A legend is officially back in the saddle in La Ronge.
In May, the Ice Wolves announced that Bob Beatty has returned to become the general manager of the club. He previously served as the general manager and head coach of the Ice Wolves from 2004-2013 leading the club to two championships in 2010 and 2011.
Beatty, a member of the SJHL Hall of Fame, served as an interim head coach for the Ice Wolves towards the tail end of last season while former head coach/GM Kevin “Killer” Kaminski took a leave of absence from the club.
Beatty says that opened the door to him coming back to the north to serve as the Ice Wolves general manager.
“When I did come up last spring, it was just an interim basis, just helping out while Killer was on leave. But as it turned out, they asked me a couple weeks ago or so to see if I would accept a GM position, and I’m excited to do it. La Ronge has been a great place for me and I’m excited to get going.”
The results haven’t been favourable for the Ice Wolves as of recent. La Ronge last qualified for the SJHL playoffs during the 2022-23 season when they posted a 32-19-3-2 record before losing in six games in the first round to the Melfort Mustangs.
Last season, the Ice Wolves finished last in the SJHL posting an 11-40-4-1 record. They finished thirty points behind the Estevan Bruins for the final playoff spot.
Despite the lack of success recently, Beatty says La Ronge has pieces in place to turn around their record quickly.
“I feel it’s pretty good. I think Kevin left a pretty good foundation for us. We only graduated one 20-year-old so there’s a lot to look forward to. Obviously, we’ve got to improve the record but there’s a good foundation to work with.”
One area that can be a challenge for the Ice Wolves is recruiting players to come to the north. Beatty says that La Ronge will need to prioritize building a winning culture and treat players well.
“I think we’re similar to other teams in that it’s not necessarily a destination for them, but I’ve dealt with that in the past and we’ve been able to have some success. I think you need to make it a fun place to play in with the facility that’s there now. It’s really in the upper echelon of the league facilities to be quite frank.”
“La Ronge can be a real fun place to play if you’re having some success. That’s part of treating the players as well as you can. They’re your best ambassadors, really. The players all talk to each other nowadays and if they have a good experience playing in La Ronge, then chances are you’re going to get their friends to report and enjoy the experience.”
While his predecessor in Kevin “Killer” Kaminski had the dual GM/head coach role, Beatty will serve only as the club’s general manager. On June 2, the club named Taylor Harnett their head coach and assistant GM. Harnett, a member of Carry the Kettle First Nation, previously coached the Devon Xtreme of the AJHL and the Waywayseecappo Wolverines of the MJHL.
Beatty says he’s excited to have Harnett in the head coaches role.
“I think he’ll be a great fit for La Ronge and for the Ice Wolves.”
Harnett is also excited to be behind the Ice Wolves bench.
“I’m extremely excited to get directly involved in the community and to get to know the fans, players and staff,” Harnett said in a press release. “It’s truly an honour, and the support I have been shown already has been amazing. I’ve heard great things about the community and the program. I’m thrilled to be able to connect and coordinate with GM Bob Beatty. His knowledge and experience is seasoned and proficient, and I can’t wait to get started.”
