The Lloydminster Bobcats are one of two Alberta Junior Hockey League clubs that have a former NHLer as its Head Coach this season.
Jeff Woywitka from Vermilion has his team in third place in the North Division.
The 41-year-old ex-defenceman is enjoying being behind the bench for the Bobcats alongside another former pro blueliner – Matt Brassard. He says “it’s good. Obviously I like the teaching side of things. I like to push the players. I want to make them better. They want to get better. When they leave here you want them to be excited and happy. When they look back they’re like, you know what, there was some tough times but also I got better and learned how to play the game. With me and Matt, we work together on that side as far as giving them that. Matt is a young coach in this league too. He can communicate and really has a bond with them too as far as the assistant side of it, so the balance has been really good.”
The Devon Xtreme are the other AJHL team that has a ex-NHLer as bench boss this season. Their Head Coach is Kelly Buchberger.
After four seasons with the Western Hockey League’s Red Deer Rebels, Woywitka went on to play 278 National Hockey League games over seven seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, and the New York Rangers. He was a first round selection (27th overall) of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
Woywitka was asked who is your favourite coach that you ever played for? He says “Brad Shaw was probably one of my favourites. He is still in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers. A defenceman coach there. I had him when I was in St. Louis. Very technical, very detailed, almost ahead of his game. I know the side of the skill and the development side has really pushed up even since I played as far as development camps and all of that but just the knowledge he brought to the game and the details and the video and the break downs was spectacular.”
The Bobcats (21-17-1-3) arrive in Olds to face off with the Grizzlys (14-28-1-0) again tonight (February 12th). The most recent home game for the Black & Gold was a 5-2 loss to Lloydminster back on January 31st.
Still with Grizzlys news, another player from the local AJHL club has departed to join a team in the British Columbia Hockey League.
The BCHL’s Coquitlam Express have snagged Connor Seeley from the Grizzlys.
The 19-year-old from West Kelowna, B.C. was the Grizzlys Captain this season and he had put up 10 goals and 22 points in 30 games for Olds this season.
This transaction brings the total up to 4 players that have left the Black & Gold to join teams in the BCHL since December – and because the BCHL is not sanctioned by Hockey Canada on each of these occasions Olds received nothing in return.
