Tigers’ Smith takes on associate coaching role in Spokane
By RYAN MCCRACKEN on September 29, 2020.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com
Ryan Smith is making the move to the U.S. Division.
After spending two years behind the bench as an assistant coach with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Smith has made the decision to continue his career south of the border by taking on an associate coaching position with the Spokane Chiefs.
“In this business, I think you’re always striving to try and move up,” Smith said in a phone call with the News. “I have some goals that I definitely want to reach and I think this opportunity in Spokane to come on board in the associate job with Adam Maglio, who was in that spot last year and has been promoted, it was intriguing and exciting.”
Maglio got the bump up to head coach earlier this month after former bench boss Manny Viveiros took on a position with the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights. The move left a void on Spokane’s bench that general manager Scott Carter says Smith fills perfectly.
“He checks all the boxes we’re looking for in a coach and we’re confident he and Adam Maglio will continue our organization’s strong tradition of excellent coaching staffs,” Carter said in a Monday release from the Chiefs. “I’d also like to thank the Medicine Hat Tigers for permitting us to pursue Ryan for this position.”
It was an offer Smith says he simply couldn’t refuse, but that didn’t make his decision to leave Medicine Hat any easier.
“I can’t say enough good things about the people there. It was a really tough decision,” he said. “I talked to Willie (Desjardins) a little bit about it. It’s an opportunity that I don’t think I could turn away, but it was really hard to make that decision. I really thank the Tigers for the two years. I enjoyed my time.”
The 47-year-old Winnipeg product spent two years in Medicine Hat, specializing in special teams, first under head coach Shaun Clouston, then under Desjardins for the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season. Prior to joining the Tigers, Smith spent three seasons with the Swift Current Broncos under Mark Lamb and Viveiros, culminating in a WHL championship in 2018.
“I feel really fortunate to be able to work with all those guys. Mark is a true professional. He gave me a chance to get into the league and showed me the ropes,” said Smith. “Manny and Willie are a lot alike – they’re really good-hearted people. They want to make sure everybody is involved, staff, players, they want everybody to feel part of it … and Shaun is a real good technical coach. He knows how he wants his teams to play and he gets them to play that way.”
Smith says he also learned a great deal from fellow Tabby assistant Joe Frazer during his two years in the Gas City, and he expects great things from the young coach in the future.
“Joe Frazer is a really good person, he’s one of my best friends and I’m going to miss him,” said Smith. “He’s destined to bigger and better things as well. He’s got a bright future ahead and the Tigers are real lucky to have him.”
The Tigers addressed the move in a Monday tweet, thanking Smith for his work with the club over the past two years and wishing him well in his future endeavours.
The WHL is still planning for a Dec. 4 start to the 2020-21 season. Smith says he will likely make the move to Spokane in November to begin preparing for training camp.
“It’s a new adventure for me,” he said.
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