The Kindersley Jr. Klippers will look a little different behind the bench next season.
Head coach and GM Clayton Jardine will be surrounded by some new help, with the news that both assistant coach Tyler Traptow and trainer/equipment manager Cheyenne Epp are moving on.
"We are a developmental league; it's just like players, we move them on, we move trainers on, we move assistant coaches on, we move everyone on. It's about restocking the cupboards and doing it again."
Starting with the departure of the assistant coach, the Calgary native Traptow became well known around Kindersley after spending a majority of his junior hockey playing career with the Klippers, coming back to coach in 2022, and becoming a part of the Kindersley Sr. Klippers lineup in the process.
Traptow's community involvement also included being part of the Kindersley Fire Department, as Jardine shared that firefighting, rather than hockey, is what's pulling the one they call "Trapper" away from the team.
"I don't think you can say enough about what he's done... It's been a fun ride with him, and he's been a great volunteer for the fire department in Kindersley and that helped him get a job as a firefighter in Calgary."
Traptow was originally part of former Klippers coach Ken Plaquin's staff as an assistant coach. He assumed the interim role at the end of the 2022-23 season when Plaquin and the team agreed to part ways, re-assuming the assistant coach role with Jardine's hiring that offseason.
Traptow was a key piece of the team as a player during Jardine's first stint in Kindersley, and that combined with previous experience with the team was a key selling point in keeping the young coach around as Jardine began stint number two.
"You always wonder about familiarity, and with Trapper, he was someone I really enjoyed coaching... I didn't think twice about bringing him back or not, it was an easy decision to have him. I think it was a great friendship, and we were good co-workers too." said Jardine.
The hiring process has already begun to select Traptow's replacement. The Klippers are coming off their second playoff appearance in a row as the final seed, and Jardine expects the next hire to be able to complement their nearly completed rebuild.
"Just started. Going to take my time with this one. It's a very important hire. I think we are finally into a year where we can be excited about where we are going to finish, and push for a championship. Someone that is going to come in and reap the benefits and rewards of the hard work we have put in the last two years."
The Klippers other loss behind the bench won't be an easy role to fill either. Pictured above, Cheyenne Epp was with the team for the past three seasons and became a key piece of the Klippers' day to day operations, while also helping out in the community as a volleyball coach.
"(Cheyenne) did a great job. She cared about the players." shared Jardine as work is underway to try and find a replacement in that role too.
While the outgoing individuals will be missed, Jardine called it exciting times ahead of the next season in Kindersley.
"You bring in new ideas, new blood, and new excitement as well for the person we hire, but also for the players. Whoever we bring in is going to do something different, have a different routine, and I feel that is something that was definitely needed here, change in all aspects. It just happened to go that way, and it's something I am really excited about."
Candidates will continue to come in for each role as the offseason continues. For right now the Klippers focus is on the upcoming SJHL Draft on June 14, the Klippers entering with the #17 pick of the 2010 prospects draft, and another eight selections (#5, #17, #28, #29, #39, #41, #53, #65) for the 2009 born portion.