Bison hockey coach headed south
Mike Sirant to guest coach with Nashville Predators
Amanda Laing, Staff
As Mike Sirant prepares to embark on his 13th season at the helm of the Bison men’s hockey team, he is also preparing to lend a hand to the National Hockey League. The Nashville Predators have asked for Sirant’s assistance as a guest coach during their training camp, in an effort to prepare for the NHL rule changes that will be implemented this year.
Predators’ head coach Barry Trotz is hoping that Sirant’s experience with the elimination of the red line will help his team adapt to the rules that will be in effect for the 2005-06 NHL season, some of which are already in place for Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).
“Barry Trotz is one of the most respected coaches in the game, and for me to have the [chance] to go and work with [him] for a week is going to be a tremendous development opportunity,” said Sirant.
“I’ll be on the ice with the practices; I’ll be assisting with the evaluation of players and also . . . sharing my experiences with the CIS style of hockey.”
After being named the 2004 Canada West conference Coach of the Year and getting his team to the nationals for the first time in 40 years, Sirant is looking to gain further experience from his brief stint with the Predators.
“I’m going to see how they do things in Nashville, and hopefully what I gain from my experience there will strengthen the Bison hockey program. Our players are going to benefit; our whole program is going to benefit.”
Sirant will be taking advantage of the NHL experience from Sept. 12-20, which is right in the middle of the Bisons’ training camp. However, he doesn’t expect that his absence will detract from the process of evaluating his own players.
“We have some outstanding [assistant] coaches with a great deal of coaching experience. [Assistant coach] Greg Lacomy will look after things while I’m gone . . . It’s all been laid out,” said Sirant, adding that no final decisions on player personnel will be made while he is away.
When asked about future career opportunities in the NHL, Sirant said that he is not about to jump ship, but admitted that if the right situation came along he would be prepared to consider it.
“It’s no different than a player — if there’s an opportunity to go to the next level in professional hockey then, yes, I’d be interested in that,” said Sirant. “That’s not the reason that I’m going.”
He was also quick to point out that he is quite comfortable and feels at home at the University of Manitoba.
“I’m very appreciative of the opportunity to work with Bison sports, which is a great working environment. I’m thankful for . . . the job and position that I have here. I’m not anxious to move.”
Trotz is a former Bison player and coach, and he and Sirant were teammates with the Bisons in 1983-84.
Sirant has also been a guest coach in a variety of roles with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.
