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.
A mixed reaction greeted last month's announcement that the Flin Flon Bombers had hired Mike Reagan as their new coach and GM. Much of the debate fixated on Mr. Reagan's age. At 28, some fans worried that the new bench boss was too short in the tooth to command the attention of maturing young men. But his hiring is just the shot in the arm the Bombers needed. After years of disappointment, including last season's league-worst 38-point campaign, it was clear the franchise needed to make a bold move. Mr. Reagan may be a young first-time coach, but he brings a quality that appears to have been lacking for far too long: passion. Whether you have known him for five years or five minutes, it is clear as glass that this man lives and breathes the game of hockey. Actually, I should say that he lives and breathes Bomber hockey. A Flin Flon native, he played more games for the Bombers than any other player in the storied history of the franchise. He knows our fans and, more importantly, he knows what they want and expect. Yet what really separated Mr. Reagan from other candidates is that he does not view Flin Flon as a launchpad. A lot of coaches apply for jobs in small towns across the country with the hope of building up their credentials and moving on to greener pastures. For Mr. Reagan, the greener pastures are at the Whitney Forum. And what about age? Some fans (and not only those in Flin Flon) are under the impression that a coach needs gray hair to be viewed as an authoritative figure in the dressing room. That logic, however, has been lost on many people at the highest levels of hockey. At the tender age of 26, Gary Green guided the NHL's Washington Capitals to their best season at the time in 1979-80. Claude Ruel, then just 30, led the star-stocked Montreal Canadiens to the 1968 Stanley Cup. And the list goes on. It's absolutely true that a coach must be in full command of his players, but that has everything to do with personality and talent and nothing to do with age. Advantage Moreover, Mr. Reagan may use his age to his advantage. It wasn't that long ago that he was a Bomber himself, so he should be able to develop a strong connection with the players that perhaps a 40- or 50-year-old coach could not. Mr. Reagan's age also means he brings the exuberance and optimism of youth that many older coaches may have trouble summoning. For Mr. Reagan, the sky is the limit because this is the first time he has looked up to see it. That quality will surely rub off on the players. Of course no one (except maybe the Hockey Gods) knows for sure what kind of record Mr. Reagan will deliver to hopeful Flin Flon fans this season. And at the end of the day, it is the players who must perform. Regardless of the immediate outcome, the Bombers needed to embark on a fresh course. We are all too familiar with where the path of the status quo leads. Local Angle runs Fridays.
