The Trail Smoke Eaters announced the hiring of a defensive assistant coach on Wednesday.
The Trail Smoke Eaters added former Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) Assistant Coach, Dustin Korlak, to its staff. A Stonewall, Man. native, Dustin joins the Trail Smoke Eaters as an Assistant Coach for the 2018-19 season. Korlak, 29, spent the previous two seasons as an Assistant Coach in the MJHL with the Dauphin Kings and Waywayseecappo Wolverines.
Before joining the MJHL as a coach, Korlak was a defenceman in the MJHL from 2006-2010, making stops with Southeast, Swan Valley and Selkirk. Following his junior career, Korlak signed overseas to play professional hockey in Germany (Hannover, Adendorf) and the Netherlands (Turnhout) from 2010-2012.
General Manager, Jeff Tambellini is thrilled to add Korlak to the staff, saying in a Smoke Eaters release, “With the addition of Dustin Korlak, we are a better staff today. Dustin brings a great wealth of defensive playing and coaching experience, which will only help our defencemen develop and have success. We want to provide our players with every resource possible in Trail and we feel Dustin will be an outstanding addition to our staff and our city.”
Korlak also adds a wealth of scouting and recruitment experience, having worked as a scout with ISS Hockey and for Gold Star Sports Management Group as a regional scout. Additionally, Dustin is currently a Western Canadian Pro Scout for the Coventry Blaze in the EIHL, a professional team in the UK.
Korlak, his wife, Jenna, and daughter, Lennyn, are very excited to be joining the Smoke Eaters Organization and are looking forward to moving to Trail.
Korlak joins head coach and GM, Jeff Tambellini, and assistant coaches Jessie Leung, Barry Zanier, and Kyle Hope on the Smoke Eaters coaching staff for the 2018-19 season.
