Dan Taillefer takes La Broquerie Jr. B coaching job
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When the La Broquerie Habs take to the ice for the first time as a junior B franchise in the Capital Region Junior Hockey League (CRJHL), they’ll be led by a face familiar to anyone who has followed hockey in the region in the past decade.
Dan Taillefer spent five seasons playing for the Steinbach Pistons in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, finishing his junior career with the second-most games played by any player in the league’s history. He was named the Habs inaugural head coach this week.
Across Taillefer’s 298 games, he put up 277 points, helping the team win their first championship in 2013.
The Habs’ coaching staff will be rounded out by fellow La Broquerie natives Rejean Carriere and Jean Moquin. Steve Hildebrand, the team’s general manager and head of hockey operations said Taillefer was at the top of the board’s list of preferred head coaches.
“He was one of the first names we thought of,” Hildebrand said.
“Being a younger guy from town, with his experience, he was someone we hoped we could convince to join our team and are very excited to have him.”
Taillefer won’t just be bringing his experience as a junior player. He helps run camps through GT Performance Hockey.
“It took me a couple months to decide, but I decided this would be pretty cool,” Taillefer said on his choice to take the CRJHL coaching gig.
After finishing his junior hockey career, Taillefer continued into the senior ranks while pursuing a degree in recreation management, even suiting up for the Red River Wild of the South East Manitoba Hockey League last season as his final playing year. He currently works for the city of Steinbach.
“I always thought I would get into coaching,” Taillefer said.
“Now with deciding to stop playing myself, I had more time to look into coaching. Hearing that La Broquerie was getting a junior B team was kind of a perfect fit.”
Taillefer acknowledged the La Broquerie team will be a bit younger than average next season, but expects a strong effort every night.
“I think to be competitive you need everyone on the same page, everyone knowing their roles and working towards the same goal” Taillefer said when asked about his coaching philosophies.
“The other thing we’re looking for is players that have some good hockey IQ, can play with speed and play both sides of the puck.”
La Broquerie’s season will start a little earlier than normal this year, as the team is hosting open tryouts in Steinbach before the start of main camp.
“A successful first season would be being competitive for sure and also building throughout the year,” Taillefer said.
“We do want to develop our players. A successful season would mean that (the players) are better at the end of the year than they are at the start.”
More information is available on the team’s website, habsjrb.ca.
It was a newsworthy week for the CRJHL, as the league released their 2023/2024 schedule Aug. 10. The Habs will start the season on the road, visiting Selkirk Sept. 29 at 3 p.m. for their first-ever game. The Habs will return to La Broquerie and the HyLife Centre Oct. 11 for their home opener. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m.
The defending-champion St Malo Warriors will be celebrating last year’s championship at their home opener Oct. 11 as well.
They’ll be on the road for a CRJHL finals re-match against Beausejour Sept. 27 to start the season. The region’s two CRJHL teams will face off for the first time Nov. 15 in St Malo.