BOBCATS STAFF
Brian Curran - Head Coach & General Manager
Head Coach and General Manager Brian Curran joined the Bobcats after leaving the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL. Taking a team that is lower in the standing to the top is not something he is new at and looks forward to the challenge of taking the Bobcats organization to a top competitor in the league.
The former National Hockey League player said there were a lot of unexpected things when he started in the AJHL because pro hockey is completely different from junior hockey. As a result, becoming a coach in the league has been a big adjustment for him however; coaching is something he enjoys more than almost every year as a pro athlete. “I think when you have a chance to make a difference with a young player, it’s a great thing” says Brian.
Some of the things Brian coaches is to take the next step including teaching forwards how to pick up the puck off the boards and how to see a game before the puck comes to you. “When you look at pro hockey players, if you watch them intensely, they know where to move the puck before they get it.” For the defense, he focuses on knowing what is coming at them and where the forecheck is coming from. Players know if there are two players coming down one side, they can’t go up that side. They need to know that before the puck is even dumped into the end. They are taught to give the outside and take away the middle where the biggest scoring chance comes from. He sticks to the basics and what everyone knows, but emphasizes to excel at it.
Off the ice is just as big as on the ice in regard to respecting the game, respecting who you are, your teammates and the city you play in. Curran said he wants his players to succeed both on and off the ice and to make a difference. When players leave, he hopes they will be identified as a Bobcat player because they are good young men, work hard in hockey and are responsible away from the games.
Curran does not have a lot of rules but there are certain guidelines and a structure that we must have, to obtain our goals as a team. These rules are simple and they are used for realizing that we all make mistakes, but that there are consequences to actions, good or indifferent.
Players on this season’s team can expect to go a lot harder than last season in the aspect of conditioning and paying more attention to detail. The coach will not have anyone on the team not pulling their weight. He said the game is supposed to be fun and for him, the only way to have fun is by working hard together and then putting it all together to play the best game that night.
Cole Fischer - Assistant Coach
From 1997-1999 Cole played for the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL. He then got traded to the Kootenay Ice for 3 seasons. During his career in the WHL Cole played in 3 Memorial Cups and won 1 while with Kootenay. Cole then played semi-pro in Roanoke Virginia in the ECHL for 1 season. After playing semi-pro Cole attended NAIT so he could pursue his career as a student athlete. Here he played on the hockey team and received his 2 year diploma in Business Marketing with honors. Cole kept his eye on coaching opportunities and found the Lloydminster Bobcats were looking for a fresh start. He handed in his resume and his experience in the sport instantly got him a position on the Bobcats coaching staff. Since moving to Lloydminster, along with coaching, Cole played hockey with the senior men's team the Lloydminster Border Kings. In the 2006-07 season he won the Allen Cup with the Border Kings. The Lloydminster Bobcats are proud to have Cole on their coaching staff as he has played an integral part on the successes of the Bobcats Organization.
Karyn Morrison - Trainer
Hello! My name is Karyn Morrison and this will be my first year with the Lloydminster Bobcats. I have worked as a trainer for 3 years now, since I finished my 3-year massage therapy training. Within my 3rd year, I specialized in sports. I have worked a variety of sports including college basketball and national rugby. I have taken a Sports First Responder Course to be able to deal with emergent situations as well as a concussion seminar. My last hockey seasons were spent with the Midget AAA St. Albert Raiders. When the Women's National Hockey team did their Midget AAA tour, I was luckey enough to be invited to work on them. I havve also been working for Hockey Alberta events such as the Alberta Cup and the U-16 Camp this summer.
Team Doctor - Dr. Raff Sayeed
Team Pastor - Pastor Mark Breitkrauz
