nivek_wahs
07-28-2008, 02:35 PM
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=8a04d4ca-83c5-479d-b426-2b769d47b256
Perkins hopes to remain with Pats
Rob Vanstone, Leader-Post
Published: Monday, July 28, 2008
REGINA -- Terry Perkins is disappointed over not being named the Regina Pats' head coach, but that does not diminish his resolve to remain with the WHL team.
Since Dale Derkatch was named the Pats' bench boss on Thursday, he has spoken three times with Perkins -- who spent the past three seasons in Regina as an assistant coach. In conversation with Derkatch, Perkins has been emphatic that he would like to return.
"I love our team and I love the players,'' Perkins said Sunday. "As much as I may be disappointed, I want to make the best of it and continue to grow as a coach.''
Perkins was short-listed for the head-coaching job along with Derkatch and Marc Habscheid. Derkatch is the successor to Curtis Hunt, who was the Pats' head coach for four seasons. Hunt announced July 11 that he was leaving to become an assistant to Ottawa Senators head coach Craig Hartsburg.
"As much as I might be disappointed to not get promoted at this time, the Pats have treated me very well over the last three years,'' said Perkins, who also noted that Regina has been a great fit for his wife and two children. "I've really enjoyed my time here. My goal is to be a head coach one day, so I don't want to leave the league, first off. I don't really want to be an assistant anywhere else, either. Right now, there's not a lot of head-coaching jobs available.
"My focus will be working on being a good candidate in the future. Obviously, I was in the running with some pretty qualified guys. Things didn't work out this time, but I want to do the things that I need to do to make sure that I am a good candidate in the future.''
Perkins has also spoken with Pats general manager Brent Parker, most recently on Saturday.
"I think it's probably Brent's prerogative to tell (Derkatch), 'This is the guy you've got to work with,' but I don't think that's Brent's style,'' said Perkins, who has one year remaining on his contract with the Pats. "He wants to make sure Dale is comfortable as well. It's just a process you need to go through.
"Everybody needs to be committed to doing the job that's best for the organization. Where I'm at, I need to kind of regroup and get focused and make sure that I'm committed to doing what's best for this team, because that ultimately is what's important.''
Parker and Derkatch are to talk about the assistant-coaching issue today. Derkatch could not be reached for comment Sunday.
"Terry brings a lot of good things to the organization, and a lot of really good attributes,'' Parker said Sunday. "That's why he was considered for the head-coaching position.''
In the same breath, Parker emphasized that compatibility with the head coach will be the determining factor. The same applies to Todd Strueby, who was the Pats' other assistant coach last season. Strueby and Derkatch were teammates in the Notre Dame Hounds' hockey program before becoming WHL players in the early 1980s.
Derkatch was the director of hockey development at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox for four seasons before being hired by the Pats. Derkatch has been succeeded at Notre Dame by Del Pedrick, who was promoted from his role as the co-ordinator of the Hounds' bantam hockey program.
rvanstone@leaderpost.canwest.com
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008
Perkins hopes to remain with Pats
Rob Vanstone, Leader-Post
Published: Monday, July 28, 2008
REGINA -- Terry Perkins is disappointed over not being named the Regina Pats' head coach, but that does not diminish his resolve to remain with the WHL team.
Since Dale Derkatch was named the Pats' bench boss on Thursday, he has spoken three times with Perkins -- who spent the past three seasons in Regina as an assistant coach. In conversation with Derkatch, Perkins has been emphatic that he would like to return.
"I love our team and I love the players,'' Perkins said Sunday. "As much as I may be disappointed, I want to make the best of it and continue to grow as a coach.''
Perkins was short-listed for the head-coaching job along with Derkatch and Marc Habscheid. Derkatch is the successor to Curtis Hunt, who was the Pats' head coach for four seasons. Hunt announced July 11 that he was leaving to become an assistant to Ottawa Senators head coach Craig Hartsburg.
"As much as I might be disappointed to not get promoted at this time, the Pats have treated me very well over the last three years,'' said Perkins, who also noted that Regina has been a great fit for his wife and two children. "I've really enjoyed my time here. My goal is to be a head coach one day, so I don't want to leave the league, first off. I don't really want to be an assistant anywhere else, either. Right now, there's not a lot of head-coaching jobs available.
"My focus will be working on being a good candidate in the future. Obviously, I was in the running with some pretty qualified guys. Things didn't work out this time, but I want to do the things that I need to do to make sure that I am a good candidate in the future.''
Perkins has also spoken with Pats general manager Brent Parker, most recently on Saturday.
"I think it's probably Brent's prerogative to tell (Derkatch), 'This is the guy you've got to work with,' but I don't think that's Brent's style,'' said Perkins, who has one year remaining on his contract with the Pats. "He wants to make sure Dale is comfortable as well. It's just a process you need to go through.
"Everybody needs to be committed to doing the job that's best for the organization. Where I'm at, I need to kind of regroup and get focused and make sure that I'm committed to doing what's best for this team, because that ultimately is what's important.''
Parker and Derkatch are to talk about the assistant-coaching issue today. Derkatch could not be reached for comment Sunday.
"Terry brings a lot of good things to the organization, and a lot of really good attributes,'' Parker said Sunday. "That's why he was considered for the head-coaching position.''
In the same breath, Parker emphasized that compatibility with the head coach will be the determining factor. The same applies to Todd Strueby, who was the Pats' other assistant coach last season. Strueby and Derkatch were teammates in the Notre Dame Hounds' hockey program before becoming WHL players in the early 1980s.
Derkatch was the director of hockey development at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox for four seasons before being hired by the Pats. Derkatch has been succeeded at Notre Dame by Del Pedrick, who was promoted from his role as the co-ordinator of the Hounds' bantam hockey program.
rvanstone@leaderpost.canwest.com
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008