Greyhounds look to keep faces familiar on coaching staff

As it stands, there will be one new face behind the Soo Greyhounds bench during the 2024-25 Ontario Hockey League season, but it won’t be because a staff member is leaving the organization.

General manager Kyle Raftis confirmed Wednesday that the team is in talks with assistant coaches Brendan Taylor and Tyler Ertel to remain with the club.

Raftis said contract discussions are ongoing with Taylor on a new deal while the team is working with Ertel to keep him with the organization in a new role.

“We’re in a position right now where we might be shifting his role into a little something different in the organization,” Raftis said, in discussing Ertel’s status with the team.

Raftis added that the new role would be in some form of player development and the decision on Ertel’s end was both family and business, with a new business opportunity that came up.

“It was killing him to even have to make that decision,” Raftis said. “We were chatting about keeping him around and involved a little bit. That way, it can be a win-win all around.”

Ertel joined the team last summer when he signed with the club to fill the assistant coaching spot left empty when the team didn’t renew the contract of former assistant Brent Hughes.

From the time he was hired, Ertel said on multiple occasions how impressed he’s been with the organization.

After being hired by the team last summer, Ertel said that after first contacting Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis about the open assistant coaching position, “it just kind of organically grew from there.”

“I’ve learned quickly that they do really good due diligence,” Ertel added. “He just sat on it a bit, kind of wanted to do his homework first. Then it just snowballed pretty quick after a little bit of a break after the first contact. It really snowballed quick.”

Ertel added that his interest after being offered the job “was through the roof.”

“You take the geography away from the Sault…this is a premier organization,” Ertel said.

Having experienced playing against the Greyhounds while in the OHL, Ertel also said that the organization at that time was one that was respected as well, even though they were tough to play against.

“I hated every bit of it,” Ertel laughed. “Whether it was chasing around my best friend Jason Dennome or watching Collin Miller get me on another minus. Trying to stay away from (Bob) Boughner, (Adam) Foote, (Chris) Simon. This was a terrible place to play.”

“They were a team that everybody respected, and you feared them too as well, but more respected them,” Ertel added.

Taylor, meanwhile, was hired by the team in August 2022.

Raftis confirmed that goalie coach Mark Visentin remains on staff as well and the team is working with head coach John Dean on a potential extension to his current contract, which has a year remaining after he inked a two-year deal with the club last summer.

Like Ertel, Visentin was hired by the team last summer when he took over the role left vacant by Matt Smith.