Sweeping the Bird house
Quite clear, no doubt, the new operators of the Soo Thunderbirds are re-branding their Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League franchise.
It began at the top when, shortly after obtaining the assets of the Thunderbirds earlier this spring, The Tech 1921 Ltd. installed former Ontario Hockey League and National Hockey League journeyman winger Denny Lambert as its full-time director of hockey operations.
And in the month or so that Lambert has been on the job with The Tech 1921 Ltd., the 46-year old has overseen sweeping changes to the structure of the Thunderbirds.
Gone from the reigning NOJHL champion Thunderbirds are president of hockey operations Kevin Cain, general manager Jamie Henderson, chief scout Brad Boyer and special assignment scout Charly Murray.
Two assistant coaches from the Thunderbirds 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 championship teams also departed to become head coaches elsewhere with Kyle Brick taking over the NOJHL’s Blind River Beavers and Jeremy Rebek heading across the International Bridge for a new gig with the major midget Soo Indians of the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association.
Suffice to say that as he re-structures the Thunderbirds, Lambert will surround himself with his own people, though he is expected to retain 30-year old Jordan Smith as head coach.
While Smith has his detractors — including those who he worked with as part of a previous Thunderbird operation that can be aptly described as both divisive and dysfunctional — he is seen by others as a no-nonsense taskmaster who will at some point coach at the OHL level. In fact, Smith has been favourably compared to his former OHL coach with the Soo Greyhounds, Craig Hartsburg.
To be sure, one can probably bet that Lambert has talked to Hartsburg about Smith at some point.
Before becoming head coach of the Greyhounds for three seasons, Lambert was a trusted assistant under Hartsburg. And when Hartsburg was coaching the Greyhounds and Lambert was his assistant, Smith was a team leader as an intense, hard-rock defenseman.
So let’s assume that Lambert knows exactly what he will be getting in Smith as they move forward with the Thunderbirds under the operation of The tech 1921 Ltd., which also has big plans for a hockey academy to be contained within a private school that has a planned launch for the fall of 2017.
As for those who are no longer part of the Thunderbirds management team, Cain, Henderson and Murray are proven hockey men who will most-likely have opportunities to surface elsewhere — as Boyer already has, confirming today that he is returning to the Cochrane Crunch as a scout, a position he had held in a prior stint with that NOJHL team.
Over to Murray, he is slated to meet with Brick to discuss the possibility of a senior advisor position with Blind River.
And not only has Cain won championships in a management role with the Thunderbirds, he coached the erstwhile Michigan Soo Indians to an NOJHL title back in 2006-2007. And while he is Canadian, Cain maintains residence in the Michigan Soo with his American-born wife, Deb.
Which leads to the question: Will Cain’s free-agent status as someone who has coached and managed with success lead to a position with the Michigan-based Soo Eagles of the NOJHL?
Well, Eagles co-coach/general manager Bruno Bragagnolo is someone who knows a good hockey man when he meets one. And Cain is definitely regarded as a good hockey man.
But is there room for Cain with the Eagles? And if so, can two men like Cain and Bragagnolo who have strong views and who are used to being in charge co-exist and get along for the betterment of the Eagles?
Let’s just say that’s a question with an answer that go could either way.
Meantime, back at the Bird house, stay tuned.
PHOTO: Kevin Cain has won multiple NOJHL championships as a general manager and a coach.