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A Warm Welcome to the New Coach of the Iron Horse Kindersley Klippers!

By Joan Janzen

Kindersley folks extend a big welcome to Ken Plaquin, who has filled the position of head coach/general manager of the Kindersley Jr. Klippers. Ken hails from Calgary, where his wife, Jenny is currently employed, while two of his children are going to university and one is working full-time. It’s a time of transition in the Plaquin household.

“I’ve been preparing to coach at this level for quite some time,” Ken said. “The time I spent playing in Humboldt was probably some of the best years of my life and I always wanted to come back to Saskatchewan. Everything worked out that I got the job.”

Ken has been coaching for over twenty years in Calgary and southern Alberta, but this is his first time to coach in Junior A hockey. It’s an exciting opportunity for him, but so far he’s been doing a lot of waiting.

“So far we’re scheduled to start October 9th, and I am hopeful we’ll be able to start then or close to it, but no one knows for sure. We’ve been waiting for a definitive answer from the Sask. Health Authority since the middle of August, and we haven’t really got much information since then. We’re just waiting,” Ken said. In the mean time Ken has more time to get to know the players. “We’re having fun!” Ken assured me.

Ken has played in numerous leagues, including the SJHL where he played for the Humboldt Broncos, ECHL and WCHL. He went on to NCAA to play for Michigan Tech where he was drafted to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1990. After graduating in 1993 he played seven years of minor pro hockey in the United States and Italy.

In addition to his experience on the ice, Ken brings a great deal of coaching experience to the Klippers. It was a proud moment when he coached the Rockyview Raiders to a league championship. During his career, Ken has filled many positions, such as coach, head coach of a Bantam AAA team, assistant coach of a Midget AA team, a Scout, VP of Hockey Operations, and head coach of a Midget AAA team.

Since coming to Kindersley, Ken has been keeping very busy. “I spend twelve hours a day at the rink because there’s a lot of stuff for me to take on and learn. I kind of learn from other coaches in the league, plan the season, and help the kids get into the community. And there’s the general manager side of it, so there’s lots and lots to do,” he said.

“I like it a lot here. The players are fantastic! Everyone I’ve met is great, friendly and welcoming. I like small town Saskatchewan a lot, so it feels great,” Ken concluded.

You can contact me at joanjanzen@yahoo.com

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