Kromm hopes to empower Kings

The 2026-27 Manitoba Junior Hockey League season will be a full reset for the Dauphin Kings, starting with their new head coach and general manager Bryan Kromm, who wants to empower his players to become the best versions of themselves they can be.

“We’re giving guys a ton of rope to learn and grow,” said Kromm. “We understand that mistakes are going to happen, but it’s how we respond to them and learn from them that’s the most important thing for me.”

Kromm intends to take a mix of younger incoming players and guys who didn’t necessarily get “a fair shake” last season and forge them into a unit. He joined the organization this summer after the Kings and former head coach Doug Hedley mutually agreed to part ways in April.

Under Hedley’s leadership, the team finished second in the West Division with a 33-23-2 record but lost their first-round series to the Wawayseecappo Wolverines in a clean sweep.

Kromm’s arrival heralds a new age for the Kings. This is his first experience as a head coach, and he will bring his unique approach to the role.

“Obviously there’s a lot of stuff going on when you wear the two hats,” said Kromm about his experience with Dauphin to this point. “The challenge has been good for me, and the community has been awesome as well.”

As is often the case when a new coach comes in, there’s been a lot of change when it comes to players.

FORWARDS

Dauphin scored by committee last season, relying on a diverse cast of players to put up points. Brandon native Ethan Stewart led the team with 48 points and was one of just two players to average over a point per game.

The small number of returners up front includes: 2006-born forward Kurtis Kinoshita as well as 2007-born forwards Luke Myhre and Kale Pratte and 2008-born Quinten Fisk.

The Kings acquired 2006-born Bennett Muller and 2007-born Carson Meyer in trades to bolster this group.

“Honestly, it’s the entire group that I’m going to lean on,” said Kromm. “They’re all kids that need confidence, and when we talk about empowerment, that’s what I mean. They need to know they’re good players, and that’s what we’ve been trying to stress to them.”

The remainder of the group is made up of 2008- and 2009-born rookies.

Collin Friedrich and Nic Collins distinguished themselves from the rest of the rookies based on their ability to score during pre-season action. In four games, Friedrich led the team in points with four goals and one assist, while Collins scored a pair of goals and added an assist of his own.

“They’ve been, obviously, two bright spots throughout the preseason,” said Kromm. “It’ll still be a learning curve for them, but I’ve been happy with those two kids in particular in what they’re doing and how receptive they’ve been to our coaching.”

It’s almost useless to talk about the departing players from last year’s team since this is a completely new group that will play a different style under the leadership of Kromm.

The new head coach’s big bet is that his group of depth players and youth will come together to form a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

DEFENCE

Dylan Miko, Aidan Malone, Sam Swanton and Brady Bell are the only returners from last year’s D corps.

Of the four, Miko played the most games last season with 44, while the other three all played under 30 games. He’s already been identified for a leadership position this season despite the fact that Kromm intends to take his time deciding his leaders.

“He has a presence on the ice and a presence in the locker room,” said Kromm. “He understands what we’re trying to do, he’s receptive to what we are asking from him, and he’s been nothing but a leader for us already.”

Malone, Bell and Swanton registered a combined 15 points during the year, which was just five more than Miko.

While they didn’t see a lot of action last season, they will need to step up and take on much larger roles this season.

Ty Pratte, Aiden Murray and Brett Magarrell aged out at the end of the 2025-26 season, leaving behind four large holes in the starting lineup, while 2006-born Daniel Helary was moved to the Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and 20007-born Gavin Haslam was traded to Steinbach.

These are the kinds of players Kromm wants to empower. He’s keen to improve their abilities while showing them they can do more when given more opportunity.

Swanton — a 2007-born player — led the D corps in points during the preseason with a goal and two assists in three games.

“All these kids have never really been given the opportunity, and Sam is a very smart player,” said Kromm. “He does a lot of good things on the ice. We’re starting to see some energy, some life coming from him. He seems super excited to be here.”

To help the returning players, Dauphin acquired a pair of 2007-born defenders, six-foot-three Beckham Garchinski, who came from the Niverville Nighthawks, and Aidan Stewart, who was last with the Swan Valley Stampeders. These two also have limited Manitoba Junior Hockey League experience.

Rounding out the group are a trio of rookies: 2007-born Cooper Johansen, who Kromm described as a solid defender with a really good stick, and 2008-borns William Spencer and Declan Andrews.

This group, like the forwards, will have a lot to prove. There are very few players with more than 40 games of MJHL experience. There will be lots of opportunity to go around, giving each player time to prove themselves.

GOALIES

Veteran goaltender Bryson Yaschyshyn will have a very important role to play for Dauphin. He led last year’s tandem, playing 34 games while maintaining a .911 save percentage and a 2.79 goals-against average.

“He’s a kid that’s been in the league for a long time,” said Kromm. “He has a lot of experience, and he’s proven.

“He’s a very mature person. He’s a kid that I don’t need to say anything to, really. He understands what we are trying to do, and he’s been nothing but another bright spot for us and this group.”

Early in the season, Yaschyshyn may face a heavy load while the team figures out its identity. He will also have the job of bringing along 2009-born backup Tate Barnaby, who will be playing his first season in the MJHL.

Playing behind Yaschyshyn will give Barnaby time to grow while learning from someone who has seen and played at the level before.

In 30 games with the Winnipeg Thrashers U18 AAA team, Barnaby maintained a .928 save percentage and a 2.25 goals-against average to finish the season with a 22-7-1 record.

“He’s got a very high ceiling, but I’ve gotten him to understand that it’s a long game for him,” Kromm said. “Our goal for him, and our goal for any of our young guys, is to move him on and try to get him to the highest level we can.”

The tandem is a standard one that looks like it will be strong.

Going into the year, it’s all about cohesion for this year’s Dauphin Kings. If the team comes together and some players take steps forward, they can be a force to be reckoned with. However, there is an equal chance that the group falters, especially early in the year. It all depends on how the team responds to Kromm’s empowerment philosophy.

Fans should expect Dauphin to be “a group that’s competitive where nobody cares who gets credit,” according to Kromm.

“We’re all pulling on the same rope, and we play connected as a five-man unit,” said Kromm. “When people watch us, they’ll say everyone is on the same page … you’ll see a competitive group, a competitive group and hopefully a group that has some fun out there.”

» rmccarthy@brandonsun.com