(Supplied/Red Deer Rebels)

By Ian Gustafson

Hometown hire

Rebels new assistant coach Clayton Jardine excited to get started

Aug 3, 2025 | 8:00 AM

Red Deer Rebels newly hired assistant coach Clayton Jardine remembers attending games at the Centrium as a youngster.

He and his family would drive in from their home in Lacombe to take in the action, and when they didn’t, he listened intently to former voice of the Rebels, Cam Moon, over the radio.

“It’s all about childhood memories for me and once again I’ve spoken to the culture and reputation of the team. That’s something I’ve always kept tabs on with being a central Alberta resident coming back in the summer from wherever I was. That’s what everyone talks about in this area is the Rebels,” he said.

“It’s something that’s very exciting for me, but there’s obviously some pressure to succeed with a lot of friends and family in the area as well. That’s all part of being in a hockey organization, you’re going to have pressure every day, but it excites me too.”

Jardine joins the Rebels coaching staff led by head coach Marc Habscheid, alongside assistant coach Mike Egener and director of goaltending Ian Gordon.

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What appealed to Jardine in joining the organization were a few factors including not only the team’s history, but also getting to work with owner, president and general manager Brent Sutter and the coaching staff.

At just 34-years-old, the Lacombe native understands he still has plenty to learn about coaching, but is looking forward to doing so with an experienced staff.

His coaching career began coaching the minor ranks in Lacombe as well as his sisters soccer team from time to time.

However, he got his first big break as an assistant coach with the Kindersley Klippers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League during the 2015-16 season.

After a brief two-year stint as an assistant coach at the NCAA Div. III hockey level at New England College from 2016-18, he rejoined the Klippers for the 2018-19 season, which marked his first head coaching gig.

He then served as head coach of the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Camrose Kodiaks from 2019 to 2023, before joining the Klippers for a third time in 2023 as head coach and general manager.

He held that role until he was hired in Red Deer this summer.

“Coaching in Kindersley is something I’m very thankful for. There are a lot of people here that gave me an opportunity at a very young age,” he said. “My first coaching job was at 27-years-old… I’m thankful I got the experience in that, but at the end of the day, my passion is to coach hockey players and I’m excited to focus on doing that on a daily basis.”

He’s looking forward to coaching athletes who are at the highest level of junior hockey in western Canada. He said getting the opportunity to work with them and help them achieve their goals of playing at the next level, is a goal he’s also worked toward for many years.

“As a coach you want to be at the highest level and getting the opportunity just to be a part of the Rebels organization is a huge honour for me,” he added.

Jardine also played prior to coaching, suiting up for the U15 AAA Red Deer Chiefs in 2005 before playing junior hockey with the Kodiaks in the AJHL and for Merrimack College in the NCAA.

He was also drafted into the WHL by the Kootenay Ice in the ninth round of the 2006 WHL Prospects Draft, but never suited up for the club.

Jardine began coaching the same year after wrapping up his playing career. He was inspired by his father who coached him throughout minor hockey.

“I really felt in the last year of my college career, my coaches really leaned on me to be that player who could help the younger players in a leadership role. It was the most enjoyable year of my whole hockey career,” he said.

“That’s really when the light bulb went off for me to begin coaching. I decided to jump right into it and not pursue a career after college and play pro hockey. I just wanted to get into hockey and see how far it could take me.”

Jardine and the Rebels start the 2025-26 pre-season on Sept. 5, then the regular season Sept. 19.