The Sicamous Eagles Junior Hockey Club has announced Ty Davidson will be the team’s new head coach.
Eagles general manager Wayne March says Davidson brings with him a strong skill-set, both as a teacher and a recruiter, and a good rapport both within the KIJHL and the WHL. Plus, there’s the fact that he’s local.
Davidson, a Salmon Arm resident, recently stepped down as head coach and general manager with the Golden Rockets. Prior to that, he served as head coach with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and assistant coach with the Princeton Posse. A highlight of Davidson’s time with Golden was taking the team to its first playoff series in 2012/13. His stepping down was motivated largely by a desire to be back home with family, including his two daughters, ages 12 and nine.
“I’ve been apart from them, well, not totally apart, the better part of five winters,” said Davidson. “So this is giving me an opportunity to be much more in their lives when it comes to the winter months.”
As for joining the Eagles, Davidson says he’s excited to have been given the opportunity and about getting started. Asked to describe his coaching style, Davidson referred to himself as a “player’s coach.”
“I really focus on the player. We have systems and all that stuff too, but I really focus on the players,” said Davidson. “I try to get a relationship with each and every one of my players, and I think my players, for the most part, like me and they like playing for me.”
Davidson will be taking over coaching duties from Blair Robinson, who was the team’s head coach for 18 years.
“Blair did a fantastic job for us over the years,” said March in a news release. “He did a great job of recruiting and ensured we made playoffs every single year. The team that picks him up won’t find a more dedicated hockey coach.”
Asked about rumoured difficulties between Eagles players and coaching staff in the latter part of the recent hockey season, March only stated it was simply time for Robinson to move on.
“There’s nothing I want to say bad about it, and I won’t, it’s just, he did a great job for us, it was time for him to move on,” said March. “We parted amicably, but he did a good job for us and has been well-appreciated over the years.”
