MOOSE JAW -- Tim Hunter has been relieved of his head coaching duties with the Moose Jaw Warriors, the team announced Monday.
“We just feel that it’s time to turn the page and turn our team over, and look at a new direction,” said Warriors general manager Alan Millar. “Tim deserves a lot of credit. I think he certainly heightened our program in terms of his experiences at Hockey Canada and with the World Junior Championships.”
Millar said this was the final year of Hunter’s contract with the team, and he decided he would not be renewing the deal at the end of the season.
“We obviously had a number of 40 plus seasons, we had our best regular season in our history with 52 wins with him at the helm,” said Millar.
The Warriors began the 2019-20 season with an 11-22-2 record through 35 games. The Warriors finished with a winning record in four of Hunter's six seasons as head coach.
He finishes his career with the Warriors with the most wins by a head coach in franchise history, with 189. Hunter also lead the team to a regular season title in the 2017-18 season.
Associate coach Mark O’Leary was named the new head coach of the Warriors.
Moose Jaw Warriors GM Alan Millar announces Mark O'Leary as the new head coach of the team. (Marc Smith/CTV News)
“I’m certainly real excited about the opportunity here,” said O’Leary. “I really do love our group. I know we’re young, but there are a lot of things to be excited about moving forward.”
O’Leary has been a part of the Warriors organization for eight years. He has a 26-6-4-1 record while filling in as head coach while Hunter was away at the World Juniors over three seasons.
There is also no interim tag on O’Leary and he is currently in discussions with the team for a multi-year contract.
“He’ll bring a calm, patient approach to our team in terms of development and how we play,” said Millar “I also think he’s also a student of the game that knows how the game needs to be played.”
O’Leary credits Hunter as a big part of his development as a coach.
“I can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for me in terms of challenging me to be a better coach, pushed the status quo, and always looking for new ways to do things,” said O’Leary. “I’ve certainly learned a ton from Tim in terms of the small details of the game.”
O’Leary will have his first test as the permanent head coach on Wednesday as the Warriors take on the Edmonton Oil Kings at home.
