As main camp began for the Black & Gold on Friday, August 23rd changes were afoot.
A media release from Kevin Watson, the Manager of Business Operations for the Olds Grizzlys, states they “have mutally parted ways with Peter Schaefer and named Brad Tobin as head coach effective immediately.”
It also notes that Brad Tobin has been promoted from assistant coach to bench boss and was on the ice as training camp for the local Alberta Junior Hockey League club began with its first session yesterday. The 35-year-old Tobin’s assistant coaching experience in junior hockey dates back to 2010-2011 with the British Columbia Hockey League’s (BCHL) Surrey Eagles. He has also had two stints as head coach in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) with the Creston Valley Thunder Cats.
Schaefer’s first appearance in the community after being hired as head coach for Olds was at the Friends of the Grizzlys 7th annual golf tournament on June 7th at the Olds Golf Club. The 47-year-old Schaefer’s resume as a player included over 570 regular season games in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Ottawa Senators, and the Boston Bruins. He had coached together with Tobin during the 2010s with the Surrey Eagles in the BCHL.
Main camp for the Grizzlys includes the annual Black & Gold intra-squad game on Sunday, August 25th at 4:30 at the SportsComplex. Admission is by donation to the Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society in support of ‘Kirsten’s Place’.
Exhibition play in the AJHL ahead of the 2024-2025 regular season begins tonight with Whitecourt at Camrose.
The first preseason game for the Grizzlys is at home on Wednesday, August 28th at 7pm versus the newest team in the league – the Devon Xtreme.
Olds starts the regular season with another home game on Friday, September 13th. The Grizzlys opponent for the home opener is the Drumheller Dragons.
The Grizzlys are looking to move up in the standings this year after posting a record of 10-41-3-3 in 57 games last season. Olds then lost a best-of-five play-in series three games to one to the Grande Prairie Storm as the then 11 team AJHL adjusted its postseason format following the departure of five teams in January of 2024.