Garry Childerhose is moving on after five years on the Flin Flon Bombers’ bench.
The 29-year-old from Altona, Man. was hired by the Kindersley Klippers to be the team’s new head coach and general manager April 17, replacing outgoing head coach and GM Clayton Jardine.
A former three-year player and a consistent performer with the Melfort Mustangs, then SUNY-Geneseo in college hockey, Childerhose began as an assistant coach with the Bombers in the 2014-2015 season. Childerhose would serve in that capacity for five seasons, adding a role as the team’s assistant general manager the past two years. The Bombers reached the playoffs each year during Childerhose’s time, reaching the Canalta Cup finals in both 2015-2016 and 2016-2017.
During his five years behind the Bomber bench, Childerhose served as the team’s head coach for 14 games while head coach and general manager Mike Reagan coached at the World Junior A Challenge, racking up a record of 13-1. Last year, Childerhose was given the Dwight McMillan Award as the SJHL’s top assistant coach.
“I’m extremely honoured and excited for the opportunity to be a part of the Kindersley Klippers organization. I’m very eager to start the process of meeting the players and working with the tight-knit staff that is in place,” said Childerhose in a statement on the Klippers’ website.
“We are very happy for ‘Chilly’ and wish him all the best,” said Bombers head coach and general manager Mike Reagan. “Not only do we want to help develop players, but we want to help develop coaches too. I think it’s an ideal situation for him to step into,”
Childerhose will have big shoes to fill in Jardine’s absence. In his first season as an SJHL head coach, Jardine led the Klippers to a fifth-place, 36-16-4-2 record for 78 points and ended the season as the SJHL Coach of the Year.
A statement from the Klippers stated that Jardine “stepped aside to pursue other career opportunities.”
The Klippers will be down a few star players next season, as star goalie Justen Close will head to the University of Minnesota and top scorers like Ty Enns, Josh Fletcher and Blake Kleiner will age out. However, some top players, including Kyle Bosch, Austin Nault, Tyler Traptow and William Van der Sloot, are eligible to return to the Klipper roster next season.
With his new team, Childerhose will be working with a face familiar to Bomber fans. Larry Wintoneak, currently an assistant coach and assistant general manager for the Klippers, was formerly the head coach and general manager for the Flin Flon Bombers. Wintoneak was the bench boss for the Bombers when Flin Flon hosted the RBC Cup in 2001, guiding the team to a second-place finish in the national junior A championship. After stints as a head coach in northern Ontario and in the SJHL with both the Klippers and La Ronge Ice Wolves, Wintoneak has been an assistant for Kindersley since 2016.
“They have a very good team returning and an experienced assistant coach in Larry to help the transition. Garry will do a great job there,” said Reagan.
The Bombers filled Childerhose’s vacant spot on the bench quickly after he left, promoting assistant coach Cole McCaig to Childerhose’s seat as assistant coach and assistant general manager.
A former Bomber who played parts of three seasons with the club, McCaig returned to the north last year after joining the team as assistant coach and marketing co-ordinator.
Reagan said no other staff changes are anticipated for the Bombers.
