Tye Scherger - top right, chats with Ryan Duguay during a media timeout (photo courtesy/Broad Leaf Media, Facebook)

By Ben Tompkins

An important piece of a winning team

Assistant coach Tye Scherger plays vital role in Mustangs’ championship season

May 30, 2024 | 5:00 PM

There are a lot of different moving parts within an organization when it comes to building a championship sports team.

For the Melfort Mustangs and their 2023/24 win of the SJHL Championship and a finish as runner-up at Nationals, one piece of the puzzle was new to the team (at least in a way) and helped push the club to a historic season.

Assistant coach Tye Scherger found himself back in the Northern Lights Palace in the fall of 2023, but wearing a different type of uniform.

The former assistant captain who aged out of Junior A hockey in 2022 took just one year away from the Blue and Green, before returning with a suit and tie instead of a pair of skates and a stick, aiding Trevor Blevins behind the bench, and getting the team to the promised land.

“He knew the culture, the expectations and the importance of what’s required to be a Melfort Mustang on a daily basis. That was huge for our relationship and for the team, and he stepped right in. He brought lots of energy and knowledge and was willing to take on the different aspects of the role. He did such a great job,” explained Mustangs head coach, Trevor Blevins.

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“With him coming in and managing the bench, it was huge for me to be able to take a step back and run the defence this year. We could both oversee the game and make in-game adjustments much quicker, so everything was just more efficient. He took a lot of responsibility in the practices as well, so he’s a big part of why we won.”

Whether it was the passion for the game, the core values on and off the ice, or just simply put the hard work ethic, Blevins seemed to find his ‘mini-me’, despite Scherger being the taller of the two.

Regardless of their height, the most important thing was complementary coaching styles and approach to managing the bench – which showed all year long.

“When you’re working with somebody in the hockey world, you gotta have the same kind of ideas and philosophies on how the game should be played. Having a second voice give the same kind of message as me brings reinforcements and it just helps the whole hockey team buy in,” Blevins added.

“When you can work with someone you absolutely trust and have confidence in, not only do you have a great working relationship but you’re really close and good friends, and that’s special. The chemistry between us was huge and that set into the players too. I think the world of Tye Scherger, his personality and character are second to none and I feel that we’ve developed a strong relationship that’s gonna be successful for years to come.”

Scherger has already signed a two-year extension with the ‘Stangs, which will keep him with the organization until 2026.

“I think every coach wants to learn and get better every year, and I feel he’s done that. He came miles as far as his role in all things. Whether it was bench management, explaining drills, speaking to the team or handling situations that were pressure on the bench, like anything you learn as you go and he did a great job. I couldn’t be happier that he’s here for two more years,” concluded Blevins.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8