The Alberni Valley Bulldogs have announced a departure and corresponding addition to the team's coaching staff, both with an NCAA connection.
The club has announced that Assistant Coach and Assistant General Manager Bryan Vines has been hired as an Assistant Coach with the Men's ice Hockey program at NCAA Division I Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Vines was offered the position after the recent resignation of former RPI assistant Shaun Kurulak.A graduate of Denver University, Vines played under RPI head coach Seth Appert for five seasons during his NCAA playing career.
“Bryan is an honest, classy individual, not to mention a great hockey coach,” says Bulldogs Head Coach/GM and RPI grad Nolan Graham. “It is difficult to attain a job at the NCAA Division I level and Bryan had to accept this job to further his coaching career. I think it speaks columes about the sort of people that we want to have a part of the program here in Alberni. Bryan is very deserving of this opportunity.
“It can sometimes take years of coaching experience to even be considered for a job such as this. The entire Alberni Valley Bulldogs organization wishes Bryan and his family all the best in the future.”
In a related move, the Bulldogs have announced the hiring of Paul Esdale as the team's new Assistant Coach/Assistant GM for the 2009/10 season.
Esdale, an Edmonton, Alta. native, spent the past six season playing professional hockey in North America and Europe. Prior to embarking on a professional career, Esdale played at NCAA Division I Brown University, leading the team in scoring by a defenceman in each of his four seasons.
Esdale graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Business Economics. He has had a lifelong interest in coaching, as his father Peter was a career hockey with a resume that included head coaching positions with the University of Alberta (CIAU), the Spokane Chiefs (WHL) and Ferris State University (NCAA).
“I look forward to building a program in the Alberni Valley that is top in the country at developing young men,” Esdale says. “I am extremely passionate about the game and I'm eager to provide these young athletes with a quality environment that will allow them to achieve their athletic and academic goals.”
Graham, Esdale and the Bulldogs travel to Powell River to face off in their season opener on September 11th. The Bulldogs will play their first home game of the new season on September 18th when they host the Victoria Grizzlies.
