The Vancouver Giants made strides last season and new head coach Michael Dyck is prepared to embrace the challenge of taking them even further.
Dyck was introduced as the Western Hockey League club鈥檚 new head coach on Thursday morning at Pat Quinn鈥檚 Restaurant at Tsawwassen Springs.
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鈥淚 think the team took a step in the right direction (last season). It was a good team. The challenge is how do we go from good to great,鈥� he said.
The Giants returned to the WHL post-season after a four-year absence, pushing the Victoria Royals to seven games in the quarter-finals.
Glen Hanlon stepped down as general manager in May with Barclay Parneta hired as his replacement.
That led to the team parting ways with Jason McKee as head coach and the search was on for the team鈥檚 next bench boss. The Giants improved from 46 to 81 points in McKee鈥檚 second season.
鈥淭he coach we wanted is someone who is in touch with today鈥檚 youth, has been around the kids and this generation. We had a checklist and Michael was a person who hit all the marks,鈥� Parneta said. 鈥淲e feel he will help stabilize the franchise to what it was.鈥�
And Dyck is familiar with the Giants鈥� history. The 49-year-old spent three seasons with the club as an assistant coach (2002-2005) under Don Hay. Dyck also served as a scout and the team鈥檚 director of player development.
Parneta and Dyck鈥檚 paths also crossed in the Vancouver organization, when the GM was a scout and Dyck was an assistant.
Dyck would go on to become the head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes for four seasons, earning a spot in the WHL finals in 2008, and accumulated an overall record of 132-120-16.
He remained based in Lethbridge and continued coaching at a variety of levels, including internationally. But the time was right for a full-time return.
鈥淭he last 10 years I have had one foot in and one foot out and it has been comfortable for me,鈥� Dyck said. 鈥淚 am ready to get back into it and obviously have a real passion to do it. I always said I would do it if was a good opportunity and this was a good opportunity.鈥�
As for the search for an assistant coach to join Dyck鈥檚 staff, Parneta said the process is ongoing.
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