Brian Verbeek will be leading the team through its inaugural year as head coach and assistant general manager.
Verbeek has played hockey professionally in the International Hockey League and the American Hockey Leagues as centre.
He comes to Tumbler Ridge “with a passion for the game of hockey,” according to team owner Andre Payette. “He comes highly recommended as a dedicated coach with experience having coached in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League with the Chatham Maroons.”
Verbeek was drafted by the Hartford Whalers in 1986, playing for the Salt Lake Golden Eagles before moving to Finland to play in the first and second tier of their professional hockey league.
In 1988, he moved back to North America, playing for the Binghamton Whalers in the American Hockey League. He went back to Europe, playing in France for a year, and then a season in the British Hockey League.
Payette says Verbeek is excited to move to Tumbler Ridge and become invested in the community. “Brian comes with an illustrious hockey playing and coaching background. He has coached, managed, and run minor hockey associations, junior hockey teams, and has worked as a skills coach with professional hockey players and teams at every level including the NHL therefore we feel could not have found a better candidate for this inaugural season. Brain shares our core values of hard work, respect, community, and always doing the right thing.” Verbeek’s older brother Pat is the manager of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and played 20 years in the NHL.
The team is slowly taking shape as it makes its way towards its first game on September 31 in Mackenzie. Their first home game is Saturday October 1.
So far, the team has acquired forwards Lane Plume and Kyler Roy from Slave Lake. The roster should fill up soon, as training camp is being held on September 23–25 for interested players.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
