LETHBRIDGE – After a five month “test drive” the Lethbridge Hurricanes and general manager Peter Anholt have agreed to make their partnership more permanent.
The Hurricanes have signed Anholt to a 3-year deal to continue as general manager. He served as both G.M. and head coach after taking over for the fired Brad Robson and Drake Berehowsky in December.
“This is a real good opportunity,” said Anholt. “There’s really only one way to go, and that’s up.”
While the Hurricanes missed the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season, the team did show marginal improvement under Anholt, going 14-26-2-0. He also made a flurry of moves close to the WHL trade deadline, dramatically changing the look of the roster.
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Anholt has spent much of the past 30 years in the WHL, and the Hurricanes president feels he brought instant credibility to a franchise which has struggled on and off the ice.
“It was an instant stability changer,” said ‘Canes president Doug Paisley. “Around the league, people talked, people phoned, I had probably a dozen calls or texts the minute we named Peter, saying ‘wow, good hire, right guy, perfect guy.”
Anholt is one of the most successful coaches in WHL history, ranking 6th in all-time games coached and 9th in all-time wins. However, he feels his days behind the bench are done and intends to hire a head coach for the Hurricanes this off-season.
“I certainly have a type of coach I’m looking for,” said Anholt. “I would like it to be a teacher, somebody that’s going to relate well with the young players. And it would be nice to have experience in our league.”
Anholt says there is no timeline to hire a new coach, with this week’s WHL bantam draft an immediate priority. He also intends to hire a new head scout. “We want to keep adding good people,” said Anholt. “Whether that’s good players, good scouts, good coaches. We’re on the road, but we’ve got a long ways to go.”
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