When Marc Habscheid opted to join the Chilliwack Bruins franchise in the spring of 2009, one of his primary motivations was stability.
With two school-aged children, the former Memorial Cup winning coach wanted a situation that would allow them to go through their final years of middle and secondary school with minimal upheaval.
Since leaving Kelowna following the 2003-04 season, he’d had countless opportunities to come back to the Western Hockey League.
Until Chilliwack, none felt right.
“Stability was one of the big draws for me,” Habscheid admitted. “Nothing has been announced yet, and I’ve been trying to focus on my day-to-day thing. If it happens that this does go through, then I’ve got to look at the situation and re-evaluate.”
Re-evaluate as in not follow the team to Victoria?
“I don’t know,” Habscheid offered. “I would have to look at everything but right now we’re just trying to put one foot in front of the other.”
The Bruins head coach and general manager has nothing but good things to say about Chilliwack.
“It is a good community and the school system has been good and it’s a hockey town. I have no complaints at all,” he said. “I was treated well here, but there’s not much to say because nothing has been finalized.”
Habscheid is savvy enough to know these things happen. One of his former National Hockey League clubs, the Minnesota North Stars, were victims of relocation in the early 1990’s (three years after he left).
“When you get into this business, you’ve got to realize it is a business,” Habscheid said. “A sign in our dressing says it’s a privilege and not a right, and that goes for the coaches too. It’s a privilege to be a part of this game and this league, and with that comes responsibilities and the knowledge that things might happen. If I didn’t want to deal with this, I didn’t have to sign up for it. Whatever happens happens and you just deal with it.”
