The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) is not only a vital steppingstone for aspiring players aiming to make it to the next level, but also an important development ground for the coaches.
Humboldt Broncos Assistant Coach Carter Hansen recently had a chance to pad his resume and add some coaching experience, serving as the Video Coach for the Canada West team at the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge in Camrose, Alberta.
Before Hansen was officially named to the Canada West coaching staff, he got a chance to run the bench for Team SJHL at the Western All-Star Showcase in Warman, in the beginning of November.
Mike Reagan, the Head Coach of the Flin Flon Bombers was tabbed as the head coach of Canada West team for the Junior ‘A’ Challenge. He elected to take an aerial view of the camp in Warman, allowing the Broncos Assistant Coach to run things behind the bench.
“It was a good experience.” said Hansen, “to see some of the best players in our league come together and play some of the best team best players in the MJ (Manitoba Junior Hockey League).
In a reversal of roles, Hansen was joined by his coaching comrade with the Broncos, Brayden Klimosko as the Assistant Coach for Team SJHL in Warman. Hansen explains the Western All-Star wasn’t about implementing systems for the players but rather placing them in the best position for evaluation.
“He (Hansen) did a great job,” said Klimosko, “just so proud of him, he has such a passion for it."
Klimosko predicted that Hansen’s experience in Warman will not be the last time that he will be a head coach of a team and believes big things are ahead for him in his coaching career.
There was plenty of hard decisions for the Canada West coaching staff in Warman as well in Calgary according to Hansen, they try and put the right pieces together to form a successful hockey team in a short amount of time.
“Guys fit into different roles, obviously there were a lot of high-end guys that weren’t there.” He added, “it’s a really hard process and I think we did as best as we could and obviously coming home with a bronze medal means we did the right thing.”
It was a quick turnaround following the selection camp to the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge and Hansen said that meant there was a lot for the players to process in a short amount of time.
“It was probably information overload for a lot of these guys, but I think they eventually, as we went along, they slowly started to pick stuff up and we got it right before the medal round.”
Among the teams, Canada West faced in Camrose included a team from Sweden, with players mostly competing in the pro leagues, while the United States was a squad comprised of players from the United States Hockey League (USHL). Hansen believes those teams provided a good test for the Canadian teams.
“I think it was a real good eye opener for her guys looking to move up to the next level of what, how it looks, what it feels like and the speed and the execution.” he said, “I think it was a really good steppingstone for our guys to see and compete against.
In the semifinals, Canada West met Sweden for a second time, and Hansen thinks the effort was improved in that matchup.
“We gave them a real good run for their money.” Hansen noted, adding that even though the final was 6-0, the score was very misleading.
The momentum from the semifinal carried over Canada West into the bronze medal game with a 5-2 win over Canada East. Hansen said in the final games, the players bought into the gameplan created by the team’s coaching staff.
“The biggest thing was angles. Stick battles getting into position and just simplifying her game instead of trying to make plays that they're used.”
Returning to Humboldt, Hansen hopes to see the Bronco players buy into the system implemented by the coaching staff the same way as the Canada West players did at the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge.
Along with Reagan, Eric Labrosse the Head Coach of the Northern Manitoba Blizzard of the MJHL and Shawn Martin the Head Coach of the Whitecourt Wolverines of the Alberta Junior Hockey League comprised the coaching staff for Canada West in Camrose, and Hansen felt the time spent with the rest of the coaches was invaluable.
“I think it was a really good experience for me only being like being a young younger coach, got to learn a lot of stuff from some guys. I've been doing it a long time and I just loved every second of it.”
With a dream of leading his own team one day, whether it’s succeeding Klimosko in Humboldt or venturing off to a new team.
Hansen's experience coaching at the World Junior A Challenge has not only sharpened his skills on the international stage but has also equipped him with invaluable insights that will undoubtedly guide him in his future role as a leader behind the bench.
You can listen to the full interview with Carter Hansen and Blaine Weyland below