Darren Rumble returns to Canada’s under-18 squad
Canada’s under-18 squad will have a familiar face behind the bench for the world championships next month. Moncton Wildcats head coach Darren Rumble is returning to the national team program as head coach.
“We’re going to look for guys that are committed, with a strong work ethic and lots of grit,” said the 48-year-old. “We need players who are willing to play as a team.”
Rumble had been an assistant for two years with under-18 program at the Ivan Hlinka summer tournament in 2015, where he won gold, and in 2016. Despite coaching the same age group, the Barrie, Ont., native said the differences between the tournaments makes the world championship more of a challenge.
“The Ivan Hlinka is in the summer time and you get 40 players and you get a three day evaluation camp,” said Rumble. “You pick your team and then you travel overseas together and you have a couple of practices and exhibition games. Then it’s a sprint to the finish with a pile of games in a short amount of time.
“This is my first opportunity with this format so it’s a bit different. We’re going to start with a small group – not a full team – in Toronto. You’re sort of waiting to add players to your group as teams are eliminated from the (Canadian Hockey League) playoffs.”
Rumble believes his toughest task will be getting his players to buy in quickly to his program before the tournament starts next month in Slovakia.
“The key will be the players that we start with and getting to know them,” said the former NHL defenceman. “We need them to buy in to our plan so that they can relay that message to the new players coming in. I think the players right with us from the start will probably by accident be the better part of your leadership group because they’ll be with the staff from Day One.”
Stephane Julien, head coach of the Sherbrooke Phoenix, and head coach Steve Hamilton of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings will join Rumble as assistants. Even with two coaches from the QMJHL on staff, Rumble said he’ll be relying heavily on Hockey Canada’s head scout Ryan Jankowski for insight into player selection. Generally coaches have a strong voice in the selection process and Rumble said it’s particularly beneficial to have some familiarity with players in roles like the team’s seventh defenceman or the 13th forward.
“It’s definitely an advantage to taking someone that you’re familiar with or that you have a relationship with because that is possibly the hardest role being the extra forward or the defenceman,” said Rumble. “So it you have a relationship with a player you can help them that process than if you didn’t . It’s a difficult role.”
That doesn’t mean there’s going to be any preconceived bias.
“I might have a little more familiarity with some of the players from the QMJHL but I know there are lots of good players from the OHL and from the WHL too.”
Canada will open the under-18 world championship on April 13 against Latvia.
