Portrait of head coach Papaioannou
Like all of us, Ryan Papaioannou does not know what the future holds.
But for this Alberta Junior Hockey League season and at least for the next five years, he plans to stay as the head coach and general manager of the Brooks Bandits.
“Right now, I’m 28,” Papaioannou said. “I think I have it as good as I possibly could have right now. We’ve got good recruiting happening. A fantastic facility. Our board is extremely supportive. Our fan base is doing well. There’s no reason to want to move on right now.”
Papaioannou, a former Western Hockey League goalie who bounced from Calgary, Lethbridge, Seattle, and finished in Moncton (QMJHL), is in his fourth year at the helm and fifth season with the club after spending the 2008-09 season as an assistant. Last season, he led the club to its best record in franchise history (47-7-6) and the team’s first AJHL title.
It’s logical to suggest that based on his past few years, track-record, and successes with the Bandits would make him an ideal candidate at the WHL level and, perhaps eventually, beyond. Who knows?
However, the Calgary native purchased a house in Brooks and is planning to marry his fiance Jordana on Dec. 22, which, for the record, isn’t a game day (“We play at home the night before against Lloydminster, so I’m safe.”). His job stability, thanks to the support of team president Dave Hemsing the Bandits board of directors, is also important.
“Honestly, I like Brooks,” Papaioannou said. “Obviously some day that might change … but we’re doing well right now and if we can sustain this for a few years, then, yeah, I’m sure there will be opportunities.
“But if they come, it’ll have to be the right fit for me and, at that point, my family.”
Being a general manager is also an appealing aspect.
“You’re 100 per cent responsible for what happens,” he said. “If you’re not winning, it’s because you’re coaching not well or your players are not that good. The accountability at this level is 100 per cent. It’s about hiring good staff.”
The Bandits’ board of directors operates “hands-off,” giving Papaioannou total control on-ice. Coaching, scouting, trading, signing, and training is all up to him with the help of assistant coach Brent Gunnlaugson, head trainer Neal Bruetsch, and a few scouts that extend their feelers into B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the U.S.
“I’m not much of a hockey person, but I know if you score more goals than the other team you win the game,” Hemsing said. “I don’t know how to put a team together … and I’m glad I don’t have to make those decisions.
“But Ryan has a hell of a good program. He gets the respect of the players, obviously, because he respects them.”
Papaioannou hopes to take a page from one of the model AJHL franchises and longtime coach Boris Rybalka. Rybalka, of course, runs the respectable Camrose Kodiaks outfit.
“Why leave?” Papaioannou said. “You’ve got one of the best programs in the country year after year. You’ve got incredible job security, it’s your program 100 per cent. You say Camrose Kodiaks and it’s Boris.
“If we can turn Brooks into that, there’s no reason ever to leave.”