Alex Evin is excited to be back on a bench after a two-month coaching break, that was long enough for him. The Castlegar native spent eight years with the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings, where he won the BCHL’s Fred Page Cup in 2019. Evin joked about “getting bored” and the opportunity came to join the Castlegar Rebels for the rest of the season.
“It’s a local team, a team I’ve had respect for growing up as a young kid,” said Evin. “The Rebels are an important part of the community. I couldn’t say no. I’m happy to join the group. They seem like great kids, they have a hard working team and good character. The staff leaves me a lot of potential and that’s a really good thing when you’re taking over a team. That’s what made me take it.”
Evin, who was an assistant and head coach for the Selkirk College Saints, likes the Rebels group he has taken over.
He said whoever they play in the first round, they’re going to be “looked at as an underdog.” Taking on some of those qualities, he said they have to outwork teams. He’s also focused on rounding out their team game, including defensive play and getting them to believe in themselves.
This is the first time Evin, a former goalie who played four years with Colgate University in NCAA, takes over a team late into a season. Despite going winless in his first two games, Evin said the staff gave the players a few principles and things they wanted to see in game and they responded well.
Evin, a BCHL champion as a player and coach, watched them play hard and was impressed with their effort.
