The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Remember the game musical chairs in school? The Bombers organization played musical coaches. It began with returning coach-GM Ryan Hoffman, then interim coach Brad Snyder, and ended with Doug Stokes. During that turmoil, the players did what they knew best. "It brought the guys together a lot more because we never knew what was happening behind the scenes," said Tyler Beachell, the Bombers leading scorer. "I think it's difficult for anybody when you got three different coaches coming in." After a 1-9 start, Hoffman was replaced by interim coach Brad Snyder. Under Snyder the biggest difference was the Bombers worked harder. The HBM&S employee's emphasis on work ethic pushed the team to win seven of 17 games. They competed hard on most nights, but weren't able to beat the stronger teams. The organization got the man they wanted in Stokes, who is the winningest coach in the MJHL. With 20 years experience, over 500 wins, and an Anavet Cup victory in 1995, that alone grabs the players attention. "You have a certain amount of respect when he comes in and talks," Beachell added. "When he's saying something you listen because you know he knows what he's talking about." "None of the guys have to question whether the coach knows what he's doing or not," said Zane Kalemba, the Bombers puckstopper. Stokes led the team to a 11-15-1-2 record. These numbers aren't impressive, but what he's done with the team is. Rookie defenceman Keelan Cook feels that Stokes has helped the team improve everywhere. "He's a brilliant coach," Cook said, following a practice early last week. "He knows the game through and through. He knows everything there is to do." Kalemba also believes Stokes makes the team play more disciplined positionally. "Especially with our defensive zone play," Kalemba noted. "We've gotten a lot more sound in our defensive end. I think that's the biggest difference. "We got the best guy for the job and he's doing a great job," Kalemba said. When it came to adjusting to the different coaches, Kalemba felt the players just had to keep an open mind. "Some coaches are more strict than others," he said. "Some give you a little more leeway. I think it's just the guys in the locker room you have to worry about the most." Cook takes the perspective from what he learned. "I saw three different styles of coaching," he said. "I saw three different ways to play and now we have the coaching staff that is going to take us far and that's what counts."
