“And now, the coaching staff for your Bonnyville Pontiacs: Please welcome head coach Chad Mercier, associate coach Ryan Pollock and the newest addition, ‘coach' Brandon MacLeod.”
OK, maybe not.
Especially seeing how I was on the losing side, as a guest coach for Team White, in the Pontiacs' annual intra-squad game, and will now have to face the wrath of the Pontiacs players when I suit up in goalie gear for the team's practice Thursday, Sept. 1 at 1:45 p.m. in the R.J. Lalonde Arena, as part of a wager with winning guest coach Robb Hunter. My first foray into goaltending is open to the public, of course.
I'm not going to lie, even though the guest-coaching gig was all for fun, losing hurt. But probably not as much as the pelting of pucks will.
Team White players, playing for pride and a position on the Pontiacs' regular season roster, also took the loss hard.
Their heads were held low and the dressing room was silent as fellow guest coach MD of Bonnyville Reeve Ed Rondeau and I came in following the loss.
I had not planned for this. As much as I thought about my first coaching gig before it happened, the thought of losing had apparently never crossed my mind. Either I underestimated my guest-coaching counterparts for Team Black, Hunter and Town of Bonnyville deputy mayor Gene Sobolewski, or more likely, I overestimated my own coaching skills.
Initially, when I arrived at the rink on Aug. 22, I thought there was no way I could lose. That feeling carried through until about the middle of the third period.
My team was jacked. I entered the R.J. Lalonde Arena through the back door over an hour before game time. From across the rink, through the dressing room door, I could hear Team White players yelling and their music blaring. The boys were pumped up for the game – there was no question about it.
After warm-up, I went over and got acquainted with my team. I was immediately welcomed in. It was like I had always been there.
“We got this one, coach,” were some of the first words I heard clearly. Then the rowdy yelling and music started up again.
Players could not sit still. They were raring to go.
Fifteen minutes to puck drop, players pumped each other up. And then, nearing game time, it was my turn to shine.
The pre-game speech – my wise words before the big game. This was what they paid me the big bucks for. It was now my duty to provide the coach's enthralling encouragement.
OK, OK, I am over exaggerating again.
It was really just a few quick words. Well, actually it was several f-bombs wrapped around something about Chad Mercier only selecting hard-working players.
The brashness and simplicity worked. There was no loss of energy. In fact, the players seemed even more ready to destroy Team Black.
They hit the ice with an energy I had never seen so close up before. We scored in the first few moments of the game and everything seemed to be going our way.
Penalty trouble slowed us down, but could not stop our firepower, strong defence and solid goaltending. We carried a 3-1 lead into the third period.
But we didn't want to get ahead of ourselves, so as time ticked down in the dressing room before the third period started, players took turns saying what they would do to help us win.
“Be responsible in my own end,” it started out.
“Crash the net,” the comments continued.
“Take the body at every opportunity.”
A slow clap began and with each player, the clapping got louder and faster.
As the claps and comments reached a crescendo, the final player promptly stood up and yelled, “Do whatever I can to win this cup!” The rest of the players jumped up cheering, ready to finish off what they started.
Of course, he was talking about doing whatever he could to win the Milton Romanchuk Cup – the official prize of the intra-squad game.
Unfortunately, something went wrong and we found ourselves down 4-3.
But, I'll hand it to my boys – they never gave up, despite the devastating comeback by Team Black.
Admittedly, I made a few in-game coaching blunders, however, my worst mistake was not preparing for a tough loss like this.
But, like the Monty Python song says, “Always look on the bright side of life.”
The bright side – I was about to learn another valuable coaching lesson, as Pollock entered the room to address the players.
Learning lessons from an up-and-coming associate coach of a solid Junior A squad is always a good choice.
He told them he was happy to see the tired, long faces on the players and to not have heard a bunch of chatter coming from the dressing room after the loss.
It means they were emotionally and physically invested in the game, he said.
“You can be as mad about this as you want tonight, but have it forgotten by tomorrow. It's a brand new day of hockey.”
He's right – tomorrow is a brand new day.
So I am not part of the Pontiacs' official coaching staff – right now.
I just had the experience of a lifetime, coaching a junior hockey team. Who knows what doors this will open tomorrow or the next day?
And, in the end, I will also have taken part in a Pontiacs' practice, something Robb Hunter definitely cannot claim.
