The Saint John Sea Dogs have named their new head coach as the team prepares its bid to host next year’s Memorial Cup.
Gordie Dwyer is a former NHL forward who played five seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, and Montreal Canadiens.
Dwyer also has more than a decade of coaching experience with the QMJHL, the Kontinental Hockey League, and the National League in Switzerland.
In addition, he has coached with Team Canada on five occasions, including as an assistant with the gold medal-winning team at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship in Texas.
“Your different experiences help shape you as a coach so I’m able to lean on my playing experience, my coaching experience, my international experience with Hockey Canada or coaching in the KHL or coaching in Switzerland,” Dwyer told reporters following Wednesday’s announcement.
The Dalhousie, N.B., native is no stranger to the QMJHL nor the Maritimes Division, which the Sea Dogs are a part of.
Dwyer played five seasons in the league, capturing the President Cup in 1995 in his rookie season as a member of the Hull Olympiques. He also coached league rivals the PEI Rocket/Charlottetown Islanders for four seasons between 2011 and 2015.
“It’s not every day that you get an opportunity to take over a really good organization like Saint John that’s had some success in the past and really are pushing to put a really competitive team together on the ice,” he said.
“I’m familiar with some of the players, but at the same time, I look at it as an opportunity for our players to really show me what they have and that’s an exciting time for a coach, it’s an exciting time for the players as well.”
Gordie Dwyer has been introduced as the new head coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs. pic.twitter.com/dD9CVDDExj
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) August 4, 2021
Dwyer said the first thing that stands out to him about the Sea Dogs is the talent on its roster, which he is looking forward to developing even further.
“Speed and skills are weapons for sure but at the same time we need to develop a team identity of who we are collectively as a group and how we play collectively night in and night out,” he said.
But Dwyer acknowledged that the team does have some areas it needs to work on, particularly on the defensive side of things.
“Obviously the best defence is good offence, but at the same time, we want to play faster, we want to be competitive, and we have to have a plan to get the puck back as quickly as possible,” he said. “Everyone has to be willing to defend.”
“If we push the development side of it then we’re going to be able to reach our full potential,” Dwyer added.
Dwyer will replace Greg Gilbert, who was named the team’s eighth head coach in June 2020. He will remain with the team in an advisory role.
Gilbert led the Sea Dogs to a 15-14-3-1 record during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 regular season and a 3-2-1 record during the post-season.
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