Ice Hockey: Blaze appoint Marc LeFebve as new head coach

[dutchman]

Marc LeFebve has promised to bring new direction, accountability and a new voice to the Skydome after replacing Matt Soderstrom as Blaze head coach this week.



A series of inconsistent results throughout the season has left the club sitting eighth in the Elite League standings.

And back-to-back defeats at the weekend proved to be the final straw as chairman Andy Buxton made the call to bring in former Blaze player LeFebvre.

The 31-year-old Canadian returns to the Skydome after leaving his role as assistant-coach at rivals Sheffield Steelers and is looking forward to a fresh challenge.

“I was preparing for a cup semi-final with Nottingham with Doug (Christiansen) when the phone rang and here I am,” said LeFebve, who took control of his first training session on Tuesday.

“Being head coach was the natural progression for me although it has happened quicker than expected.

“I learned a lot under Doug and I am sure he learned a little from me. We had a good chemistry but I am looking forward to the challenge here.

“We have 13 games left to turn things around. There are a lot of good pieces here but hockey is not played on paper. The players have got into a lot of bad habits but that is easily corrected. We need everyone on the same page.”

“There will be an evaluation period on Thursday (today) and Sunday and there is no more room for error. The players need to perform or they are out.”

“I like the look of the roster but this is a championship-winning organisation and being in eighth place is unacceptable.”

After an outstanding playing career with the Blaze, Soderstrom spent two years as assistant coach to Paul Thompson before being appointed head coach during the summer.

However Buxton admitted that he expected the club to be positioned higher following significant investment in recent months.

“We believed it was necessary for us to make this change now,” said Buxton.

“We have made a huge commitment to the playing side of the business this year. The infrastructure and the support for the players is second to none.

“We have made every signing we’ve been asked to make and carried extra imports and housing to give us the best chance of success on the ice. We expect to see more of a return for that commitment than we have done.

“The bottom line is we are an eighth-placed team delivering inconsistent performances and we believe that with the investment we have made in the team that shouldn’t be the case.

“It’s sad it has not worked out better for Matt or the club but he will always be remembered as a true Blaze legend for his many years of tremendous service.

Buxton is now hoping LeFebvre can improve the club's fortunes with 13 games remaining this season.

He added: “We wanted someone who knows the Elite League, knows the way the club works, knows the opposition teams and knows our players - someone who can hit the ground running.

“It’s not easy to make a coaching change mid-season but Marc is a very bright young coach who has already shown he knows how to run a professional team and knows how to win. He now has a chance to show us what he can do.”

“The players all have to take a good look at themselves now as they will all be playing not only for potential contracts next season but also keeping their contracts until the end of this season.”