Sports
July 14, 2007 07:52 AM
By: Mike Hayakawa
It’s double duty for Brian Perrin.
The Newmarket Hurricanes announced Tuesday the Whitchurch-Stoufville resident and former Stouffville Spirit head coach will take over the Provincial Junior A Hockey League club’s general manager’s position vacated last week by Paul Dossey.
Coaching the Spirit for seven seasons starting in 1998, Perrin returned to the Hurricanes as head coach last November and took them to a North Conference semifinal series round against the eventual Canadian champion Aurora Tigers.
Although he has been involved in junior hockey at the coaching level for 15 seasons, it is Perrin’s first opportunity as a general manager.
He said he was surprised to hear of Dossey’s departure, but was interested in taking over the vacant position. He had one interview with the Hurricanes ownership before getting the word he was their man.
In taking over the general manager’s position, Perrin did it so he could have a little more control in the everyday running of the club.
“When someone comes in (as a general manager) you don’t know where you stand (as a head coach),” Perrin said.
Spirit ownership fired Perrin and his assistant coach/brother, Jeff Perrin, two years ago this month. Jeff is now an assistant with the Markham Waxers.
Perrin acknowledged there will be added pressure, particularly since the Hurricanes will be hosting the Dudley Hewitt Cup, the central Canadian championships next season and expectations are to ice a highly competitive team.
But Perrin said he accepts the challenges that lie ahead with his added role.
He’s already familiar with recruiting players and making trades, responsibilities he had during his time with the Hurricanes last season and during his first tour of duty as an assistant coach that included a trip to the Royal Bank Cup in 1996.
He also helped build the Spirit team that was a league finalist two seasons ago.
“What will be new is the league stuff, like going to the meetings, filing player cards. I know how it works, but I have never done it before,” he revealed. “This is just another challenge and it’s something I think I can do.”