Curtis Hunt Hired by Senators; Regina Pats Begin Search for New Head Coach
Jul
11
By Western Hockey League
REGINA, Sask. - Regina Pats General Manager Brent Parker announced today that Head Coach Curtis Hunt is leaving the Pats organization to join the Ottawa Senators of the NHL, as an Assistant Coach. Hunt has been with the Pats organization since May 2004 when he was hired as the Head Coach.
Hunt leaves the Pats organization, ranked second in both games coached (270) and wins (125). In four seasons as bench boss of the Pats, his teams have compiled a winning percentage of .510 (125-120-25). Last season Hunt led the Pats to their first Division title in 10 years, with a record of 44-22-4-2.
The North Battleford, Saskatchewan native has experienced success on the International stage as well as the WHL. In August of 2005, Curtis captured Gold as Canada’s Assistant Coach for the Under-18 Junior World Cup played in Slovakia & the Czech Republic, that team also included Pats captain Logan Pyett. Hunt was also the Assistant Coach with Canada’s World Junior Team at the past two IIHF World Junior Championships, where he teamed up with newly hired Ottawa Senators coach Craig Hartsburg to win gold in Leksand, Sweden in 2007 and Pardubice, Czech Republic in 2008.
"Today is bitter sweet for me personally and for us as an organization. We are thrilled for Curtis and his family to get the opportunity to work in the NHL for a tremendous franchise such as the Ottawa Senators, but we are also disappointed to be losing a great coach, a good friend and quality person," commented Pats General Manager, Brent Parker. "We wish Curtis nothing but success as he advances to the NHL ranks."
"I want to thank Russ and Dianne Parker and GM Brent Parker for the opportunity to be a part of this great franchise. I will always cherish my days as a Regina Pat, a team I dreamed of playing for as a young hockey player," says Hunt. "On behalf of my wife Kim and our two sons, we are grateful for the professionalism, the class and integrity we were treated with while here in Regina. I want to thank our hockey staff and players for their commitment and trust over the past four seasons and wish them the best of luck in the seasons ahead. It has been a tremendous honour."
The search will begin immediately for the successor to Curtis as the Pats Head Coach. "We plan to move quickly in the process and I already have a list of 4-5 names that I have begun to contact. I don’t see it taking longer than a couple weeks." – commented Pats General Manager Brent Parker.
More information will be forthcoming as the search goes forward.
