The Saskatoon Blades announced Sunday morning that they have relieved Dean Brockman, 51, of his duties as head coach effective immediately.
The Western Hockey League (WHL) team finished the 2017-18 season on Saturday with a 35-33-4 record for a total of 74 points.
“We have been in a playoff position two years in a row coming down the stretch and just haven’t been able to take that next step, which ultimately led us to this decision,” Blades general manager Colin Priestner said in a press release.
“While this was a difficult decision for us to make, we felt our performance over the last month of the season was very disappointing and the team did not meet the expectations we set out for them.”
Brockman had spent two seasons as assistant coach before being named the Blades’ 21st head coach in June 2016.
Last season, Saskatoon totalled 65 points in the league. In August 2017, the team announced they extended Brockman’s contract through until the end of the 2020 season.
During his two-year tenure as bench boss, Brockman went 63-68-13.
“We’d like to thank Dean and his family for all their hard work over the last four seasons and wish him nothing but the best in the future,” Priestner said.
Brockman previously coached the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). He helped lead the team to two national titles in 2003 and 2008. In another appearance at the 2009 Royal Bank Cup final, the Broncos were the runner-up.
The St. Benedict, Sask., native was named SJHL Coach of the Year four times.
Brockman also coached Canada West to a silver medal at the World Junior ‘A’ Championship in 2012, taking home a gold medal at that same event as an assistant coach one year earlier.
The Blades have not made the WHL playoffs since the 2012-13 season.
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