From basement dwellers to contenders: The evolution of Pronghorns Men’s Hockey

The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s hockey team is enjoying their best season in years. As they head into the semester break, they sit at 8-5-3 and comfortably in a playoff spot.

To really appreciate what the Horns are doing, you have to look back at what they’ve been through. The program has been flat-out awful for a number of years. In fact, they only won 22 times in 112 games over a four-year span prior to this season.

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“It’s a no-brainer that teams are going to look at you and maybe not respect you as much as they should,” Pronghorns fourth-year forward Mitch Maxwell said. “To be honest, that’s kind of what you deserve when you have losing seasons. You lose that respect around the league.”

Head coach Spiros Anastas took over the team three years ago and has been trying to shed a negative stigma.

“It was difficult taking over this program because there was a negative perception of what the program was,” Anastas said. “Not just on the ice, but off the ice as well. So there was a lot that needed to be changed.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It was difficult taking over this program because there was a negative perception of what the program was," Anastas said. "Not just on the ice, but off the ice as well. So there was a lot that needed to be changed."

He did change a lot. Anastas has cut 21 players over the past three years in an effort to change the culture.

“I focused on bringing in good people who care about each other,” Anastas said. “I think that there was lacking here prior to my arrival. You can’t succeed unless you care about the guy that is battling with you and next to you. We’ve improved in all aspects, not just on the ice. (We’re) better in the classroom and more involved in the community. We’re a family.”

The Pronghorns’ success can also be attributed to their favourite two-word phrase: “the process.”

“The process started for me in September 2014,” Anastas said. “It’s not something that just clicked this year, it’s something that we’ve been working on for a long time.”

You hear it a lot around the Horns, even when you’re not asking about “the process,” players are talking about it.

“It would mean a lot to make playoffs but no matter what happens this year, we need to leave it all on the ice and stick to the process,” Pronghorns captain Tim Campbell said.

In short, “the process” is focusing on development rather than results.

“I’m happy with where the process is at,” Anastas said. “That’s kind of the point is to have it sink in and have the guys live by it. Our team has keyed in on the process – we can have a good shift and bad shift but all that matters is the next one.”

When the players are asked about “the process,” they can’t help but smile.

“I think we hear it more than you do,” Maxwell said with a smile. “He’s (Anastas) preached it since day one he’s been here. I think it’s been a little bit longer of a process than you hope for, but I think we’ve been able to see the fruits of that process come to fruition.”

Veteran players say this year’s Pronghorns team is the closest group they’ve had and they hope to continue defying expectations.

“Everyone has that goal to make it all the way,” Maxwell said. “That’s not out of our reach. Some people may think it is but were not going to listen to that.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Everyone has that goal to make it all the way," Maxwell said. "That's not out of our reach. Some people may think it is but were not going to listen to that."

The Pronghorns men’s hockey team returns to action on Jan. 6 when they play the University of Calgary in Calgary.