OLDS — New Grizzlys head coach Tyson Soloski, introduced to the news media last Wednesday, says he’s already at work trying to turn the team into a winner.
“Work already started,” he said during an interview with the Albertan. “You start looking at players, you start watching a lot of game film.”
He noted that the Grizzlys held a spring camp this past weekend and will hold another one at the end of the month.
“With the coaching job, I would say it's more of a 24/7 type of job, where you're always trying to find new ways to improve your team, whether that's from a player perspective or from an on-ice perspective,” he said.
Moe Jamal, the team’s new primary owner, president and GM, says management has a plan to make the Grizzlys a contender in two to three years.
Soloski was asked how he can make that happen, given the fact the Grizzlys have finished last in the Alberta Junior League’s south division for years, including this past season, when they posted a 15-38-1-0 record.
“It's something that we are going to take a lot of pride in,” he said.
“I think the biggest thing for us is changing the culture within our team, trying to find players and people that want to be here, want to be in Olds and take a lot of pride in being a member of the Olds Grizz.
“We also need to create a winning culture, which may not be on the scoreboard every night, but that we have a team that will battle, compete, and be there for each other every single day.
“We can do that by changing our culture, bringing in the right players, bringing in the right people. That’s the first step, and then that's going to lead to changing the on-ice product.”
Soloski joins the team from the Calgary International Hockey Academy (CIHA), where he led the U18 prep team to the finals of the prestigious Circle K Classic in the 2024-25 season. He also led the team to a 25-9-2 record this past season.
In addition, Soloski led the CIHA U17 team to a CSSHL championship in the 2023-24 season. During the 2022-23 season, he coached the Airdrie Xtreme to a U15 AAA championship, earning AEHL Coach of the Year honours.
Soloski was asked if he can use his connections to find players who can improve the team.
“I mean, it's definitely a possibility, just with our network across the hockey world,” he said.
“I coached a lot of good players and a lot of players that are eligible for junior and it's definitely something that we're looking at.
“But we're also going to be looking at across all of the team leagues and across the Junior League across western Canada to see if we can find the right players to fit our team.
“And once again, that starts with our character and the culture we're going to build. But yeah, definitely have a good network to try to leverage some players to come play in Olds.
“I think our ownership group, with Mo and Jay, are going to do a tremendous job of supporting us, and support have to be competitive, and by changing that culture with a few different pieces, from the management to the coaching staff, I think it will filter down and we'll be able to recruit some high-end players.”
Soloski said he’s known Dylan Olson, the Grizzlys’ new assistant coach for the past year.
“He's coached at the same academy that I have, (the Calgary International Hockey Academy).
“(He) coached a different team, but it's a very collaborative approach, and I chat with him all the time, and he's going to be a great fit.
“He played at the highest level. He played in the AJHL. He was drafted in the NHL, played games in the NHL, and played for a long time. So yeah, we're super excited to have Dylan.”
Soloski also praised former Grizzly and Olds resident Mitch Visser who became an assistant coach this past season and has been retained by the new ownership.
“(We’re) super excited to have him on board, connect with the players and bring a really good perspective to our coaching staff,” he said.
Soloski said he has a rough idea of the responsibilities that each coach will have, but it will be fluid too. He said on the really good teams, coaching is a collaborative thing.
“Those are the things that we'll have to fine-tune here as a summer goes on and ensure we have a proper plan in place to be successful,” he said.
That said, at least one role has already been loosely worked out. The plan at the moment is for Olson to run the defence and likely the penalty kill unit.
Soloski plans to continue living in Calgary and commute to Olds. He notes that he lives in the north end of the city, so he thinks drive won’t be too long.
“That works best for my family, and it's not too bad. So that's what I'll end up doing.”
