Photo Credit: Scott Stroh
Last week, the Northern Manitoba Blizzard announced Head Coach and General Manager Eric Labrosse has signed a 5-year contract extension.
Labrosse explains what led to him putting pen to paper. “We have new ownership on board for the upcoming season. Rob and Bonnie White, they were around the team last year, Rob was the President and he and his wife decided to take full ownership of the team. That was a big reason why I accepted a long-term contract. I know the vision they have for the club and I know everything they’re going to put into it. They have a lot of passion, they’re community driven and those are things that made me want to stick around.”
Committing to 5-years, Labrosse says building around the on-ice team is very exciting. “It’s something that’s a huge part of it all. By having (the Whites) take over ownership, they have a great community network and have been in business for a long time, and with that, they bring assets that weren’t around the team last year but can be going forward.”
Assistant coach Paul-Antonie Deslauriers also has committed to a 5-year extension and Labrosse says there’s more familiar faces returning for at least the upcoming season plus some new additions. “On top of PA returning, Jomar Cruz, our goaltending coach is back. We’ve added a new equipment manager, Nicholas Dunk, who spent last year in the AJHL with Drayton Valley. He’s done a lot of JR. A work in Ontario. Also, we’re going to be adding shortly a new athletic therapist, that should be arriving in town in the next few weeks.”
Building a stable, sustained program is exactly what Labrosse wants, and he says he could start to see it coming into focus even going back to last year. “If parents and players can see there is success, structure and growth in the program, they’ll be more inclined to lean toward coming. I think last season was our initial year of getting the program back up and going on its wheels. It’s not all about wins and losses when you’re trying to build something. It’s a matter of making sure all the players are developing while they’re here, they’re here for 7 or 8 months out of the year, they need to develop as players but also as people. They have to make sure they’re an integral part of the community and take part in community events. It’s all things we instilled last year and guys would take part it in and actually love being a part of. After that, if it translates to success on the ice, it makes it easier to attract some players. All that dedication and hard work and success has started to pay off through recruiting and talking with families, it was a little easier for me than it was the first time around about 12-months ago.”
There’s a rich championship history but for Labrosse that’s in the past, he’s wanting to make championship memories now. “That’s the goal, if you’re not in it to win a championship, why are you even doing it? That’s my thought. So, obviously that’s what we’re aiming for, that’s what we’re striving for. Reality is there are 13 teams in the league and a lot of good teams that could win in every year. It’s a long season, it’s a grind, there are a lot of pieces that need to fall into place, including team chemistry throughout the year. We saw it last year first-hand in the playoffs, we had a lot of injuries, and you need a bit of luck to not have too many banged-up bodies. For me, the season is a process, you want guys building up and peaking at that time. We are aiming to be in the playoffs and make as deep a run as possible.
After getting to game 7 of round 2 last year, Labrosse knows his mix of returning players and first-year Blizzard has what it takes to do big things. “The main goal is to be hoisting the trophy at the end of the year.”
