The Nelson Leafs乌鸦传媒� new head coach says he hopes to help restore the team乌鸦传媒檚 reputation.
Briar McNaney was hired as the Leafs乌鸦传媒� interim coach Tuesday after a line brawl on Dec. 31, led to a slew of suspensions and .
McNaney乌鸦传媒檚 arrival comes at one of the most turbulent moments in the team乌鸦传媒檚 history.
, in which DiBella directed five Leafs players to fight the visiting Beaver Valley Nitehawks following a puck drop, went viral and made national headlines. It led to the KIJHL suspending the players along with DiBella who was to be removed for the remainder of the season. The team was also fined $5,000 and staff ordered to take code-of-conduct training.
The Leafs won one of three games on an ensuing road trip last weekend then and another player to the Osoyoos Coyotes in a five-player deal that brought back three rookies.
So, McNaney, has his work cut out for him, but he乌鸦传媒檚 come to Nelson with his eyes open.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 been a great spot for years, and I don乌鸦传媒檛 want players, parents, scouts, other teams thinking that this is not a good destination,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 think this is just a one-off incident, and part of my goal is to help these kids get to the next level and achieve their goals.乌鸦传媒�
McNaney is no stranger to the KIJHL. The 30-year-old played five seasons in the league with Columbia Valley, Fernie, Kamloops, Revelstoke and 100 Mile House.
In 2017, he took an assistant coaching job with Columbia Valley and was made the Rockies乌鸦传媒� head coach in 2020. There he stayed, ascending to take on the general manager role in January 2022.
Last season, in his first full year of coaching, McNaney led the Rockies to a 30-9-3 record that was tied with Nelson for fourth overall in the league.
McNaney left Columbia Valley in the off-season to take an assistant coaching job with the Kindersley Klippers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. But he was let go by the Klippers in December, not long before the Leafs found themselves in need of a new coach.
乌鸦传媒淭he Nelson Leafs乌鸦传媒� job doesn乌鸦传媒檛 open up often. When you have a top destination where you have the opportunity to be a head coach, it乌鸦传媒檚 a no-brainer, absolute no-brainer to say yes to if it was ever offered.乌鸦传媒�
Leafs乌鸦传媒� president Corey Viala said in a statement that McNaney is 乌鸦传媒渃onsidered a player乌鸦传媒檚 coach who concentrates on player development.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淭he Nelson Leafs are excited to welcome Briar to the Leafs and look forward to moving forward as we prepare to finish the regular season and enter this season乌鸦传媒檚 playoffs with a renewed enthusiasm.乌鸦传媒�
After playing in the KIJHL championship series last spring, the Leafs have struggled to reach similar heights this season. But Nelson is also just one point out of first place in the Neil Murdoch Division and has a month left in the regular season to right the ship.
On the ice, McNaney said he乌鸦传媒檒l look to make tweaks to the Leafs乌鸦传媒� play rather than wholesale changes. In the short term, he is working with a slim roster, as Tyler Seminoff, Leighton Partington, Hunter Sperle and Ryland Mennie are still suspended for five more games.
乌鸦传媒淚 will be implementing some new concepts as opposed to systems to help the boys adapt to their goals for development a little bit better, as well as play a pretty exciting brand of hockey for the fans here.乌鸦传媒�
The Leafs next play the Grand Forks Border Bruins on Friday. McNaney乌鸦传媒檚 home debut with the team is Saturday against the Castlegar Rebels.
| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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