Tyler Kuntz brings several years of hockey experience, including from across the Pacific, as the new head coach and general manager of the Powell River Kings of the B.C. Hockey League.
The 39-year old native of Lumsden, Sask., was announced Tuesday by the Kings. Kuntz was the assistant coach of the Daemyung Killer Whales in South Korea last season. Prior to that, he was the assistant coach for the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League from 2015 to 2017 and head coach of the UBC Thunderbirds for the 2014-15 season after serving as an assistant coach with the program for four years.
Kuntz also ran the Vancouver Canucks pre-season training camp on-ice sessions in 2014 and 2016 under the guidance former Canucks coach Willie Desjardins.
Kuntz was a defenceman for the Burnaby (now Alberni Valley) Bulldogs of the BCHL in 1998-99 before moving on to a five-year career with UBC, earning a bachelor of education degree. Following university, Kuntz played professionally in Europe and North America.
“It’s a new direction for me in my career, but I’m excited to go somewhere I’m very familiar with,” said Kuntz, in a statement.
“Over the last 10 years, I’ve coached and worked with a lot of former Kings and followed the team closely. I know it’s always had a reputation of a good program and it’s nice to go somewhere with a history of success.”
Kuntz adds that Kings fans can expect a well-prepared team to compete hard every night.
“You have to be detailed, create great work habits and with 95 per cent of the game being played without the puck you really have to teach where to go when players don’t have the puck,” said Kuntz.
The team was looking for a dynamic leader, said Kings president Rob Villani: “We believe Tyler knows how vital the team is to our community and we are confident he is the right choice.”
Long-serving Kings GM and head coach Kent Lewis was fired on Jan. 29. Assistant coach Brock Sawyer guided the Kings as interim head coach for the rest of the regular season and into the playoff run to the Coastal Conference final.
