Broncos tab Brockman as next head coach
Dean Brockman has a tremendous challenge ahead of him, but sounded determined when he was announced as the new Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations of the Swift Current Broncos on June 27.
“To be honest with you it’s really humbling. When you think of the past and the history of this organization you can just beam and smile and it just fills your heart with so much emotions,” said Brockman.
He spent the previous four seasons with the Saskatoon Blades where he was an Assistant Coach for two seasons and then compiled a 63-68-10-3 record as Head Coach. He will now become the eighth head coach in Swift Current Broncos WHL history.
Brockman spent 17 seasons in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League with Humboldt Broncos. He became their head coach in 2004 was named the SJHL Coach of the Year four times.
Brockman was relieved of his duties on March 18 after the Blades missed the playoffs despite having the sixth most points in the Eastern Conference. Viveiros left the Broncos after two wildly successful seasons to become an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers in the National Hockey League.
Brockman sounded ecstatic to be in charge of the Broncos in the Canadian Hockey League’s smallest market.
“When you drive around town, there’s no better place to be. It may be small, but the heart is big here. It’s Bronco hockey. Just to be a part of it, a minuscule part of it, I feel very honoured,” said Brockman.
He has big shoes to fill after Viveiros led the Broncos to the Ed Chynoweth Cup in two seasons.
“Obviously we want to regain that magic that appeared here in the last season, two seasons. Certainly it is going to take some time, but we are going to work hard towards that goal again. I think I’m motivated to work extremely hard with, I just met some people today and you can just see the passion in their eyes on what this organization means,” said Brockman.
Brockman is very familiar with Swift Current and the Innovation Credit Union iplex after coaching an East Division rival for the past four seasons.
“Every time you came in this rink as an opposition coach you could just sense that this is a hockey town. It’s just so exciting because to have that and to be a part of the community and just know how important it is just thrills me to death.”
Brockman realizes that their bar has been raised in Swift Current by Viveiros over the past two seasons.
“Usually when you take over a team there’s usually two ways to go. This time it’s a lot tougher than that. Obviously you want to maintain that. But obviously I know that hockey is a cycle thing. We just want to build towards that again. Pressure is a great thing, it strives you to be better. You’ll want that pressure, because if you don’t have it then you’re complacent and you’re too relaxed. Yeah there’s pressure, but it’s a good pressure.”
The Broncos will likely be without all of their top offensive players from last season and Brockman knows his team will have its work cut out for it.
“I think we want to do it the Swift Current Bronco way. We want to do it the right way and we’ll start with obviously assessing our younger players and try and put them into situations where they are gonna succeed on a nightly basis.”
He has plenty of experience as a head coach and in management to draw from.
“I think the one thing that I’ve learnt throughout my career is try and do the things the right way, meaning the right way is involve the people that are important and involved from the community and be honest with them. I think that’s important. I think if people wanna know where you’re at, you need to tell them.”
Brockman didn’t hesitate when queried about what type of team he hopes to put on the ice.
“This is a hard-working community, so first of all the trademark has to be hard-working. I know every team works hard, but it’s night in, night out and they have to give us their best effort. I mean people are paying their hard earned dollars to watch a team that’s gonna float around, that’s not gonna happen. We have to work hard and that has to be our trademark day in, day out.”
Brockman also hopes to have a fast team as well.
“The game is played fast these days and we have to play it that way. Obviously you want people that care, they live and die for hockey, I think that’s important. We are in a community where everything matters and it matters to me. I think that you’ll see that our teams work extremely hard.”