After 249 wins, four playoff appearances, and one WHL championship, Marc Habscheid has resigned as head coach of the Prince Albert Raiders.
The 2019 WHL coach-of-the-year is headed to Europe where he’s accepted a head coaching position. In a statement released Thursday, Habscheid thanked current and former players for their hard work, and Prince Albert hockey fans for their support.
“For the past seven and a half seasons, it has been an honour to be the Head Coach of the Prince Albert Raiders,” the statement reads. “When I arrived in this city during the 2014-15 season, I thought I had an idea of what it would be like. Today I can say, my anticipation was blown away.
“As a member of this coaching staff, we watched kids grow into young men both on and off the ice, which culminated in celebrating a WHL Championship here inside the Art Hauser Centre. To every player who wore a Raider jersey, to every staff member who gave their time to our team, and most importantly to the great fans of Prince Albert, thank you.”
Habscheid leaves Prince Albert fifth on the WHL’s all-time wins list. He compiled a 249-199-38 record during his time in Hockey Town North.
“(After) countless hours of thinking through it, I am announcing my resignation as Head Coach of the Raiders,” Habscheid’s statement reads. “I am at a point in my career where I am looking for a new challenge and one has presented itself. I am accepting the head coach position with a team in Europe. Here in Prince Albert, we have created memories and friendships which will last a lifetime.”
Raiders GM Curtis Hunt said the search for a new head coach will begin immediately. He thanked Habscheid for his work behind the bench, and wished him well in Europe.
“It’s certainly hard to lose a quality coach like Marc with his experience,” Hunt said in a press release. “We appreciate the time he has given us and the culture that he has helped to build and maintain in his time here. We wish him nothing but the best of luck as he heads off for another challenge.”
Habscheid leaves the WHL with an all-time record of 592-446-64.