Victoria Franchise Names GM/Head Coach

MARC HABSCHEID NAMED GENERAL MANAGER AND HEAD COACH OF VICTORIA WHL FRANCHISE

Memorial Cup champion coach continues with franchise as General Manager and Head Coach.

For Immediate Release

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Victoria, BC – The Victoria Western Hockey League (WHL) Franchise is proud to announce that Marc Habscheid will continue with the Victoria Franchise as their General Manager and Head Coach after holding the same position with Chilliwack over the past two seasons. During his time with the Bruins he compiled a 65-64-6-9 record and led the club to the WHL Playoffs in both seasons.

Habscheid comes to Victoria with a successful hockey pedigree as both a coach and a player. His coaching career has spanned over 13 years and was highlighted during the 2003-04 season when Habscheid led the Kelowna Rockets to their only Memorial Cup Championship. That season he also was named the Canadian Hockey League and WHL Coach of the Year. His playing career began in the WHL with the Saskatoon Blades. From there he went on to compete in 345 NHL games with Edmonton, Minnesota, Detroit and Calgary over his 15 professional seasons.

“The opportunity to continue my role in Victoria is very exciting for me and my family.” Habscheid said. “RG Properties is known as a first class company and I look forward to representing both the city of Victoria and also RG.

“The last two years in Chilliwack we saw a marked improvement on the ice with this franchise, and I look forward to continuing to build this team and program in Victoria.”

The majority of his 13-year coaching career has been spent in the WHL with Kamloops, Kelowna and Chilliwack, but the 48-year-old Habscheid began his coaching career during the 1996-97 season with a year at the helm of the Melfort Mustangs of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). Habscheid also had a stint coaching in the National Hockey League (NHL), as he served as the Associate Coach for the Boston Bruins during the 2006-07 campaign.

“We are happy that Marc has decided to stay on with the Victoria WHL Franchise,” team president Dave Dakers said. “Marc has had significant success in the past and we look forward to him replicating that here.”

The Swift Current, SK native also garnered international success in the coaching world when he took the reigns of various teams for Canada. He began his career with Hockey Canada in 2001 when he was named an assistant coach for Canada’s Under-20 World Junior team. In 2003, he was named head coach of the Under-20 team, and led Canada to a silver medal at the World Junior Hockey Championships. He also coached Canada to gold medals in consecutive World Hockey Championships (2005 and 2006), and was a member of the coaching staff for Canada’s 2006 Olympic squad in Turin, Italy. Habscheid also won a gold medal as the assistant coach for Canada’s National U-18 Team in 1999. He also became the first person in Canadian hockey history to both play and coach for the National World Junior team.

Habscheid’s 15-year professional playing career (1981-82 thru 1995-96) was highlighted by 345 total contests in the NHL where he accumulated 72 goals and 91 assists for 163 points. Prior to turning professional he spent three seasons as a member of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades where he scored 253 points (100g-153a) in 142 games.

Habscheid’s international playing career began in 1982 when he helped the Canadian National Junior Team claim its first gold medal in the U-20 tournament. Following the 1982 gold medal win, Habscheid competed in 126 career international games for Canada between international tournaments, World Hockey Championships and Olympic Games.

The WHL is returning to Victoria this fall! Give yourself the best chance to get the seats you want today by booking a Priority Reference Number (PRN). Each $25 PRN purchase holds your spot in line until seat selection for the 2011-12 season begins! For further details or to purchase a PRN, visit the Select Your Tickets Box Office, www.selectyourtickets.com/vicwhl.php, e-mail tickets@vicwhl.com, or call 250-220-7777.