Familiar faces return to Raider bench

“The other part is chemistry…the chemistry of our coaching staff is going to be important with a young team. We’ve got a lot of talent, and it’s just a matter of letting those guys do the work they do.”

While many other teams around the league had their coaching staff locked in much earlier in the offseason, the Raiders are just solidifying their personnel now. Hunt explained that it mainly hinged on Truitt as the first domino, as a coach with considerable experience as a head coach and general manager in the WHL and as a head coach in the American Hockey League. With several clubs seeking a new head coach and/or general manager, there was a process that needed to play out.

“Truitt is a guy with great experience, great passion, I think he’s a tremendous communicator,” Hunt said. “We believe we’re going to have some leadership return on the back end and I think that combination [of traits that he brings] should keep us where we were last year in terms of how we defended, how we moved pucks, and that transition game which was so important in our ability to kill penalties.”

Returning for his second year with the club, and his second full year as an assistant coach in the WHL, is Dan Gendur. Having played 200 WHL games with Prince George and Everett before moving on to a five-year professional career after being drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in 2007, Gendur has quickly moved up the coaching ranks in the last few years.

“What’s great with Dan is his youth, his enthusiasm, his commitment to the game,” Hunt said. “For himself personally, he’s in a great situation with two great mentors, well three really with Mark Odnokon,” Hunt said.

“He was a guy who I thought might have some opportunity to move up to another club as a number one assistant coach, so we’re certainly excited to get him back.”

As for Guard, the local product returns to the Raiders in the same role he held in 2017-18 as goaltending coach. Altogether, this will be his sixth year on staff with the team, replacing Mike Brodeur who held the role last year and recently joined the Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

Hunt noted that he appreciated the work that Brodeur did with the team, and is excited for his opportunity in Alberta, but stressed the instant chemistry that Guard will bring.

“His familiarity with our coaching staff and how they operate, that creates community within our staff that runs downhill into that locker room and we’re really excited about that group of coaches that we have.”

According to Hunt, the team will open training camp on Aug. 30, with the annual Green and White intra squad scrimmage to be played on Labour Day Monday.

The Raiders will open the regular season on Friday, Sept. 20 at home against Saskatoon.

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trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden

by Trevor Redden

Familiar faces return to Raider bench

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