The Revelstoke Grizzlies are on to their third coach of the off-season. First Kevin Kraus left to take an assistant coach position with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
James Eccles, who coached major midget in Kelowna last year, was hired as his replacement, but he stepped down shortly after, accepting a better-paying job elsewhere, said Grizzlies’ owner Lew Hendrickson.
The newest coach is Kevin MacKay, a former head coach of the Fernie Ghostriders and Kimberley Dynamiters of the KIJHL, and former assistant coach with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the BCHL.
He coached the Ghostriders to the league championship in 2006-07.
Recently, he coached with the Pursuit of Excellence hockey program in Kelowna. He was an assistant coach for Team BC at the 2011 Canada Winter Games.
His bio for Team BC says he was born in 1961 in Turner Valley, Alberta, and has spent 20 seasons in hockey.
The Times Review was unable to reach Mackay for an interview before press time. We will try to speak to him before main camp, which is scheduled for August 21–23.
The team is scheduled to play two pre-season games in Golden on Sept. 7 & 8 – one against the Golden Rockets and the other against a team from Montana.
The Grizzlies start the regular season at home on Friday, Sept. 13, against the Kamloops Storm. The following day, they take on the Summerland Steam at the Forum.
Unlike past seasons, the Grizzlies play most of their home games early in the season. The team only plays eight of its 19 games after Christmas at home.
You can see the Revelstoke Grizzlies full schedule at www.revelstokegrizzlies.com.