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HomePG CougarsSmith hopes to match growth of Cougars as coach

Smith hopes to match growth of Cougars as coach

He comes with experience, but he’s looking to learn.

15 years in the NHL as a player, along with seven-plus years coaching, the Prince George Cougars Associate Coach Jason Smith believes it all comes together, which is what allows him to succeed behind the bench.

“I think the biggest thing is (my) experience as a player. The time I’ve put into player development and coaching in the NHL and last year in Kelowna the last bunch of years, I’ve really had an opportunity to learn about what it takes today’s players to get better, ad the time it takes. You can teach it in a lot of different ways, and you can find the right niche to help get the best out of the kids that are going to allow your team to have success.”

After a professional career in the NHL playing for the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Ottawa Senators, Smith got into coaching in 2012 as an assistant in the Senators organization. He’d then be named the head coach in Kelowna in 2016.

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Earlier this week, the Cougars announced the hiring of Smith to fill the Associate Coach role, a position announced that the Cougars were looking to fill when the team made the announcement that Mark Lamb would be the permanent head coach heading into the 2019-2020 season.

Having spent two-plus seasons coaching the Kelowna Rockets, Smith posted back-to-back 40+ win seasons beginning with his first year with the organization, which was the same year he guided the Rockets to a Western Conference Finals appearance.

After head coaching, Smith is embracing the opportunity to work in tandem with Lamb.

“It’ll be fairly smooth and I’m excited,” said Smith. “When you get an opportunity to learn from someone like Mark who’s been in the western league, and has been in hockey a long time, it should be great for me. Obviously, I want to continue to grow and develop and hone my craft as a coach. That’s what junior hockey is about, it’s about players developing and getting better, and coaches and managers developing and getting better.”

Smith states while he didn’t reach out with regards to the head coaching position, discussions started when Lamb made the decision to take on duties as head coach on a permanent term, while also balancing his general manager duties.

During his years as a player in Edmonton, Lamb served on the coaching staff as an assistant. Knowing and witnessing first-hand just how Lamb operates, he believes the Cougars are in a good position if its anything close to the type of atmosphere that was created in Edmonton.

“When you’re in a good mood coming to the rink and you feel like you’re wanted and you’re liked in your organization, it’s easy for you to come and play and compete as a player, and I think that was something that was really special in Edmonton was how well players were treated and I think Mark really believes if you treat the guys well and treat them with respect, then you’ll get the most work out of them and get the best results.”

With the opportunity in Prince George, Smith gets the chance to further his coaching experience while also learning from Lamb, who will be giving Lamb some free-reign to take his expertise along the blueline to develop the defensive unit.

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“It’s exciting. I think I’ll get to work with the guys in the backend and hopefully develop some fo the young guys, and I think we’ve got a good group of guys that are going to be stable defenders but be able to move the puck up the ice.”

The 45-year-old Smith believes the methods of coaching have changed over the years, feeling like the role of the coach nowadays is much more that of a motivator rather than a dictator.

“I think that’s the biggest thing, being able to wander through the locker room and have the players be comfortable is really important,” explained Smith. “You don’t want them to be intimidated and be scared of you. I think the days of the coach being a dictator, yelling and screaming on a daily basis, is past. I think you’ve got to be able to communicate with them, talk to them, show them a reason why you’re doing something and try to teach them, whether its through video or through pictures, moving them around the ice like a chess piece, you’ve got to be able to communicate and find the best way to get that message through to them.”

The Prince George Cougars also announced the hiring of their new Athletic Therapist in Mike Matthies. Also, the Cougars’ Equipment Manager Ramandeep “Chico” Dhanjal has been named to the Team Canada staff for the U17 Hockey Challenge, which takes place in Medicine Hat and Swift Current from November 2-9.

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