Rebels owner Brent Sutter says coaching pool could be deeper than ever

Habscheid’s decision is surprising as the veteran coach said at his season-end interview with local media that he’s happy he came to Red Deer and planned to be back next season.

Sutter explained he wasn’t sure what exactly was going to happen following the end of the season. The two met after the Rebels were eliminated by the Prince Albert Raiders in the first round of the WHL playoffs, and Habscheid indicated he wanted to go home and digest the season as a whole.

He did just that before informing Sutter of his decision this week, two months after the Rebels’ season ended.

Now, Sutter is tasked with once again finding a coach who is the right fit for his team, which is set to be one of the league’s youngest teams again.

“I look at our group of players and what’s a good fit for them and our young kids coming up because we’ve got a very good class of young kids coming up with our 2009’s, 2010’s and 2011’s,” Sutter added.

“I’ve already had people starting to reach out. Everyone’s looking to be a head coach, and it’s always nice to have experience, but it isn’t a necessity. You know, guys have been assistant coaches for a long time and have been in programs that are ready to take that next step, that’s attractive too.”

The Rebels’ owner suggested that he will take his time in the search.

He said there is still hockey being played in the National Hockey League, and there may be coaches who are out of a job and want to return to junior hockey. He also expects there to be interest from coaches in the NCAA.

“The coaching pool, perhaps, could be bigger than it’s been before, but you’ve still got to weed through it all and see what’s the right fit,” he said.

On the bright side, assistant coaches Mike Egener and Clayton Jardine will return next season, as well as skills coach Erik Lodge and director of goaltending Ian Gordon.

Whoever the Rebels do end up hiring will be the Rebels’ fifth head coach since the 2022-23 season.

Following that year, head coach Steve Konowalchuk stepped down after serving as the Rebels’ bench boss for two seasons. He moved on to the American Hockey League and was most recently fired in January from his head coaching role with the Springfield Thunderbirds.

The Rebels then hired Derrick Walser, but he and the Rebels mutually parted ways with less than nine games to go in the 2023-24 season. Walser now serves as an assistant coach with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League.

Days later, they hired head coach Dave Struch to complete the season, and he returned for the 2024-25 season. However, Struch stepped down following the conclusion of his first full season in Red Deer due to personal reasons.

After Struch, they hired Marc Habscheid, who helped the Rebels return to the WHL playoffs last season.

Sutter said all of these cases, with the exception of parting ways with Walser, were circumstances that were out of his control.

“Would I like to be able to hire a coach who could come and be here for a few years? Absolutely, but there are circumstances that unfold that you don’t control, so you’ve just got to live with it,” he said.

Regardless, whoever ends up filling the role will need to be the right fit for the group they’ll dress next season.

Sutter said his new head coach will have to check off certain boxes, but he knows no coach will check off every box.

The head coach, Sutter said, has to be the hardest working member of the staff because they’re the leader of the group.

“This business we’re in, a coach could come here, and he could be a young guy, do great, and then all of a sudden he’s recruited to pro hockey, and he’s gone. You just can’t control certain situations, so you just try to find the best guy available and take it from there.”

by Ian Gustafson

Rebels owner Brent Sutter says coaching pool could be deeper than ever

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