With Dan McKay leaving the fold to pursue other options, the Yorkton Terriers were left searching for a new assistant coach this summer.
The new man is Casey O'Brien. He was introduced at a press conference held ahead of the Terriers annual golf tournament at Deer Park Golf Course last Thursday.
In introducing O'Brien, Terrier head coach Trent Cassan pointed to a varied hockey career for his new assistant.
It was a career which included time in Ontario Junior 'B', the University of Guelph, two years in Norway, and some time in the minor pros in the United States.
Cassan said his extensive playing background, and that he has coached, including during his time in Norway were assets he liked in choosing O'Brien for the position.
"And, I got a good feeling in interviewing him and doing some background on him," he said.
O'Brien said the Terrier job was a timely one for him, since his wife had accepted a teaching job in Melville.
"Then the position opened up here in Yorkton," he said.
As for the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, O'Brien said he knows a bit about the league having "skated with Notre Dame" on a try-out.
" I know it's a pretty popular league across Canada It's got a good reputation for putting guys in the WHL (Western Hockey League) and college hockey."
For the new assistant seeing players progress is important.
"I'm looking forward to helping kids pursue their dreams of getting to the next level," he said.
In terms of what his role will be with the Terriers, O'Brien said it's too early to know what Cassan will be expecting him to contribute.
"We've only had one meeting since I've gotten the job," he said, adding it does appear as a former defenceman "I would be running the 'D', and he said he'd look after forwards during games."
O'Brien said he doesn't have an etched-in-stone philosophy about coaching, adding only winning counts.
"I played for and under a lot of different systems," he said, adding he believes rather than having a style and trying to have 20 players into it, you gauge what their strengths are and design the system to enhance those strengths.
" When you work with the players and the players work hard, any year can be a good one."
O'Brien did add in general terms hockey has to remain a game for Junior players.
"As a coach I like to be positive, and make sure they're having fun," he said, adding for a player who is 19, or 20, Junior hockey can end up feeling like a job. " You can begin to lose passion for the game."
