Victoria Grizzlies News
GERVAIS TAKES GRIZZLIES HELMMay 20, 2009 Sharie Epp ©Times Colonist - With the 2009 RBC Cup in the history books, the Victoria Grizzlies started writing the story of next season by naming Victor Gervais as the team’s new head coach. A former assistant under coach Geoff Courtnall, who stepped down after the RBC Cup, the 40year-old Gervais brings a long resumé of hockey experience to the job. “I’ve been waiting to do this for a long time,” Gervais said. “I’m up for the challenge.” A ninth-round pick of the Washington Capitals in the 1989 entry draft, Gervais’ junior career included four full seasons as a centre with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League. In his final year, he posted 64 goals and 96 assists in 69 games. Following junior, Gervais, who also played six seasons of roller hockey with the Anaheim Bullfrogs, spent 16 seasons moving between the American Hockey League, ECHL, International Hockey League, and Europe. Along the way, besides winning six championships, he was coached by well-known NHL names such as Brian Murray, John Brophy, Barry Melrose, Doug McLean, and Bryan Trottier. “I’ve been coached by great coaches,” said Gervais, a native of Prince George. “I know how to win, I know what it takes to win. I’m very confident about that.” As far as coaching, Gervais was a player coach with the now defunct Florence, S.C., Pride of the ECHL, and was behind the bench with Grizzlies owner Len Barrie and the Juan de Fuca Bantam Triple-A Grizzlies. “I’ve always wanted to coach junior hockey, and what better place to coach than Victoria,” Gervais said. Despite the fact the Grizzlies bulked up on talent for their RBC Cup run, which ended in the semifinals, and lost several players to graduation and American colleges, Gervais thinks the future looks bright. He said GM Jackson Penney has done plenty of recruiting over the winter. “There are a lot of top quality kids who want to come here,” he said, adding hard work will be rewarded by ice time under his coaching style. “I won’t be yelling and screaming at them, I don’t think they need that. “When they deserve it, they’ll get ice time, and I don’t care who they are. That’s how I liked it when I played.” As far as the assistant coach position, nothing will be decided for a week or two. Several applicants, including Craig Didmon, also an assistant under Courtnall, were vying for the head coaching job, and may or may not be in the mix come September. “A lot of people out there wanted this job,” Gervais said. “I’m glad to get this chance. Now I have to make it last.” BEAR TRACKS: It’s official, Penney, as governor, and his wife Charity, team president, are the new owners of the Peninsula Panthers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. They’ve hired Geoff Grimwood, a three-year assistant coach with the Victoria Cougars, to be head coach and GM.
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