Mike Reagan returned from the World Junior A Challenge with a gold medal and a wealth of experience he believes will serve his team and himself.
“I think I am a better coach now because of the experience,” said Reagan, head coach and GM of the Flin Flon Bombers.
He was an assistant coach for the gold medal-winning Canada West squad. Canada West beat Russia 2-1 to capture the prestigious tournament title.
The event, which featured a number of potential NHL draft picks, was held in Whitby and Cobourg, Ontario, Dec. 13 to 19.
For Reagan, it was hard to put into words what winning the championship was like. He said it was a pretty special moment to receive a gold medal.
“On the ice was amazing,” Reagan said. “You are representing your country. … It was just a lot of smiles on our faces.”
Asked about what he brings back to the Bombers after tasting success at the World Junior A level, Reagan cited “the experience of going there and winning a championship.”
He said the experience has given him more confidence.
“To know that you can win as a coach is huge,” said Reagan, who noted it was his first championship as a bench boss.
He said he has an understanding of what it takes to win in a tournament format.
The way things are set up at the World Junior A Challenge is similar to what the Bombers would face if they made it to the Western Canada Cup and the Royal Bank Cup, Canada’s national Junior A championship.
Reagan stressed that he also picked up things from the other coaches he worked with. Each western Canada Junior A league was represented on the staff.
“We are all learning from each other. … You just get a lot of different ideas,” Reagan said. “I’ve already started to implement things with our team.”
Reagan was impressed by the pace of the game at the event.
“So much faster. Players are able to make better decisions in shorter time, which is pretty amazing when you think about it,” he said.
Reagan also noticed the character of the Canada West players.
“I think one of the biggest things I realized … is every one of those guys was a quality individual and had character,” he said.
“It goes to show you that your best players have to be your best people.”
Canada West went 2-0 in group play at the tournament. They then knocked off Canada East 8-5 in the semi-finals.
Before the tournament, Canada West had beaten Russia 6-1 in exhibition play. The coaching staff cautioned about overlooking Russia in the championship game.
“Our goal from day one of the tournament was to get better every day,” Reagan said. “We believed the Russians were doing the same thing.”
There was no score in the gold medal game after two periods.
“I didn’t sense there was panic in the dressing room or anything,” Reagan said. “We were pretty confident in the group we had.”
Canada West scored twice in the third period to take a 2-0 lead. Russia scored once but were unable to tie the game.
Reagan watched the proceedings from the press box as he acted as Canada West’s eye in the sky for the tournament.
He observed from above and took his suggestions down to the team so that it could make adjustments.
“I think it was more stressful being up top,” Reagan said. “You feel helpless.”
The tournament meant a lot of long days, but Reagan said winning gold justified all of that hard work.
He called it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and said he was glad he decided to grab the chance to do it when it came about.
This marked Canada West’s fourth gold medal since the tournament started in 2006.
