Willi Desjardins Interview...

Willi Desjardins has a full plate this season.

The Medicine Hat Tigers are his first priority, the "Gas City's" pride on ice. Desjardins has instilled a winning tradition during the past decade. Expectations are high this season as the Tigers sport the WHL's oldest team in terms of average age.

Come December though, Desjardins will shift his focus to Team Canada's entry at the 2010 World Junior Championship in Saskatchewan. A native of this hockey-mad province, Desjardins also played college hockey years ago at the University of Saskatchewan. Indeed, the WJC will also serve as a homecoming of sorts.

We spoke with Desjardins about the current edition of the Tigers, the veteran depth, some decisions yet to made and his feelings on the upcoming WJC.

Alas, it's all about timing!

Nice to see Dean Chynoweth secure an opportunity to coach in the NHL. The New York Islanders named him an assistant coach yesterday. Chynoweth's move from the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL to Long Island is a homecoming of sorts...he played for the Islanders after a successful junior playing career with the Medicine Hat Tigers. With Chynoweth gone, the Broncos are obviously in the market for a head coach.

Whether he was ever interested in a position with the Broncos is now a moot point because Swift Current's native son Marc Habscheid signed a contract to coach the Chilliwack Bruins a couple of weeks ago. Habscheid has deep roots in Speedy Creek. He has also been involved with another Swift Current sports personality, Nancy Harvey, in hosting a fundraising golf tournament in recent years. Harvey, who resides in Arizona, played the LPGA Tour for 20 years.

Habscheid running the show in Swift Current would have made for an interesting scenario.