Photo Credit: Saginaw Spirit
The Bonnyville Pontiacs are thrilled to announce the hiring of a new Head Coach.
Brad Flynn officially becomes the 10th head coach in the 31-year history of the franchise.
The 37-year-old originally hails from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia and has been an assistant coach in the QMJHL, WHL, and most recently, the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit.
Flynn signed a three-year contract earlier this week making the deal official.
“I am very excited. Everything I’ve heard about Bonnyville and the Pontiacs has been extremely positive. I’m looking forward to getting back to Alberta and getting ready for the season,” said Flynn.
“I want to build upon the strong foundation here and help build a consistently competitive program. I also want to assist players in their development to help them reach their hockey goals,” he added.
Flynn coached two seasons from 2012-14 with the Swan Valley Stampeders of the MJHL, before becoming the Corpus Christi Ice Rays Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for two seasons in the North American Hockey League.
He went to the Red Deer Rebels for three seasons as an assistant coach to Brent Sutter from 2018-2021.
Last season, Flynn was an associate coach with the Saginaw Spirit. Also in 2015-16, he spent one season behind the bench of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL.
Associate General Managers Neil Langridge and Chad Nelson said it was an extensive and exhaustive search to find the right candidate for the position.
“It was a very exhaustive process to find the next head coach of the Bonnyville Pontiacs, which the Board of Directors entrusted Chad [Nelson] and myself to make sure we found our ideal candidate,” said Langridge.
“Over the span of six weeks we interviewed numerous candidates as there was an extreme amount of interest for the position. We got the pleasure of interviewing Brad early on and he stood out to both of us immediately.”
“As I said before, whoever the next head coach of this great organization is, they would be jumping into a team and franchise that is ready to compete and not needing any sort of rebuild,” he continued.
“Brad not only brings a wealth of knowledge from his experience, but also an extensive hockey network at all levels. Through speaking with all of his references, they all mentioned that his work ethic will be unmatched, which speaks volumes about his character and passion for the game. He will provide a ton of youthful exuberance to the players and staff which Pontiac fans will notice from day one. I am very excited to welcome Brad to our community and cannot wait to get to work with him to provide the Lakeland with an exciting brand of Pontiacs Hockey!”
Nelson echoed those sentiments saying that Flynn will be a sure fit into the club.
“It didn’t take long in the interview and follow up process to know Brad would be the right fit for the community, the players, and the organization moving forward. He has a wealth of experience with connections throughout the hockey world, but also a youthful energy and a creative mindset that will help enhance our player development,” said Nelson.
“The hiring process was extensive, which included using resources in the hockey world, along with the reputation of the organization to find a suitable candidate. There were over 50 candidates who applied and many more who we connected with or inquired. A handful were selected to interview and many of their resources – along with common connections – were used to find the right coach to lead the Pontiacs organization going forward.”
The Bonnyville Pontiacs are thrilled to welcome Brad Flynn to the organization and look forward to him taking the reins as Head Coach when the 2022-23 Alberta Junior Hockey League season begins.