The Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings announced late Wednesday they have extended head coach Cody Mapes’ contract. The extension is a multi-year agreement and comes off of a successful season where the Red Wings qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2018-19.
“It’s kind of been in the works for a while, and it’s exciting to get it done,” Mapes said. “I think we’ve started to build something here pretty special, and I’m happy I could continue to be a part of it.”
The success of the team and the improvement from the 2021-22 season to the 2022-23 season was something Mapes wouldn’t take all of the credit for.
“There’s a lot of ups and downs, and you know, I think adding good people around us – guys like Kevin (Saworski) and Tyler (McMillen) - our entire coaching staff and I think that was a big help,” Mapes continued.
While the team is currently in the off-season, it doesn’t mean that Mapes is sitting idle at home, either. The SJHL Draft is fast approaching, followed by league meetings and preparing for training camp.
“There’s a lot of good kids in the south here that we’ve got an eye on, so we’ll kind of see how it all shakes out,” Mapes explained about the draft. “We don’t pick until 17th (overall) so it’s kind of tough to pinpoint one guy at that point.”
As for what helps to make a successful Weyburn Red Wing, Mapes stated it isn’t just about the skill on the ice.
“It’s one thing to look at their stats or look at how they play the game, but if you’re not willing to be part of the community and help the Weyburn Red Wings give back to the City of Weyburn, then Weyburn is probably not a good spot for him,” Mapes said of potential players. “That stuff is so important to us that we want to make sure that the people we bring in are quality people and they’re going to help contribute to the city as a whole as well.”