Mintos Head Coach Tim Leonard is stepping down after more than 15 seasons at the helm over two separate stints with the team. Leonard is seen watching the play behind the bench during a game against the Estevan Bears on Jan. 28, 2024. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW Staff)

By Logan Lehmann

A new chapter

Mintos entering new era as coaching staff steps down

Mar 15, 2024 | 8:00 AM

Major changes are coming to the Prince Albert Mintos organization this off-season as it was revealed that this year was the last for the club’s three coaches, including longtime Head Coach Tim Leonard and assistant coaches Bryan Swystun and Dane Byers.

The news comes less than a week after the Mintos were eliminated in the first round of the Sask. Male AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL) playoffs, falling in five games to the Swift Current Legionnaires.

Swystun, who has spent several years with the team over multiple stints, explained that the coaching staff felt like it was time to pass on the reins.

“Myself, Tim, and Dane won’t be back with the club,” he said. “The club is in the process of finding some new coaches but in the same token, I think that we leave the club in a good place.”

“It’s time. These were decisions that were not made just this week.”

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Byers was the most recent addition to the coaches, joining the organization just before the start of the 2022-23 campaign. Meanwhile, Leonard has been a familiar face behind the Mintos bench for over 15 years where he guided the club to two of their three Telus Cup (National) titles in 2006 and 2007.

The coaching staff isn’t the only change within the organization this offseason as the roster is also getting a major shakeup.

The team is set to lose eight players guaranteed due to age including Scott McLean, Owen Dyck, Abinet Klassen, Van Taylor, Kale Margolis, Konnor Watson, Raydr Wallington, and Taite Donkin. The team could lose more players as well as some could climb the ranks and play in the Sask. Junior Hockey League (SJHL) or in the Western Hockey League (WHL) despite being eligible to come back, like Owen Nelson who’s signed with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and goaltender Brady Holtvogt who is with the Prince George Cougars.

With the Mintos potentially losing more than 10 players next season, Swystun said that the organization has some hard shoes to fill.

“Next year is going to be a turning point for the club… but every second year in this league is that way. You either sign a lot of high-end young guys and be good for a one-and-done year, or you sign kids with a two year plan and that’s what we kind of did this year. We were executing our plan in the second year and now those kids are moving on. There are some good young players who I think are going to step into the lineup along with some kids who are coming back.”

As mentioned previously, the Mintos were eliminated in five games in the opening round of this season’s playoffs at the hands of Swift Current. Swystun shared his thoughts on the year as well as the playoff series, calling it a disappointing end to a great season.

“At the start of the year, we knew that we were going to have a decent club. We had some new guys that were coming into the lineup with some veteran experience to help out kids that we had the year before, and we had some high expectations.”

“We knew it was going to be a learning experience for some of our new players and when you factor in all of those things, I thought it was a 25-28 season win [total] was where we probably would finish off and we ended up being right there. We were tied for fourth place in the league and it was what we expected. The parity was the best it’s ever been – any team could get beat on any given night.”

“We expected a tough series [against the Legionnaires] and to be honest I was surprised to be up 2-0, we played very well in those first two games. Then as the week wore on, I think the travel and a little bit of the flu bug – it was going through our dressing room at the time.”

“It was disappointing that we didn’t play better at home on that Thursday, but that’s what it was. We were 2-2 and we felt comfortable going back [to Swift Current] on Sunday. If we were to capitalize a little bit more on our opportunities, especially down the stretch in that five-game series I think we’d be moving on to the next round.”

The series loss marked the fifth straight first-round exit for the Mintos dating back to the 2019 postseason. The Green and Gold ended the regular season with a 25-14-5 (W-L-OTL) record.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com