After an exhaustive search, Lethbridge Hurricanes general manager Brad Robson finally got the only man he wanted.
“That one person is Drake Berehowsky,” announced Robson at a news conference Monday at the Enmax Centre. The 41 year old Berehowsky becomes the 12th head coach in Hurricanes history.
“To be able to help mold these players into becoming better players, NHL players and better people was a dream that I’ve always wanted to have,” said Berehowsky.
A veteran of 549 NHL games as a defenceman for six different teams, Berehowsky stepped behind the bench after retiring in 2006. He spent time as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Barrie Colts and Brampton Battalion, and the Peoria Rivermen of the AHL. Last season he earned his first head coaching job, guiding the expansion Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL to a 28-37-0 record.
His attention to detail, including a thorough season-long plan outlined in a PowerPoint presentation submitted to Robson, made his name standout among the 84 applicants for the vacant Hurricanes job.
“He has experience at all levels of hockey in Canada and has had success at all those levels,” said Robson. “His resume was impressive, and he was the only person I talked to for the job.”
The Hurricanes fired former general manager and head coach Rich Preston in March after the team went 28-34-2-7, missing the playoffs for a fourth straight year. However, Preston did leave the roster stacked with quality young talent, an attractive quality to Berehowsky who agreed to terms on a three year contract.
“I’ve talked to Brad for a while now and the team he’s put into place, it’s exciting,” said Berehowsky. “We’ve got a lot of young talent, and I’m anxious to get started.”
Preston’s teams were often criticized for lack of system play and special teams success. Robson believes he’s found someone to shore up those parts of the game, with words like structure, discipline and accountability thrown around often during the news conference.
“He talked about teaching, how important that is,” said Robson. “He talked about prioritizing, he talked about accountability, credibility, work ethic, we talked a lot about special teams, young players, giving the young players opportunities to play, to grow.”
A father of six, Berehowsky is eager to move his family north, and provide some stability in a career which has taken him to more than 20 different cities worldwide.
“I can’t wait to bring a winning culture back to this city, this organization.”
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