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It came down to the last minute, but the Soo Greyhounds coaching staff will remain intact until the end of the 2022-23 Ontario Hockey League season.
The team announced early Monday afternoon that it has extended the contracts of coach John Dean, associate coach Jordan Smith, and assistant coach Jamie Tardif.
All three were hired in the summer of 2018.
Dean was named coach after previous coach Drew Bannister accepted a coaching position with the American Hockey League’s San Antonio Rampage in June of that year.
After holding a similar position with the Sudbury Wolves the previous season, Smith was hired by the team while Tardif was brought in on the heels of a 12-year-pro hockey career.
“We’re definitely high on those guys,” general manager Kyle Raftis said. “It’s really important with a lot of new faces coming in on the players' side that we have that familiarity with the coaching staff.”
“All three guys have made individual growth in their own development and it’s going to be exciting to have them back here for the next couple of years,” Raftis added.
Raftis, who spoke highly of Dean’s love of the game at the time of his hiring, echoed that sentiment on Monday.
“John’s always had the passion,” Raftis said. “He’s a high-energy guy. He’s obsessive about the details of the group. Where he’s really taken a step has been in terms of that presence of being in front of this group and leading an organization. He’s been a head coach before, but as he’s continued to progress, he’s found his own voice with it.”
With the staff remaining together for the upcoming season, Dean said the three “share very common values,” which allows them to work well together.
“What we value in life, in general, is shared between the three of us and also the work ethic of the three of us. The head coach always likes to say they’re the hardest working guy in the room, but my staff challenges me day in and day out to make sure that they’re the hardest working guys as well,” Dean said. “Anytime you work with people who have a really good work ethic and strong moral values that match yours, you’ll always get through the struggles of debating X’s and O’s. When you have that foundation, it’s a heck of a good start.”
Both Raftis and Dean had high praise for Smith’s abilities as a coach.
“Jordan is a great balance for us because he’s a guy that, when you talk about playing certain styles of hockey, he was a certain type of player himself and he’s got a great appreciation and feel for those guys. There’s not a lot of guys, and this is a credit to Jordan, that is an elite defensive coach. It’s one of the toughest positions to fill. There are a lot of guys that can work on certain skillsets. With Jordan, the way he can see the game and what he gets out of his players, it’s exciting.”
“Jordan brings a presence to our staff; a demeanour that when he walks into the room, we know it’s game time,” Dean said. “He’s been exceptional for me in terms of making sure our guys are game ready. They know what’s expected of them. More than anything, he models that every day. He’s really worked hard to make sure that he’s on the cutting-edge of what’s happening in the world of defence and making sure that our guys obtain that knowledge through him. His relationships with the entire team, and specifically the D corps, is exceptional. He has those guys in his office every day. It’s pretty clear the respect that the players have for him. When he talks, they listen.”
In a prepared statement, Smith called it “an honour to be given the opportunity to continue in my role.”
“I’m excited to work with Kyle, John, and Jamie, as well as both the new and returning players as we anxiously await the start of the 2021-22 OHL season,” Smith added.
For Tardif, the Greyhound job was his first coaching opportunity, but the 36-year-old has settled into the role well.
“Jamie’s large focus is the power play and skill development with our players, especially the forwards,” Raftis said. “When you see a lot of players make a jump and see a huge jump in production and where that confidence comes from, it gets laid our from video and skill sessions which then bleed into the practices and then bleed into the game, that’s something that Jamie and assistant coaches don’t get enough credit for.”
“You can’t just yell at a player to play confident; they have to believe it themselves,” Raftis added. “That groundwork and initial stuff starts with our skill work and Jamie’s had a huge influence on that.”
Dean credited Tardif’s willingness to learn and develop his craft in his time with the Greyhounds.
“Jamie has an exceptional work ethic,” Dean said. “He’s really excelled as well with his ability to forge relationships with players. He’s taken a real keen interest in how to develop forwards the proper way and the unique skillsets you need to excel at the next level. He’s developed an entire program for those guys that he thinks is going to bring success to both the Greyhounds and the players as they move on in their careers. He’s taken an exceptional approach to the power play.”
“He’s always in my office bouncing different ideas off of me,” Dean added.
Tardif said he feels “incredibly lucky to work with such a great staff here that has helped me so much both personally and professionally to become a better coach.”
With the OHL set to release its regular-season schedule this week, Dean said “this is the most excited I have ever been for a hockey season.”
“Over the duration of COVID, you realize just how fortunate we are to do what we’re doing for a living,” Dean said.
In a release issued by the OHL office late Monday afternoon, the league announced the dates for home openers for the 2021-22 season for each team.
The Greyhounds will open the home portion of its schedule on Oct. 8 at the GFL Memorial Gardens against the North Bay Battalion.