By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

HIRED THIS PAST MAY

AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys part ways with Peter Schaefer as head coach

Aug 24, 2024 | 10:38 AM

The AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys have mutually parted ways with now former head coach Peter Schaefer, who was announced as the club’s bench boss on May 31.

Schaefer, who hadn’t even coached a game for the team yet, is an ex-NHLer who last played 16 games for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2010-11 season. He also played for the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators, for a total of 572 regular season and 63 playoff games.

Kevin Watson, Olds’ manager of business operations, says in a brief statement, “The timing isn’t the greatest, but management felt that for the betterment of the players and the team, that this was the right direction to go.”

Going forward, Brad Tobin is taking over as head coach, and was on-ice Friday for the first session of 2024-25 training camp.

Schaefer previously coached the Surrey Eagles of the BCHL in 2018-19, where Tobin was his assistant.

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Schaefer was an assistant alongside Tobin for the Eagles in 2012-13, and then served as that team’s general manager, president and head coach the following season.

Tobin served as assistant coach with the Eagles from the 2010-11 to 2015-16 seasons. He then became an assistant coach with the KIJHL’s Creston Valley Thunder Cats, then served as that team’s GM and head coach the season next.

As noted, Tobin returned to the Eagles an assistant in 2018-19, added assistant GM to his portfolio the following season, and then was an associate/assistant coach for two more seasons in Surrey. Tobin returned to the Thunder Cats as GM and head coach for 2022-23 and 2023-24, and was then hired by Olds this past July.

In a press release from his hiring, Tobin said, “I’m a players’ coach first and foremost. I’m looking forward to putting a good team on the ice for the fans and the community and can’t wait to hit the ground running when I get to town.”

Grizzlys training camp continues Saturday, and then wraps up Sunday with the black/gold game at 4:30 p.m. from the Olds Sportsplex. Admission is by donation to the Mountainview Emergency Shelter Society in support of Kirsten’s Place.

The Grizzlys open up the pre-season at home against the Devon Xtreme on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m., and the regular season home opener is set for Sept. 13 when Olds hosts the Drumheller Dragons.

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