Thursday, March 1, 2018

Former Vernon Laker Naylor One Of Five Coaches Of Interest:

According to Kerry Jackson former Vernon Lakers forward Darren Naylor is one of five BCHL coaches  who might be under the most pressure to win in the playoffs.

Naylor replaced former Vernon Vipers head coach/gm Mike Vandekamp as the new head coach/gm of the Nanaimo Clippers December 21st 2017.

Naylor played parts of one season in Vernon with the 1989-90 Vernon Lakers. In 20 games with the Lakers Naylor collected (8-goals-27-assists-35-points).

Darren Naylor's Player Profile:

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=11111

This is posted on the Juniorhockey.ca website:

Jackson 5: Coaches Of Interest Canadian Junior Hockey News

Published: Wednesday, 28 Feb 2018  

By: Kerry Jackson

With the British Columbia Hockey League playoffs starting, let’s look the coaches who might be under the most pressure to win.

Craig Didmon, Victoria Grizzlies: Didmon’s team won the Island Division in the regular season, but it wasn’t a runaway. The Grizzlies will be facing a team, the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, who lost nearly twice as many games in regulation as they won. Didmon, who is also Victoria’s general manager, needs to make a strong statement in the first round and the opportunity is there.

Fred Harbinson, Penticton Vees: No pressure here -- except many are likely expecting the Vees, who had the most points, most wins and top winning percentage in the BCHL, to plow through the playoffs. But Harbinson has won a Royal Bank Cup title with the Vees and has a showcase full of other trophies, so maybe the pressure on him is more internal than external.

Brock Sawyer, Powell River Kings: The former assistant coach took over in January after the Kings and head coach/general manager Kent Lewis parted ways. Sawyer would like to go deep into the playoffs and have the “interim” label removed from his title. But the Kings have to open against a tough opponent in the Nanaimo Clippers.

Darren Naylor, Nanaimo Clippers. Naylor is in a similar spot. He took over in December for a departed head coach/general manager, though he doesn’t have to carry around the “interim” label as Sawyer does. Still, the expectations will be there.

Brandon West, Surrey Eagles. West was named head coach last May. But he might have spent the season thinking that he had no room for error, since the previous head coach Blaine Neufeld remained with the team as general manager, and the change was made, according to ownership, “to win again.” Winning in the first round might not be so easy since the Eagles open against the Langley Rivermen, who are evenly matched with Surrey.

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