Prince Albert’s Kyle Schneider is going to have a different vantage point for the La Ronge Ice Wolves next season.
Instead of gearing up to hop over the boards to take a shift, the 22-year-old will be behind the bench as he will serve as an assistant coach for the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League club.
“It’s going to feel a little bit weird at first I’m sure, but I’m really excited about the opportunity,” Schneider said. “It’s going to be great to see a bunch of familiar faces and I can’t wait to get things started.”
Schneider wrapped up his junior hockey career with the Ice Wolves in 2019-20, as the club was battling the Yorkton Terriers during a quarter-final matchup when the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the season.
After graduating from the Prince Albert Mintos in 2017, Schneider spent three seasons in Junior A with the MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers, the SJHL’s Melfort Mustangs and the Ice Wolves.
“I knew that I was always wanted to end up in coaching, but I didn’t expect to have that opportunity when I was 22,” said Schneider, who reached the SJHL final with the Mustangs in 2019.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have such good coaching through Prince Albert Minor Hockey and all the other levels in my career. I was fortunate to have those three years in Junior A and I learned a lot of things from my coaches, especially that if you bring a strong work ethic, a good attitude and a strong effort, you’ll be rewarded with opportunities.”
Schneider will be reunited in La Ronge with Kevin Kaminski, who is entering his third year as the Ice Wolves head coach and general manager.
“We got along really well during my season there,” Schneider said. “I really like the way Kevin coaches. He’s a good blend of old school and new school hockey and he’s the perfect guy to start my coaching career with.”
“’Schneids’ brings everything,” Kaminski said in a prepared statement last week. “He has great leadership and passion for the game. He knows what it takes to win and has a fantastic attitude that will go a long way with the players.”
While the 2021-22 season won’t start until Sept. 24, Schneider and Kaminski will be busy during the summer as they will be attending showcase events in Edmonton and Medicine Hat before the Ice Wolves’ host an identification camp from Aug. 27-29 in Saskatoon.
“It’ll be nice to be back in the rink again and see some upcoming talent that can be big parts of our team in future seasons,” Schneider said.
“I feel bad for the 20-year-old guys that are moving on as they didn’t get to have that final year in the league, but I think our returning guys have really grown a lot over the last couple of years and it’ll be exciting to see them back on the ice. I think everyone in the league is pumped up about being able to play again.”
