Pats Associate Head Coach Ryan Smith | July 29, 2024

please to be jooin with Reanna Pat's associate head coach Ryan Smith after an exciting announcement here today from Reanna Pat's general manager Alan Miller with the addition of Dale derkatch Max Paddock Cole Stevens and the reigning of Pat's head Scout Dale McMullen just give us your overall thoughts on how exciting today was for you and your family joining the Pats organization yeah it's uh been a great day I mean uh once this process started with myself and talking to to Al and Brad it's it's like I said in the press conference it's real privilege uh for me and my family we're excited to join Regina Pats and can't wait to get started and just the news of today of all the announcements and uh staff is uh it's a real good staff it's a a lot of hockey guys that you know want to do the right things explain to the fans just the experience that you bring to the Pats organization and I'll briefly go over it a lot of time as a head coach in the mjl uh general manager and head coach in the sjl for one year and obviously a ton of EXP experien in the Western Hockey League as well won a championship as associate head coach with the Swift Current Broncos in 2018 went to the Memorial Cup as well most recently the head coach of the Spokan Chiefs also were with medicon hat as well so just tell us about the experience that you bring to the Pats bench with Brad harof and Ken Schneider yeah I mean you mentioned all the places the stops along the way I think that's inv valuable experience you learn uh from others you you gain some experience with the guys that I've worked within this league and um you know in particular Mark Lamb and Manny vivro Sean Clen Willie deard and Adam megleo um these are guys my assistants and uh Spokan with staff Legion and and Dustin Don so I've had the privilege to work with some really good people and some good hockey guys that have helped me along the way kind of shape who I am and you have to be yourself and and that's all I'm going to be is be myself and I think I bring some upbeat uh attitude and you know some account with you know like I mentioned I have a high value system and I want our team to have that and you know we're going to have some fun we're going to have uh you know it's still a game uh they still drop the puck the same way they do all the time so we're not going to try and reinvent the wheel but we want to get our players better like the guys mentioned people have to take some steps and I think the uh hockey team has taken some steps today where by adding uh some of the people that were up at the table and in in the crowd um so now the players will you know have some more experience myself Dale you know Max all we're going to add to that so we're going to build off what Brad and Ken and and Al have done you know last year and um like I said it's patience is it's the word I have to use um we want to win every game and we're going to try and win every single game and do it the right way and build and for me you know I've uh you know I've had the experience of being an assistant I've now been a head coach and uh so I know what it's like to be in Brad's shoes I think I can help him uh also think I can help Ken and I want them to help me I want I want to learn and grow and learn from Al and and these guys as well so I think continuing my development is is important part of the process Ryan Last Thing Before I Let You Go last year when the Pats announced the hiring of Alan Miller and the promotion of Brad harof obviously with John Paddock retiring after close to nine Seasons with the club uh they talked about uh the importance on how coaching has evolved over the years and I remember Brad and and Al both said the days of throwing the garbage can and kicking stuff and throwing things all over the place to try to motivate your team our far and gone players learn and I guess take messaging from coaches a little bit different uh in saying that the one thing that I've noticed from this Pat's coaching staff is they all kind of share the same coaching philosophy um in terms of your coaching philosophy how do you think that will add to uh Pat's head coach Brad harof Ken Schneider Max pck and of course Tristan fry as well with Alan Miller leading the whole operations Department uh given that coaching has changed over the years and uh as coaches have come along seems like they've had to adapt for sure yeah you you you're you're you're right I mean you can um there's still like I said in the conference there's accountability and that's part of hockey and and life so you know if somebody's not doing the right things you want to hold them accountable but I I think there's a time and a place when you you know have to raise your voice and and like you said kicking garbage cans and you know throwing things around the dress room those um those days are a bit gone now um they seem a little less effective uh you know we're our world is evolving as the players are we're evolving as coaches um every player's got to be coached a little differently they're individuals so you know the group's coached as a team but then you've got to find individuals some like to be talked to some need to be left alone some need to be shown video some need to be worked on on the ice um so you know I'm going to add some of that to the to the group that you know trying to find and get to know the players and for me it's a fresh start so the players I think are in a good standing that you know I I haven't worked with them yet so they can all start fresh with me and obviously I'll listen to Al and Brad and Ken but uh you know I want to go in with um you know a clear mind and then give everybody the chance to get to know me but also me get to know the players