Hounds head coach staying put; team looking for new assistant behind bench

The Soo Greyhounds coaching staff will have one new face when training camp opens in late-August.

The new face will be an assistant coach as the organization replaces Brent Hughes, who was hired ahead of training camp last season following the departure of former associate coach Jordan Smith and assistant coach Jamie Tardif.

Hughes signed a one-year contract with the Greyhounds at the time.

General manager Kyle Raftis confirmed that the team did not renew Hughes’ contract for next season.

Raftis added there’s been initial interest in the open position.

“We haven’t finalized anything with an additional assistant coach, but that’s in the process right now,” Raftis said. “Dominos are starting to fall in the American League and different scenarios, so we’re hopeful that we can get someone in place here very shortly.”

The team also announced that goaltending coach Matt Smith will not be returning.

Raftis said the team is continuing its search for a person to fill the open positions.

“We’re going through that and trying to make sure we have the right fit and as soon as we do, we’ll make the move on that,” Raftis said.

Additionally, while the team hasn’t announced a new contract to this point, Raftis also confirmed the Greyhounds intend to have John Dean back behind the bench as head coach.

After joining the team in the summer of 2018, Dean signed a two-year contract extension in the summer of 2021 that expired this summer.

In his first season with the team (2018-19) the Greyhounds finished tied for first in the OHL’s West Division with the Saginaw Spirit, while his second season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s been an interesting couple of years,” Raftis said. “He comes in and we tied for the division lead. The second year, we’re coming along and starting to play our best hockey and the year gets cancelled.”

Raftis added that the 2022-23 season was a year in which “we were kind of taking our foot a little bit off the gas” by going younger with hopes that player development for the younger players would prevail down the road.

“I don’t think we’ve ever done that before, but at the same time it was a little bit of if everything falls into line, we’re going to need those young players to take steps,” Raftis added.

Raftis also spoke of the job Dean has done with the organization since joining the team prior to the 2018-19 season and is hopeful that the development will take a step next season after a disappointing 2022-23 season.

“John’s done a good job,” Raftis said. “He’s continually developing players, playing an exciting brand of hockey and you’ll see the dividends of the work him and his staff put in last year moving forward with this group.”

The Greyhounds will open up pre-season play with an exhibition game against the Sudbury Wolves on Sept. 3 at the GFL Memorial Gardens. It’s the first of four pre-season games for the club.

The team opens up the regular season on Sept. 29 at home against the Flint Firebirds.