Rick Swan has been named the new head coach and general manager of the Bonnyville Pontiacs, after signing a three-year deal with the organization on Friday afternoon.
Swan spent the 2012 season as an associate coach and assistant GM to Chad Mercier. He was promoted after Mercier stepped down earlier this month.
“I'm excited and enthusiastic of what lies ahead,” said Swan, who previously spent 25 years as a police officer in Edmonton. “I know where we are now and Chad left the organization in a great state. My job right now and my challenge is to ensure that we grow from here.”
Swan has been involved in some level of hockey since 1998. He has worked with Hockey Alberta helping coach both Under-16 and Under-17 provincial teams. Before being hired by the Pontiacs, he spent the past five seasons coaching the REM and the Knight of Columbus midget AAA hockey teams in Edmonton. During his time with the Knights of Columbus, Swan coached several players who would go on to join the Pontiacs, including Dante Borrelli, Kevin Carthy and Blake Leask.
“I think that one of his greatest skills is his ability to communicate with the players,” said Pontiacs team president Don Sydora. “There is going to be a very good rapport with the kids in the development and as they come to us. With that quality and with his experience in the hockey world, I think he is going to be a very effective coach in working with the kids.”
The Pontiacs spent last summer looking for a replacement when former associate coach and assistant general manager Ryan Pollock resigned from his position with the organization.
During the initial discussions that took place between Swan and Mercier, it was clear that the Pontiacs were looking for a potential successor to their head coach and GM.
“We had discussed that there was going to be a succession plan, which meant that I was going to take over the head coach and general manager's position,” said Swan. “We didn't know if that was going to be in one year or two years, but we did know.”
Already knowing that he would one day take over the front office of the organization, Swan used last season to learn from Mercier.
“Early on I made sure that I soaked up as much as I could from Chad. He is the best coach I have ever seen,” said Swan. “There is no question that when you are around an individual as knowledgeable and as experienced as Chad, you can't help but become a better coach, because of the generosity in terms of the mentoring that he has.”
Officials with the Pontiacs see this is a “positive move” for the organization and are excited for the upcoming season.
“We won't skip a beat in the transition from Chad to Rick,” said Sydora. “With that year under his belt working with Chad, he knows the level of compete that was set by Chad and he will continue at that same level.”
Swan was grateful of the trust the organization showed in him by offering him a three-year contract. He will now be a part of the organization for the foreseeable future.
“I love the town and I love the organization,” said Swan. “I am passionate about coming to work every day. It doesn't seem like work to me, to be honest with you. It allows me to grow everyday as an individual as well and that's important.”
The Pontiacs finished last season with 73 points, good enough for third place in the AJHL's North Division. The team is looking forward to trying to improve on last year's run, which saw them get knocked out in the second round of the playoffs.
“We are excited that Rick has taken over,” said Sydora. “I am sure that he is going to cause everyone around him to excel. It is going to be exciting for the fans and for the organization.”
