It didn’t take Ken Law long to get back into the hockey coaching ranks.
Two weeks after being relieved of his duties as the head coach and general manager of the Osoyoos Coyotes of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) - he was that organization’s only head coach in their eight-year history - Law was officially introduced as the new head coach and assistant GM of the Kelowna Chiefs Wednesday morning.
Law is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the KIJHL as he led the Coyotes to seven regular division titles and five conference finals in his eight years behind the bench. The Coyotes captured the league championship in its inaugural season in 2010-11, but had failed to reach the league championship series since.
Law said he's thrilled to be joining the Chiefs organization.
“It all happened pretty quick,” said Law, who has been coaching hockey for more than 40 years.. “I got a call from management with the Chiefs after I was let go in Osoyoos wishing me the best. I just joked around asking if they were hiring … and they came back right away with an offer.”
Jason Tansem, the longtime head coach with the Chiefs, is going to assume the position of director of hockey operations and will remain involved as an assistant coach to Law.
Law is also bringing in Carl Poole, his longtime assistant coach in Osoyoos, to join his bench staff with the Chiefs.
“Our organization continues to grow and is always looking to improve,” said longtime general manager Grant Sheridan. “After a very successful season last year, we wanted to add another highly qualified individual to our staff and Ken Law is the perfect fit.
“Ken, who we have known and coached against for many years, has always been very successful at any level that he has coached.”
Law said being able to stay in the KIJHL was a big reason why he quickly accepted the job, adding he believes the Chiefs are one of the best organizations in the 16-team league.
“I love the league and didn’t want to leave,” he said. “I have another opportunity now with the Chiefs and I’m really excited about it.
“Being able to work for an organization that offers schooling opportunities for our players, which I didn’t have in Osoyoos, is something I’m pretty excited about. It’s a great way to ensure we can get more high-end players coming to play for us.”
Law admits stepping behind the bench to face the Coyotes for the first time at the beginning of the 2018-19 season is going to be a surreal experience.
“I was there for eight years and I loved it,” he said. “But that’s behind me now. It will definitely be different going up against them now, but I think it will be fun. I hope we can get that out of the way right away early in the season.”
Law said he and Tansem will share recruiting and development duties, while Sheridan will remain in charge of business operations and marketing.
Tansem said being able to hire a coach of Law’s calibre was something Chiefs’ management wasn't willing to pass on.
“I battled against Ken for seven years during his time in Osoyoos and we always shared a mutual respect as coaches, and more importantly I had even more respect for him off the ice,” he said.
When he found out Law had been let go by the Coyotes just before the annual Chiefs spring tryout camp, he contacted him and they quickly worked out a deal, he said.
“It just made sense to add a coach of Ken’s ability to our coaching staff,” he said.
Sheridan said he’s also thrilled to have Law on board.
“The Kelowna Chiefs have a lot to offer, not only to our existing players, but also to the minor hockey players in the area who are looking to further their development," said Sheridan.
Once again, partnering this year with Byron Ritchie and Power Edge Pro, the Chiefs will continue to offer world-class skills training in Kelowna, he said.
“Last year we ran weekly skills sessions with the Chiefs and the individual skill improvement of our players was off the charts, he said. “We want to continue with that momentum. Kelowna is a first-class city and our team has the top resources to offer the top players from across western Canada and the U.S.
“The Chiefs have a tremendous nucleus coming back next season and with all of our recruiting efforts in the works, we will definitely be able to add the right pieces to our puzzle. We want to continue to take steps to becoming a top contender each season within our league and ultimately move players on to the next level. We are extremely excited about the future for the Kelowna Chiefs.”
