A new face will be seen behind the bench of the Fernie Ghostriders this year. Calgary’s Jeff Wagner, formerly the assistant general manager of the Creston Valley Thundercats, is excited to assume the role of head coach.
The 29-year-old hockey enthusiast says that he’s looking forward to taking the Ghostriders in a new direction, and envisions a strong 2018/19 season.
Wagner has a 12-year history in minor hockey himself, playing in Calgary until he aged out, at which point he pursued college and soon after, coaching. He got his first taste of coaching with the Midget AA Calgary Buffalos Hockey Association, moving on to the Calgary Northstars, back to the Buffalos, and eventually Creston.
“It was a great experience,” said Wagner, speaking to his time spent with Creston.
He admitted that coming from minor hockey, coaching Junior B hockey was a big jump up. However, he says great mentorship by Creston head coaches Jeff Dubois and Brad Tobin helped shape him as a coach. For the past two years, Wagner has been coaching Creston, and says it will feel strange switching benches. However in observing the Ghostriders from the opposing bench, he says he can identify some of Fernie strongest and weakest qualities.
“I think they (Fernie) play with a lot of energy,” he said.
“I think something that we’re going to be looking at this year is just a consistency. From an opposing mindset, there were times where you were worried about them, and there were times where it just seemed like they were going through the motions, and it was a less challenging game for us in Creston anyways.
“The energy that they (Fernie) bring, when they bring it, is definitely a huge asset to have. Their physicality is great. I think we’ll find out in the next few months what kind of personnel we have, and what kind of hockey we’ll be playing.”
The new coach says he appreciates a good strategy, and promotes creativity in the offensive zone. He would consider himself less of a chip-and-chase, muck-and-grind kind of guy; he appreciates the skill side of the game.
Wagner says the best part about being a coach is building relationships with the players, and he says he’s excited to introduce himself to the Ghostriders. He also considers himself a players’ coach, which comes with building a trusting relationship with the players, and challenging them on a day to day basis.
To Wagner, hard work is a lot of fun. Seeing the players progress is very rewarding.
Wagner added that although he is a players coach, he admitted that he is quite demanding of his players. He expects his players to be the hardest working team on the ice, every night.
“It’s a matter of creating a trusting relationship but also having the understanding that hey, these are the things we need to do to be successful, and not waver from that,” he said.
For Wagner, assuming the role of head coach of the Ghostriders is a big step for him in his career and in his development. He also says it is an honour to be a part of Fernie’s history.
“They (Fernie) have a pretty rich history of having championship-calibre teams, and they have a fanbase that is extremely loyal.
“It’s one of my favourite destinations to be in, even as an opposing coach, because the atmosphere at Fernie Memorial Arena is always fun to be a part of.
“I’m really excited to be a Ghostrider, and get the ball rolling.”