Pats assistant Struch proud to be a ‘hockey lifer’
Former Saskatoon Blades star played and coached in past Memorial Cups
Dave Struch enjoyed all aspects of his minor-league hockey career, with one exception.
The Regina Pats assistant coach and assistant general manager wishes his wife, Andrea, and their three children (Avery, Rylan and Jessie) would have had a chance to see him play. That didn’t happen, but things worked out well as Struch embarked on his coaching career.
“I was done playing hockey and I met Andrea in Saskatoon,” said Struch, who is behind the bench for the host Pats at the 2018 Memorial Cup.
“I was already stepping into coaching and I remember I had an opportunity to go back and play. When I met Andrea, it made things a lot easier to retire from playing and to go into coaching.”
Playing hockey was Struch’s life before becoming an assistant coach with the Blades in 2006.
Struch made his WHL debut with the Blades in 1988 and over four seasons he had 285 points (including 134 goals) in 253 games. He was also selected in the ninth round (195th overall) of the 1991 NHL draft by the Calgary Flames.
Struch embarked on a 12-year professional career after graduating from the WHL. He spent four years in the Flames’ minorleague system while appearing in four NHL games (registering four penalty minutes) during the 199394 regular season.
In 1996, St ru ch headed to Europe. He remained there until 2005, when he signed with the United Hockey League’s Missouri River Otters. He played two games for the Otters before closing out the season with the Kalamazoo Wings.
“My title was a career minorleaguer and I’m proud of it,” the 47-year-old Struch said. “I was fortunate to play as long as I did because I had lots of knee surgeries. I look at myself as a fortunate person to be involved in the game as hockey for as long as I have. When you say ‘hockey lifer,’ that’s what I am.”
Struch enjoyed his time while travelling around North America and Europe as a hockey player.
“The things that I experienced in Europe were fantastic,” Struch said. “I just wish I could have the people I have in my life right now with me back then.”
Struch’s WHL career included appearances in the Memorial Cup as a player and as an assistant coach.
The Blades played host to the Memorial Cup in 1989, capping Struch’s first season in the WHL. The Swift Current Broncos defeated Saskatoon in the Memorial Cup final, thanks to an overtime goal by Tim Tisdale.
Struch’s final appearance as a player with the Blades was in the 1992 WHL final, in which the Kamloops Blazers beat Saskatoon in Game 7 to advance to the Memorial Cup. Kamloops went on to win the national title.
In 2013, Saskatoon once again played host to the Memorial Cup, with Lorne Molleken leading the way as head coach and general manager. Struch was an assistant coach with the Blades that season.
“Having gone through the experience and losing, I learned that it does take something extra,” Struch said.
“In my 20-year-old WHL year, it was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. Lorne was my coach then and it’s an experience that these Pats deserve. Experiencing it and having success at the end would be the most gratifying.”
Struch was promoted to Saskatoon’s head coach the season after the 2013 Memorial Cup. The Blades were in a rebuilding mode and finished the regular season with a 16-51-2-3 record, the second-worst in franchise history. His contract wasn’t renewed after the 2013-14 season.
He conducted talks with the Moose Jaw Warriors about their opening at head coach, but that job went to Tim Hunter.
Struch also interviewed for the Pats’ head-coaching job, a position that was (and still is) filled by John Paddock, who also became the general manager.
At that point, Struch needed a few days to decide whether to join the Pats after missing out on the head-coaching position. A week later he was introduced as the Pats’ assistant coach. Prior to the 201617 season, Struch was named the assistant GM.
“John lets me carry myself as a head coach and I’m really fortunate there,” said Struch who, like Paddock and assistant coach Brad Herauf, signed a multi-year contract extension in January.
“Lorne did the same thing in Saskatoon. If I was a head coach here, I wouldn’t do anything different than I do as an assistant. I would treat the players the same way. I feel the players deserve the same respect that we as coaches would like from them.”
There has been some speculation that Struch is being groomed to take over if and when the 63-yearold Paddock decides to retire.
“That is a decision between John and the ownership,” Struch said. “For me, I do my thing every single day. I love it and I love seeing these players develop most importantly as people and as players second. Obviously our organization gets to reap the benefits.”