Shaun Clouston will begin his first Blazers training camp as head coach on Thursday (Image Credit: Kamloops Blazers)

By Chad Klassen

BLAZERS TRAINING CAMP

On eve of training camp, Blazers’ veterans looking forward to Clouston’s style of coaching

Aug 21, 2019 | 3:10 PM

KAMLOOPS — It was an exciting end to what looked like a season that was slipping away with a rookie head coach.

But a midseason move to put part-owner Darryl Sydor behind the bench did wonders. Sydor is back as an assistant, but will work this year alongside Shaun Clouston, the long-time Medicine Hat Tigers coach that was hired by the Blazers in June.

“I think we’ll be competitive,” said Clouston, who was the head coach of the Tigers for nine seasons and spent 15 seasons overall in Medicine Hat. “I think there’s going to be some growing pains early on. I think it’s always a challenge when you switch things up. I’m going have to really try to speed things up. I’m going have to really try to speed things up to get to know the players, and I’m going to ask them to help out and meet me halfway.”

The Blazers return the majority of the roster that went on a magical run to end last season. They won five of their last six to force a tiebreaker game, which they took at home against Kelowna before falling in six games to Victoria in round one.

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They have a new leadership group with the likes of fan-favourite Jermaine Loewen graduating. Clouston will lean on the team’s scoring leader Zane Franklin, who will be one of the three 20 year olds on this year’s roster. It’ll be Franklin’s third coach in three seasons after coming over from Lethbridge.

“I think you just have to have an open mind,” he said. “Come in here ready to learn, learn their systems and have fun. Each coach is a little different and I think it’s really exciting talking with Shaun. I think we’re all on the same page, so it should be a fun year.”

Fellow 20-year-old forward Kobe Mohr has experience playing against Clouston during his time in the Central Division with Edmonton. He likes how his teams play.

“Every time we played him, it’s been good teams, good systems, fast, quick, just tough to play against every night, no matter if it was a Friday night or a Monday night,” said Mohr, who came over to Kamloops in a draft-day trade with the Oil Kings last year. “He always had teams that competed as hard as they can, and I’m super pumped to play for him.”

Like Franklin, Mohr has experience playing for a myriad of coaches in the WHL. Clouston is his fourth head coach in his five seasons.

“Every coach has got his main one, two, three things that he really likes to preach,” said Mohr. “But as long as you can pick those up as quick as you can and play that way, it’s fun. It’s nice to learn new coaching, new systems. This one will be good.”

As the team prepares to take the ice for training camp starting Thursday, the bond between new coach and players will continue. But only time will tell if Clouston can help the Blazers carry their late-season momentum into a new season and another new era.