The British Columbia Hockey League's Trail Smoke Eaters have announced that Bill Birks has joined the team as an Assistant Coach for the 2010/11 season.
Birks was formerly a member of the Merritt Centennials' coaching staff from 2007 to 2009. He also suited up for the Cents as a player, totalling 68 points during the 1988/89 season prior to a pro stint with the Johnstown Chiefs of the East Coast Hockey League.
In Trail, Birks will focus on working with the Smoke Eaters' defence corps while assisting head coach Jim Ingram with the day-to-day running of the club.
“Bill joins our organization from another small town team and he brings the blue collar work ethic and intensity that we were looking for as an organization,” Ingram says. “As coaches you spend a lot of time together through the season and it's important to work as a tight unit. I think Bill will be a really good fit for the team.”
Ingram will welcome back a number of key players for the 2010/11 season, including regular season leading scorer Scott Jacklin and playoff points leader Sam Mellor, and he believes that Birks will play an important role in shaping the Smoke Eaters for a successful season.
“You need to have a good relationship between the players and the assistant coach because that acts as a bridge to the head coach,” says Ingram. “Those that we spoke to about him had tremendous things to say, and his personality and attitude were solidifying factors in the decision.”