Heading the Bisons

Andrea Roberts
Times Intern

 

Sandy Henry will be returning as the CFR AAA Bisons head coach for the second year this upcoming season.
Henry took on the job last year when the coach who was supposed to head the team, Adam Redmond, accepted a job with the Alberta Junior League.
While he wasn’t planning on coaching them again this year due to the required time commitment to the team, Henry decided to take the position for one more year.
“It was such a great experience last year,” said Henry. “I kept my name in the loop and said ‘you know what, I had such a good time last year that if you don’t think the right guy is there I will do it’. So I’m back for another year.”
There were two big factors in Henry’s hesitation in coaching the team. The first was his belief that the spot should go to a high school teacher who can coach, as the Bisons now have daytime practice.
He was also hesitant about the amount of time needed to be dedicated to the program, especially as he is also a scout for the Western Hockey League and helps identify players for Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Because of his scouting experience, he is aware of talent available this year that could make the CFR Bisons a top-end team.
This year he will focus on trying to get the players to improve in the beginning of the season rather than focusing on wins and losses, but would like to eventually win a league championship.
Henry has been involved with the Bisons for a number of years, both as a part of the coaching staff and as a parent. He was an assistant coach for two years, helping them make it to the Telus Cup for the first time, alongside then-head coach, Dan McDonald.
He grew up with hockey as a major part of his life spending his weekends playing and watching the sport. He began coaching his sons when they made it to atom age and he credits them with his coaching reputation, as both of them played for the Bisons and the Western Hockey League; the youngest went on to play in the Alberta Junior League.
“I am hockey 24/7 and my family is too,” said Henry. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself, calling hockey a job seems outrageous to me. I grew up a farm kid and I drove a truck for a few years, so to be a hockey guy seems a little far-fetched”
Whether he will be back for the 2017-2018 season will be decided at the end of this upcoming season.