Marc Habscheid can be excused for feeling like he is going through a past-life experience — only this time from the visiting bench.
The current B.C. Division road trip has taken the Prince Albert Raiders head coach through three Western Hockey League cities in which he has previously coached — Kamloops, Kelowna and tonight in Victoria against the Royals (16-14-2) at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. His Raiders even stopped in Chilliwack for a meal on their way to the Island.
Habscheid was the head coach and GM of the Chilliwack Bruins when they moved to Victoria to become the Royals in 2011-12. Although it didn’t end up working out for him on the Island — he was replaced by Dave Lowry on the Royals bench and Cam Hope in the GM’s chair after his single season in Victoria (24-41-7) — Habscheid has few regrets.
After a year continuing to work with RG Properties, which owns the Royals, in a non-hockey capacity, Habscheid returned to the family farm in Saskatchewan.
“My parents are older now, my dad is in his 90s, so it was special being able to spend time there,” said Habscheid.
But then came the call from the Raiders. Even though Prince Albert had lost graduated star forward Leon Draisaitl, now an NHL rookie with the Edmonton Oilers, the bulk of the promising young team had returned but was under-performing. So the Raiders fired former head coach Cory Clouston and brought in Habscheid to run the bench on Nov. 1.
Although his Bruins/Royals tenure fell far short of championship status, Habscheid coached the Kelowna Rockets to the 2004 Memorial Cup and Canada to silver at the 2003 world junior championship in Halifax. He had a long association with the Canadian Olympic team program and coached Canada to the 2004 world title, silver at the 2005 world championship and was an assistant coach to Pat Quinn at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.
It’s that experience Habscheid has leaned on to get the Raiders back on track. He has Prince Albert (15-15) on a 7-2 tear after a 1-4 start with the Raiders.
“We’ve opened it up with more of an up-tempo game,” said Habscheid.
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It doesn’t hurt to have an offensive defenceman like Winnipeg Jets prospect Josh Morrissey (seven goals, 21 points in 25 games) setting the pace.
“[Morrissey] is where Prince Albert’s offence starts,” said Royals defenceman Joe Hicketts, who later this week is headed with Morrissey to the Canadian team selection camp for the world junior championship.
“He is a great skater. We have to be tough and physical on him,” added Hicketts, not a bad puck mover himself as the leading WHL defenceman points scorer with eight goals and 38 points in 30 games.
Added Hicketts’ Royals co-captain Brandon Magee: “[Morrissey] jumps in the rush and is smart in the neutral zone. We have to be aware of what he’s about to do.”
Victoria forward Axel Blomqvist, who was left off the Swedish team named Monday for the world juniors, like Morrissey is signed to an NHL entry-level contract with Winnipeg and knows the flashy Raiders blue-liner well.
“He is a very offensive, skilled player who can skate,” said Blomqvist.
“We have to be hard hitting on him.”
Habscheid said Morrissey has “good feet” but that his greatest attribute is his “ultra-competitiveness.”
Meanwhile, Habscheid by now has enough of a sense of perspective that it doesn’t bother him about his contract with Prince Albert only being to the end of the season. No matter what you’ve done in the past, you have to constantly keep proving yourself in this business.
“I’m in my 50s, and not 20s anymore. A good friend has pancreatic cancer … I know it sounds cliché, but these things all come together . . . I’ve learned just to take it one day at a time,” said Habscheid.
