The Olds Grizzlys have given contract extensions to three members of their staff.Brett Hopfe, head coach and director of hockey operations and Dana Lattery, assistant coach and manager of player development, will be behind the bench for the next three years.Jim Ross, the club's interim president, said he saw a team brimming with potential that played tough in the playoffs, meriting extensions for the coaches.“We see a team that had some good, young players that really shows a bright future for the next couple of years, probably. Some good recruitment from the coaching staff that are there,” Ross said.The interim president said Hopfe went through the year without a contract and this deal was a sign of mutual commitment to the team.Ross added that he expects his young four-member coaching staff, which also includes Jeramie Heistad and Dustin Borbandy, to continue developing and getting their players' best.In three years, he hopes the Grizzlys will be contenders.“I hope that we can compete on a regular basis for the league championship, to be one of the top teams in the league,” he said. “We obviously need to have a number of factors that are pulled together to make that happen.”“Coaching staff and recruitment of players and getting the players to play as a team are very high on that list so I'm hoping that we can be there and be there for many years to come.”Hopfe also expects the team to make noise next year.“It'd be a disappointment for myself and the other coaches if we didn't have home-ice advantage for the playoffs,” Hopfe said. “We feel like we're going to have a very competitive team.”Joel Hunter, the team's business operations manager was also extended for one year.“He knows the game of hockey but he also knows the community well,” Ross said. “Sponsorship and that sort of thing are very important things that he's working hard on right now to help secure our financial future for many years to come.”“Obviously that's a goal that we want to get to, where we have our financial conditions improved here and we look forward to being here for many years.”New goalieOn June 5, the Grizzlys acquired 20-year-old goalie Jordan Piccolino from the Dauphin Kings in exchange for defenceman Jordan Lajimodiere and forward-defenceman Marc Eremenko.The trade was made to unload some of the Grizzlys' 20-year-old players because AJHL rules only permit a team to have six of them.Piccolino brings a list of accomplishments including a 2012-13 Central Canada Hockey League championship, when he was named playoff MVP. This year, he was named the top goalie at the Western Canadian Cup and made the all-star team.However, Hopfe isn't ready to coronate him as the Grizzly's starting goaltender yet.“Every player on our team comes to our program and after the summer you have to earn your spot again,” he said. “As a 20-year-old, you expect a player to come into camp and earn that role but stranger things have happened in this league. Older players lose their jobs all the time.”“We expect him to come in and see what he can do.”[email protected]
