The 2022 Memorial Cup is less than a month away, and the host team has officially welcomed its new head coach.
On Wednesday, the Saint John Sea Dogs held a press conference, and welcomed Gardiner MacDougall as the teams head coach for the Memorial Cup tournament.
MacDougall is the head coach for the UNB’s men’s hockey team, and will return to that role after the tournement.
During the press conference, MacDougall mentioned it has been a quick transition.
“I talked to my dean and asked permission from him and I said to him, ‘I’m going to sleep on it,’ and I have two dogs and every morning I go running with them at 6 a.m., and at around 5:43 a.m., I texted my dean and said, ‘it’s a great day to be a Sea Dog’.”
MacDougall mentioned part of his preparation before the tournament is to build trust with the team.
“My job right now is to serve these guys and to build trust in the them and in turn it’s double sided with their work ethic, performance, and execution.”
MacDougall replaces Gordie Dwyer as head coach after the Sea Dogs were eliminated in round one of the QMJHL playoffs.
He has led the UNB’s men’s hockey program since 2000, winning seven national titles since the 2006 to 2007 season.
The @SJSeaDogs are holding a press conference. Manager Trevor Georgie officially announces Gardiner MacDougall as interim head coach during the @CHLMemorialCup. pic.twitter.com/iMTTaWinqV
— Tim Herd (@timherdradio) May 25, 2022
