It has been a quick transition for Josh Dale.
The local hockey coach, who has spent the past seven seasons behind the bench as an assistant coach with the Powassan Voodoos, left the Voodoos year-end banquet Friday night and went right back to the ice rink for the North Bay & District U18 AAA Trappers spring tryouts at Memorial Gardens.
The 45-year-old, who turns 46 on May 5, has taken on the job of head coach of the North Bay & District AAA Trappers from Vitali Yachmenev and Guy Blanchard who shared the role in 2023-24 when the Trappers finished 5th overall in the seven-team Great North U18 League.
"We had a long season with the Voodoos this year going to the finals against Sudbury," said Dale.
"I am looking forward to it, we have a lot of talent out there with 36 boys signed up for tryouts and I am excited to get that team put together and get going with the season."
Dale got a taste of being the head coach for five games in December when head coach Peter Goulet and associate coach Josh Hardiman were away with Team Canada East in Truro, Nova Scotia. Earlier in the season, Dale won his 200th game behind the bench with the Voodoos. in a 3-1 win over the Greater Sudbury Cubs at the NOJHL Showcase in Sudbury in early October.
What he has learned is there is more to choosing hockey players than just talent.
"One thing I told the boys before the tryouts is that I am not only looking for great hockey players but I am looking for great people too," he said.
"I want great young men on my team that want to be here, want to learn and want to get better. We want to succeed and put together a championship roster. We also want to develop them and make sure they are great human beings at the end of the season."
Dale hopes to continue his relationship with the Voodoos while wearing Trappers red, white and blue.
"I am still working with Voodoos head coach Peter Goulet and he is guiding me as I look at players and I will be helping him with Voodoos prospects," he said.
"It is a great relationship, I posted something on social media today once a Voodoo always a Voodoo and it is friends for life."
Dale says one day he would like to write a book about life coaching hockey in northern Ontario.
He is hoping this new Trappers chapter will be a successful one.
