(Facebook/Nipawin Hawks)

By Mat Barrett

Behind the Bench

‘Thrilled to be coaching in hockey’s heartland’: Hawks hire Blumes as associate coach

Apr 29, 2020 | 11:37 AM

The Nipawin Hawks have found their new man behind the bench.

Jeremy Blumes of Calgary has been hired as an associate coach to work under head coach and general manager Doug Johnson in Nipawin.

The 44-year-old Blumes heard about the job through the Hawks website as well as a previous relationship with Johnson. Blumes also mentioned his coaching mentor is a good friend of the Hawks current bench boss. Blumes said in conversations with Johnson, they both see the game the same way.

“We both want players that play fast, compete hard, play 200-feet of the ice,” he said. “Sounds to me like ‘the cage’ is a little less than 200-feet, but I think that’s going to be a good thing.”

Prior to accepting the job in Nipawin, Blumes spent the last two seasons in the British Columbia Junior B ranks. He was the head coach and general manager for the Golden Rockets of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL). He’s also been a scout in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL).

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Prior to his time in B.C., Blumes was coaching at various levels in Calgary. He started as the head coach of the Calgary Royals Midget AA (CRAA) Blue team from 2010 to 2014. He won a Provincial and City championship in 2014 and was named Calgary Royals Coach of the Year in 2013. Blumes would go on to then spend one season as the head coach and general manager of the Strathmore Wheatland Kings in the Junior B ranks before being an assistant coach for one season with the Calgary Mustangs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He then spent one season as the Head Coach of the Calgary Flames Midget AAA team.

Blumes said as a coach, he would describe himself as firm, but fair.

“I’m demanding, but in this day and age, it’s important that you develop personal relationships with your players,” he said. “That’s not to say you need to be their best friend, but you need to understand what makes guys tick and where they want to go, then it’s my job to help them get there.”

Heading into the 2020-21 season in Nipawin, Blumes said he and Johnson have discussed how things will look. Blumes is set to work with the defencemen this year and said he’s ready to work hard to help the Nipawin Hawks.

“[Johnson] is responsible for the tactics, the systems, the culture,” Blumes said. “My role is to help make players become better and fill in wherever I am needed to the best of my abilities.”

Blumes does have some connections to Saskatchewan as he said his mom’s side of the family is from the Prince Albert area.

“I’m just thrilled to be coaching in hockey’s heartland,” he said. “And I can’t wait to get started.”

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6