The Regina Pats Hockey Club announced today that Pat Conacher has resigned his position as Head Coach after two seasons behind the bench of the Queen City squad.
“After much discussion and deliberation with family, on Friday April 26, 2013, I delivered to Chad Lang my letter of resignation to step down as the head coach of the Regina Pats,” commented Conacher. “I would like to thank the Parker family, the Pats organization and their terrific support staff, Greg Mayer, all the players who gave all they had the last two years, and the media who were always fair and a pleasure to work with. Last but not least, the city of Regina and the fans, thank you for your support. It has been a great two years for my wife Susan and I. I wish nothing but health and success for the Pats and their fans now and in the future.”
“As Pat had another year on his contract his resignation certainly caught us off guard,” said Pats General Manager Chad Lang. “We would like to thank Pat for his commitment to the Regina Pats organization for the past two years and wish him and his family all the best in the future.”
Malcolm Cameron has been promoted and will now assume the head coaching reigns after spending the past two years as the Pats Assistant Coach and the previous nine seasons coaching professional hockey in the East Coast Hockey League.
“When we put together our staff two years ago we wanted to have a succession plan in place to maintain continuity if and when any of our coaches moved on,” added Lang. “Malcolm is a quality coach and we did not even consider looking anywhere else. We are excited to move forward with Malcolm and we feel very fortunate that we had a top notch person and coach ready to step right in without us missing a beat as an organization.”
In his nine seasons as a head coach in the ECHL, Cameron never missed the playoffs in those years while twice taking teams to the conference finals. Three All-Star Games and a runner-up for Coach of the Year three times highlight his coaching career in the ECHL. In 699 games coaching in the ECHL, Cameron registered a record of 410-203-86 including back-to-back 52 win seasons with the Texas Wildcatters.
Cameron joined the Regina Pats prior to the 2011-12 WHL Regular Season as an assistant coach and helped the Pats to a 37-27-6-2 record that season and a berth in the 2012 WHL Playoffs.
“I am very humbled and proud to become the next Head Coach of the Regina Pats,” commented Cameron. “I would like to thank the Parker family, General Manager Chad Lang for their support in giving me this opportunity and lastly former coach Pat Conacher for helping me prepare to be a successful head coach in the WHL. The opportunity to coach the oldest franchise in the CHL is one I look upon with great pride and honor, and I hope to be able to add to the tradition of our proud franchise. I look forward to working with the returning staff Josh Dixon, Rob Muntain and Greg Mayer, as well as the returning players, and look forward to the challenge of grooming the new players into proud Regina Pats.”
The first duties for Cameron as the new Head Coach will be May 31th – June 2st when he participates in the Pats Spring Camp at the Cooperators Centre. All of the Regina Pats recent draft picks and prospects will be in Regina for the annual three day orientation and evaluation session.
(Courtesy Daniel Fink--Pats Media Relations)
6 comments:
No search? You just hand the ball to Cameron? Methinks there is more to this story than Conacher just steping down.
When stupidity surrounds you, you get fed up and you leave. Isn't that what you did at Rawlco Scruffy? Conacher had obviously had enough when he leaves with a year to go. He could probably take the Raiders job right now if he wanted it.
Darren
Conacher never saw eye-to-eye with Parker. Cameron does. This move makes complete sense to me. SIGHHHH!!!
It's no secret that Conacher hated working for Parker...he must be relieved to be out of Regina.
The coaching grave yard known as the Regina Pats has claimed another victim. No respectable coach would ever come here, ever! That's why it's two years and out. Build your resume and get out of dodge. The Pats have had a number of great coaches, in fact enough to gag a maggot. It's much like the movie Groundhog Day. The guy comes in and asks for some talent. You give him nothing and ask miracles. This organization is rotting from within, and it all starts at the top. Organizations fail from the top down and not the other way.
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