and that’s not going to change, regardless of who the coach is.”
Smith said the organization thanks Bachynski “for all his hard work and effort and his commitment to the team. He worked really, really hard and I think that should be acknowledged.”
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