Soo T-Birds in transition
Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have confirmed what Hockey News North first reported on the weekend. That is, general manager Jamie Henderson will also serve as head coach for the balance of the ’24-25 season.
Former head coach Cole Jarrett relayed his thoughts on the transition.
“We are thrilled for Jamie to step into this role. He is a dedicated student of the game with a deep passion for mentoring young players and sharing his wealth of knowledge. Jamie’s leadership and commitment make him the ideal choice to guide our team through the rest of the season. We are fortunate to have him at the helm,” said Jarrett, who as an owner of the Thunderbirds, will now turn his attention to more of the business side of the operation.
“While I will certainly miss being behind the Thunderbirds’ bench, I am excited to focus my efforts on the business side of the organization. This change provides a unique opportunity for me to contribute to the team in a different but equally important capacity,” noted Jarrett.
Jarrett et al first took over operation of the Thunderbirds in 2021.
As for Henderson the GM adding the head coaching responsibilities to his work with the Thunderbirds just past the mid way point of the ’24-25 NOJHL season, he told Postmedia that “I want to get a sense of, since it hasn’t been a great start (to the season), how the players feel about their own (individual games) and how they feel about the team. It doesn’t matter what I think, the players are the ones that ultimately have to buy in.”