The Oshawa Generals will have a different look behind the bench this season.The team recently announced a new coaching staff and getting back to the Memorial Cup is top of mind for this group.
“I don’t want to change to much at the start here,” said Todd Miller, Oshawa Generals Head Coach.
Long-time Ontario Hockey League coach Todd Miller is the new bench boss in Oshawa.
“Being one of the most storied franchises in Canadian hockey, I jumped at this opportunity to be with the Oshawa Generals,” said Miller.
And Miller brings plenty of knowledge with him. For a decade, the 43 year-old learned from a hockey legend while with the Barrie Colts.
“Dale Hawerchuk was one of my closest friends. I got to work beside him, it was so amazing learning something new every day. I was like a sponge around him and to be here in his hometown coaching, I know he’d be smiling down on me,” said Miller.
“I remember talking to Dale about him (Todd) a number of years ago just in conversation and he couldn’t say enough good things about him,” said Roger Hunt, Oshawa Generals GM.
In searching for a new head coach, Hunt says he kept that conversation in his memory bank.
This hiring gives Miller his first full-time shot taking the reigns of a club.
“He’s got drive, he’s got ambition, certainly when he took over in Barrie the last year that we played the team seemed to turn around,” said Hunt.
To help in the transition, the team has surrounded the rookie bench boss with some coaching experience in Kurtis Foster and Dave Matsos.
“They all coached in the eastern conference, so they know our players and it was interesting hearing their perspective when they talked about our players,” said Hunt.
“For me it’s not a title thing, I don’t need that, I just want to win, that’s all I care about and they put together a great staff in order for me to do that,” said David Matsos, Generals Associate Coach.
As for Todd Miller, he describes himself as a players coach and while he wants to put his stamp on the team, he doesn’t plan on rocking the boat.
“Push the pace kind of style of hockey, rigid hard working team that’s very disciplined as well but the Oshawa Generals are always known to have a hard, heavy team and that’s what we want to continue to do here,” said Miller.
After months away from the rink and a season lost due to the pandemic, there will be challenges for the Generals as the team gets back into action. It won’t just be new faces behind the bench, when the team hits training camp, you can bet there will be some fresh faces on the ice too. That’s scheduled to start at the end of August.
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