BENCH BOSS
Lauer to coach Oil Kings
Brad Lauer will need to update his wardrobe.
After spending the last five seasons in sunny climates as an assistant with the Anaheim Ducks and Tampa Bay Lightning, the Humboldt, Sask., product is returning to Canada to be head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Lauer, 51, was introduced as Steve Hamilton’s successor Wednesday, the same day the Oil Kings announced the hiring of Kirt Hill, 30, as president of hockey operations and general manager, taking over from Randy Hansch.
“I don’t forget those days, I remember riding the bus on those cold nights when I was in Kootenay,” Lauer said on a conference call from Tampa, Fla. “That’s junior hockey to me, that’s the character of the league. It’s an awesome experience. It is cold, don’t get me wrong, I have softened up living down here in the last few years and my winter clothes closet is very thin right now and it’s something that will have to be filled, but to me it’s junior hockey. That’s what it’s all about, is getting on the bus on those cold nights, that’s part of the league.”
A former winger with the Regina Pats who went on to have a lengthy pro career, which included 323 games in the NHL with the New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins, Lauer was on Jon Cooper’s coaching staff in Tampa Bay the last two seasons. Before that he spent three years as an assistant in Anaheim.
Lauer has been an assistant in the Western Hockey League, American Hockey League and NHL for 15 seasons. He started as an assistant with the Kootenay Ice, spending five seasons with the club. Edmonton will be Lauer’s first head coaching position.
“I think the biggest thing that I liked about (Lauer) was when I met him as a person, I knew he was a quality person,” said Hill. “I got a good feeling of how good of a person he was, he was just a quality person. I feel like he’s going to be a great communicator and a great teacher to our players and that was really important for me.”
Not wanting to be typecast as a career assistant coach, Lauer jumped on the opportunity to call his own shots after his tenure with the Lightning came to an end. He reached out to Hill inquiring about the vacant coaching position with the Oil Kings and impressed the rookie GM to get the job.
“When things ended here in Tampa, I was out making phone calls and talking to other coaches in different leagues to see what was out there and what was available,” Lauer said. “I wanted to do an evaluation as a coach of where I was myself and I’ve been very fortunate enough to work with some very good head coaches and I really felt I needed to be a head coach.”
In the Oil Kings, Lauer is inheriting a team trying to climb up the mountain after finishing last in the WHL standings.
The Oil Kings missed the playoffs the last two seasons as they underwent a rebuilding phase following their Memorial Cup championship in 2014.
Lauer has yet to reach out to some of the Oil Kings leadership group, but hopes to start making calls following the Canada Day long weekend. He’ll be moving to Edmonton in early July.
The Oil Kings open training camp at the end of August. They begin their 2018-19 season on Sept. 21, hosting the Red Deer Rebels at Rogers Place.