Black Press Sports
Travis Crickard is the newest member of the Kelowna Rockets’ coaching staff.
The WHL club this week hired the 26-year-old native of St. John’s as an assistant/goalie coach for the 2014-15 season.
Crickard fills the vacancy left by Kim Dillabaugh, who resigned this summer to take on a full-time position with the L.A. Kings. Crickard played two years of Junior A with Flin Flon and two years of collegiate in New York.
Crickard was an assistant/goalie coach for the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League last season and also spent two years as the head coach of the Ottawa 67’s midget AAA hockey team after his playing career was over.
“We were looking for someone who was willing to take on the goaltending duties but who could also do other coaching duties for us as well and Travis fit the bill,” said Rockets’ head coach Dan Lambert. “I’m very excited to add Travis to our staff. He’s a young guy and he’s very open-minded.”
Dillabaugh was instrumental in the hiring process and Lambert loves the new signing.
“Travis and Kim had some long conversations about goaltending and the position and how it’s evolved over the last five or 10 years,” said Lambert. “Things have really changed and I think Kim was really happy with what he heard from Travis.”
Crickard’s other duties will include video coach.
“It’s definitely an exciting challenge that I’m really looking forward,” said Crickard. “I’m honoured to be part of such a world- class organization. In speaking with Dan, I feel like we will have a great working relationship. We share a lot of the same ideas and he seems open to the ideas that I bring to the table.”
