Like many athletes in this country, Mike Reagan dreamed as a player of pulling on a Team Canada jersey.
As a coach, the Flin Flon Bombers bench boss’ dream is coming true in a different way.
Reagan has been named an assistant coach for Team Canada West for the 2015 World Junior A Challenge. The event will take place Dec. 13-19 in Whitby and Cobourg, Ont.
“As a coach, to be able to represent Team Canada West I think is pretty special,” said Reagan, who as a player suited up for his hometown Bombers and Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., before playing a few years professionally.
Team Canada West will be led at the Junior Challenge by head coach Tim Fragle of the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Sherwood Park Crusaders.
Fragle said he is looking forward to working with Reagan and the rest of the coaching staff.
“Prior to last year I chatted with Mike a lot on the phone, discussing players and such, but I then I got the opportunity to work with him at the selection camp, as I was the assistant coach,” Fragle wrote in an email interview. “I enjoyed our interactions last year and we have similar beliefs on how to play and select a team.”
Reagan is honoured to be able to coach at the international level. He emphasized the role the Bombers organization played in getting him there.
“Without the experience the Bombers organization has given me, I wouldn’t be in this position,” Reagan said. “I am thankful for the eight years in Flin Flon.”
Now entering his ninth season guiding the Bombers, Reagan has an overall record of 243-172. He led Flin Flon to a conference title in 2009-2010, and three division finals.
Having Reagan coach at the World Junior A Challenge brings some additional recognition and credibility to the Bombers.
As for himself, Reagan said: “It is an experience that I hope will help me be a better coach.”
He went on to say, “You are going to learn something from each one of the coaches you work with.”
While he is excited for the World Junior A Challenge, Reagan said his first priority remains the Flin Flon Bombers.
Coaching the World Junior A Challenge will mean Reagan will miss much of the Bombers’ December schedule, but he said he has full confidence in assistant coach Garry Childerhose to guide the squad during that time.
Childerhose called the shots behind the bench when Reagan missed a couple of games last year.
The head coach said he would not have considered the World Junior A opportunity if he didn’t have faith in his second-year assistant coach.
Reagan has been involved in various roles with Team Canada West the last three seasons. He has helped with the selection process for Saskatchewan players, and last season he was a guest coach at the selection camp.
When asked about what he was excited about after being named as an assistant coach, Reagan said, “Just the next step. Being more involved in the decision making … I’m excited about the staff we got together. … Just the opportunity to be part of Team Canada.”
This will be the 10th time the World Junior A Challenge has been held. The tournament features Team Canada West and Team Canada East as well as international squads from Russia, Switzerland, United States, and the Czech Republic.
Team Canada West has won the World Junior A Challenge three times. Last year the squad lost the fifth place game to Switzerland
In addition to Reagan and Fragle, Team Canada West coaching staff includes Paul Dyck of the Steinbach Pistons of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, and Barry Wolff of the Coquitlam Express of the British Columbia Hockey League. Each member of the coaching staff is the head coach and general manager of his team.
