After spending the past seven years at the helm of the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs, Chad Mercier officially resigned from the organization this past week, saying the timing was right for both himself and the team to part ways.
Mercier said being able to spend more time with his family, while remaining in Bonnyville were critical factors in his decision to leave the organization.
“I'm a big believer that in this game at a high level you have to continue to strive to move forward and get better or go a different direction. I've spent 20 years in junior hockey, 15 years of that coaching. It's been a long time in the game and I've been very fortunate but it can also put a lot of strain on some things,” Mercier said.
“I've got a wife and two young kids at home that I want to spend more time with and we want to do that in Bonnyville. It's a great community and I'm very fortunate to have had the opportunity to come back and coach in my hometown and be part of the Pontiacs' organization for seven of those years. But at this point if I'm not pursuing the game at a higher level, it was time for me to do other things.”
He said his immediate plan is to pursue another career in Bonnyville, though he did not specify what that career might be.
Pontiacs' president Don Sydora said Mercier played a significant role in building and improving the organization during his time here and that he left the organization in a stronger position than when he started.
“I would like to thank Chad, and his family, for giving us seven great years,” said Sydora, in a team press release. “Chad has been a dedicated member of the organization and has definitely brought players, who have come to the team, to a higher level than I think kids expected to get to when they came through the door of the RJ Lalonde Arena.”
Mercier started his junior hockey career in 1992 as goalie with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League, playing in 160 games. In 1996 he was named a First Team All-Star and the WHL Eastern Conference Goalie of the Year.
Immediately following his playing career, Mercier joined the Pats coaching ranks, being named the team's assistant coach in 1998 and coaching alongside two-time CHL Coach of the Year Bob Lowes.
Mercier continued coaching with the Pats until 2004, when he joined the ranks of the Saskatoon Blades as an associate coach to head coach and general manager Lorne Molleken.
After two seasons with the Blades, Mercier was hired by the Pontiacs to be the team's new head coach and general manager.
During his time in Bonnyville, Mercier brought the team to a higher level in both on-ice performance and off-ice achievements. The team finished fourth in the AJHL's North Division twice in his first three years in Bonnyville. During his final three years, the team set a new standard finishing third in the division for the first time in team history in 2010-11 and doing it again in 2012-13, Mercier's final year with the Pontiacs. He was named the AJHL's Coach of the Year in 2011.
Though he said he is “Incredibly proud” of how far the team has come over the years, including the contribution it makes within the community and the number of players that go on to a post-secondary education each year, Mercier said he would have liked to achieve his ultimate goal of bringing a championship back to his hometown.
He said, looking past the game itself, what he will miss the most are all the people that make the organizations he's been a part of successful.
“It's the people within the organizations I've spent time in that have become some of the most important people in my life, here in Bonnyville and in Regina and Saskatoon. I can't say enough about the coaches, the billets, the sponsors, the players, the volunteers, even the media. They have all made my time here special and memorable.”
Mercier said ultimately arriving at the decision to resign took a lot of thought and planning, but he believes he made the right choice.
“We've been working this out for a little while now and I've had many conversations with both my family and the organization and certainly I wanted to make sure my family is looked after and that the organization is looked after and I believe that is the case for both with this decision.”
Sydora said the team would be announcing a new head coach and general manager in the coming days.
