The Kimberley Dynamiters are out of the playoffs after a four-game sweep at the hands of the Golden Rockets, which is a tough way to go but it puts an end to a season that had its challenges.
A few players recruited from a folded Jr. A team left midway through the season, while the organization had to deal with the fallout behind the resignations of head coach Roman Vopat and assistant coach Jordan Foreman.
Glenn Burgess was hired on by Kimberley’s executive committee in December on a contract that ran for only the remainder of the season.
Burgess had a record of 10-12-1 during his tenure, not including the four-game sweep in the playoffs.
He isn’t happy with the way things ended, but hopes the organization will have him back next year with a clean slate and a chance to build a team of his own.
“It’s the type of things, where you’d like them to want you back, but you got to win, too. There’s no question, I didn’t get it done,” Burgess said.
“But to be fair, I didn’t pick the team, I didn’t have any cards to do any trades, so yes, I’d like to come back, I hope they’ll have me back but we’ll see after my interview at the end of the year.”
Burgess has coached many years in the Cranbrook minor hockey system, capturing a provincial championship and two of his four boys have played in the KIJHL.
Stepping up into Jr. B hockey wasn’t that much different, but the main challenge came from having to work with and modify existing systems that the team had been using before his arrival, he said.
“Everyone keeps telling me it’s going to be harder, but the only thing I’ve found harder is to change systems and to change what was going on coming in so late,” said Burgess. “I would like a fair shot at it, starting with my systems at the start of the year and a team picked by me. I would like to see what I can do then.
“I know it’s easy to say that after exiting the first round of the playoffs, but I would like to have another go at it, for sure, with a little different circumstances.”
It will be a different look next year as six 19-year-olds were on the roster, but only four 20-year-olds are allowed. Burgess said scouts have also been eyeing up Jason Richter, Eric Buckley and Matthew Mitchell.
Rearguard Isaac Schacher will move on up to the WHL with the Victoria Royals as well.