ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: STEWART MALGUNAS
*Cougars broadcaster Dan O’Connor spoke with former Cougars assistant coach Stewart Malgunas on Thursday, June 30. Here are some excerpts from that conversation.
EXCEL PAINTING ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Stewart Malgunas (Prince George, BC)
– Coached in Prince George for three full seasons: 2003-2006.
– Played 124 games in the NHL (Philadelphia, Winnipeg, Washington).
– Now Lives in Prince George with his wife and two daughters, and runs two local businesses in Prince George.
DO: Was coaching always in the back of your mind? Was it always something you envisioned yourself transitioning in to?
SM: I think it was definitely. My playing career was winding down and my body was beat up. So I started putting feelers out there for coaching positions and the Cougars job came up. I got the call from (GM) Dallas Thompson, interviewed and got the job. It was an amazing three-plus years. There were some ups and downs sure, but I really enjoyed the coaching aspect.
DO: Tell me what it meant to you, getting a chance to coach some of the Cougar greats and seeing them develop into great people and great hockey players?
SM: That’s the great thing about coaching. You get to see some of the kids in their rawest form. You see these kids mature and I still keep in touch with most of them to this day. Nick Drazenovic actually just bought a house a few doors down for me, so I’m sure we’ll play a lot of golf this summer. It’s more than just hockey though. To see them grow into great men is a big part of it.
DO: Tell me about (the late) Mike Fogolin and the impact he had on you and his teammates?
SM: Mike came to us when he was 16 and a raw talent. But as a defenceman I really had the opportunity to really work with him, but he was going to blossom into a star in the WHL at some point. Everybody loved Mike and I believe that there are still tributes to Mike all over the place, and I hope his name will never die.
To listen to the complete interview with former assistant coach Stewart Malgunas, click below.
