Tips’ players express shock

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, May 29, 2007

EVERETT – One word sums up the reaction of the Everett Silvertip players to Tuesday’s news that head coach Kevin Constantine is moving on: Shock.

Constantine, the only coach the Silvertips have ever known, is leaving to take over the head coaching position of the American Hockey League’s Houston Aeros. It’s a move none of the players were expecting.

Goaltender Leland Irving said, “I didn’t really see it coming.”

Winger Kyle Beach said it was, “definitely shocking.”

And according to Zach Hamill’s mother Lonnie, Hamill’s reaction to the news was “total shock.”

But while the players my have been shocked by the news, they weren’t shocked that Constantine was given the opportunity to move on to the professional ranks.

“With the success he’s had in major junior, it’s his time to move up to the next level,” said Irving, who was home in Swan Hills, Alberta, Tuesday afternoon when he learned the news from a call from his agent. “He deserves to get a shot there. He’s proven to be a winning coach wherever he goes, and I figure it will be much the same in Houston.”

Constantine is the only coach many of Everett’s players have ever had at the major junior level. He was hired in 2003 to take over the Tips as an expansion team and had been at the helm ever since.

Constantine’s tenure was a resounding success. In his four seasons, Everett went 162-109 with 17 ties, winning three U.S. Division banners, one Western Conference banner, and one Scotty Munro Trophy for the league’s best record in the process.

He takes those credentials to Houston, which is the minor-league affiliate of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.

“I thought we were going to have him for a couple more years,” said Beach, who found out about Constantine when he received a call from his father following his school day in Kelowna, B.C. “But we’re all looking for opportunities to get to the next level, and you have to take them when you get them because you may not get them again.”

Constantine helped instill the attitude that became synonymous with the Silvertips. He demanded effort and discipline from his players and preached a mantra of defensive responsibility.

“He demanded the best of us at all times,” Beach said.

“It was a great time,” Beach added about his time under Constantine. “He really helped me a lot. He took me under his wing, took a chance in drafting me knowing what I’d been like before, and he’s helped me a lot. He’s the best coach I’ve ever had and I thank him for everything he’s done. He’s been a huge part of my hockey career and I wouldn’t be where I am now without him.”

Constantine could also be difficult to play for. His sometimes abrasive style could be difficult on the players, and his defense-oriented systems didn’t always allow offensive players the freedom they desired.

“I’ll miss parts of him,” Irving said. “He was a big factor in my success.

“It seemed like you’d always see him going purple in the face,” Irving added about Constantine’s intensity. “But away from the rink, when you saw him with his kids, he was a totally different person. He has a great sense of humor and cares for his kids so much. That’s the side I want to remember.”

There’s no word yet from the Tips regarding their plans for a successor. But it seems the players wouldn’t mind seeing someone already in place, either associate head coach John Becanic or assistant coach Jay Varady, handed the top spot.

“The two assistants we have in Everett work so hard, they definitely deserve a shot at being the No. 1 guy,” Irving said. “They’ve shown they’re capable of running a team like (Constantine) did over the years.”

Beach, being an offensive player, presumably would prefer to see a more offensive-oriented coach given the job. However, he sees value in whatever style coach ends up being hired.

“There’s positives and negatives to both,” Beach said. “Looking to the future in the NHL or AHL, you’re probably not going to be on the top line, so you have to know how to play a defensive role. Constantine was a great coach that way. On the other hand, an offensive coach might help skill guys like (Dan) Gendur and Hamill earn pro contracts. But I have complete faith in (general manager) Doug Soetaert and the rest of the front office to find the right guy, whether it’s a defensive coach or offenive coach.”

Whoever ends up getting the job will have a tough act to follow.