For the first time in our annual effort to name who our beat writers and contributors think were the best in each conference, we are naming who we believe had the best seasons for coaches and executives.
First we took a look out east and named the coach of the team with the best record in the whole WHL as the top bench boss.
Eastern Conference Coach of the Year: Marc Habscheid (Prince Albert Raiders)
-While Saskatoon Blades bench boss Mitch Love got a lot of, well love from our voters, ultimately it was Habscheid who was the top coach in the Eastern Conference. Habscheid, in his fourth season with the Raiders, led his team to a 54-10-2-2 record. The 54 wins is the second most in the Raiders WHL history, second only to Terry Simpson’s 1984-85 Raiders’ 58 victories. That team won the WHL title and the Memorial Cup. This season’s 10 losses in regulation is the fewest in franchise history.
Habscheid’s Raiders led the WHL with 307 goals by 49 over the second most. They also gave up only 156, second fewest in the league. Somehow Habscheid got his team to continue rolling even after they pulled away with the East Division and later Eastern Conference. They are an incredibly deep team that had breakout seasons from pretty much everyone on the roster.
He now tries to follow the path of his 2002-03 Kelowna Rockets who took the WHL title and his 2003-04 Rockets who won the Memorial Cup.
Other receiving consideration: Mitch Love (Saskatoon Blades), Brad Lauer (Edmonton Oil Kings).
Western Conference Coach of the Year: Michael Dyck (Vancouver Giants)
-Just as the Giants edged out the Silvertips for best regular season record in the Western Conference, Dyck got just one more vote than Dennis Williams. While the Giants were expected to be contenders in the B.C. Division, Dyck had them running away with the division. They went from December 15th on without losing in regulation to a team in the B.C. Division.
Vancouver went 48-15-3-2 for their best record since 2008-09. Dyck’s Giants put up 29 more goals than anyone else in the division and gave up 47 fewer than anyone else too. They played a committed team-defense game and had both goalies in David Tendeck and Trent Miner trading the net with both driving each other to two of the best GAAs in the WHL.
Dyck now tries to follow up winning the AMHL last season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes Midget AAA team with another long playoff run.
Other receiving consideration: Dennis Williams (Everett Silvertips), Matt O’Dette (Seattle Thunderbirds), Dan Price (Victoria Royals).
Eastern Conference Executive of the Year: Colin Priestner (Saskatoon Blades)
-Priestner had the midas touch this season as he made 17 different trades from May 3rd to the trade deadline. He pulled out quite a few gems with Dorrin Luding (for a 7th round pick in 2020) providing solid backup netminding, (Uncle) Gary Haden (Logan Christensen) coming over and piling up 62 points in 55 games, Brandon Schuldhaus (2nd round and 5th round picks) and Nolan Kneen (Jackson Caller and two picks) solidifying the blue line and Ryan Hughes (Josh Paterson and two picks) giving Kirby Dach a running partner.
Priestner reigned things in a bit in 2017-18 as he moved on from overage play maker Cam Hebig and dynamic blue liner Libor Hajek, partially leading to the Blades missing the playoffs again.
This season, Priestner decided to buy instead and put together a roster that not only put together a 45-15-8-0 record for second in the East Division, but has a team that should contend for the division lead next season as well.
Priestner was in a tough category with each of the general managers receiving votes, being just one off of his winning total.
Other receiving consideration: Curtis Hunt (Prince Albert Raiders), Peter Anholt (Lethbridge Hurricanes), Kirt Hill (Edmonton Oil Kings).
Western Conference Executive of the Year: Bil La Forge (Seattle Thunderbirds)
-It’s not often that the general manager of the last placed playoff team in a conference is named the season’s best general manager. But La Forge took a team spiraling as they reached the trade deadline and moved his leading goal-scorer, starting goalie and a top-four defenseman and managed to improve them.
After getting younger at the deadline and convincing goalie Roddy Ross to come to the WHL, La Forge had his Thunderbirds climbing up into a playoff spot and set up for first round battle with the Vancouver Giants.
Seattle went 11-3-1-1 over their last 16 regular season games, despite playing a tough schedule.
La Forge just edged out his former boss Garry Davidson in the Western Conference voting.
Other receiving consideration: Garry Davidson (Everett Silvertips), Barclay Parneta (Vancouver Giants), Mike Johnston (Portland Winterhawks).
