Wolverines hire Caplan as coach/GM

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This article was published 25/05/2017 (3025 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Arnie Caplan has a long history of rebuilding hockey programs.

The Waywayseecappo Wolverines are hoping he can do the same for them.

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League club announced Caplan as the team’s new head coach and general manager on Wednesday. Caplan is coming from Portage College of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference, where he helped the Voyageurs to a 21-point improvement in his first season at the helm, the greatest single-season improvement in the history of ACAC men’s hockey.

He also had big turnarounds with Concordia College in Minnesota in the early 2000s and the Lundar Falcons of the Keystone Junior Hockey League in 2012-13.

The Wolverines are in need of a makeover — they were last in the 11-team league with a 14-42-4 record last season and have posted winning records just twice in their 18-season history — and Caplan hopes he’s the man for the job to give them a facelift.

“I don’t know a whole lot of what happened in the past but I know they need a big culture change,” said Caplan, who replaces Barry Butler, who had been with the team for 16 of its 18 seasons, in both roles. “I need support from the organization, they have to do their part, but it has to be a full culture change. Players have to come wanting to play in Wayway and be happy there and want to stay there.

“Like every organization there’s going to be challenges and the positives. I think Wayway has those things and the board and band is serious about putting a successful hockey club in the community. I think the culture and recruiting part is really important and building up the right attitude on the team.”

There were a lot of things that attracted Caplan to Waywayseecappo’s posting. The 49-year-old former goaltender spent a little over a season in the league while playing with the now-defunct Kildonan North Stars before bolting to Acadia University, where he completed a bachelor and masters degree in sociology, and wanted a chance to come home to Manitoba. He also saw another challenge to improve a team as well as an opportunity to move up the coaching ranks.

He’s comfortable with being both the GM and head coach, as he did recruiting and coaching in the college ranks. He says he brings a lot of contacts in both Canada and United States, which could help bring players to the Wolverines.

On the ice, he wants to put out a team that can handle any situation.

“I have a very disciplined team that will be tough mentally and physically,” he said. “Whether you’re looking more at an offensive team or a defensive team — I’ve usually been more of a defensive structure guy first — but I think it’s important to mould your team around what you’ve got for skills.”

Caplan doesn’t have a lot of time to get his feet wet. He’s quickly trying to reach out to returning players, ones on Waywayseecappo’s protected list and prepare for the MJHL draft of 15-year-old players, which will take place on June 4. After that, he will work on building his coaching and support staff.

As hectic as his first month on the job will be, Caplan doesn’t really plan on slowing down once he settles in.

“Hockey these days is a 365-day job, but some of these teams have the ability to relax a little bit. I certainly won’t be in that boat,” he said. “I’m really excited and looking forward to it. I’m looking for some players who are interested in coming to Wayway who can play at this level and contribute. If there are players out there who are interested in coming to camp, then we should certainly touch base.”

ONE-TIMERS: The Anavet Cup will return next season. The Western Canada Cup has been scrapped after five seasons and the Saskatchewan and Manitoba junior A league winners will play in a series to determine who goes to the RBC Cup national championship tournament again next year.

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