Coaching changeup: Pontiacs hire Mem Cup champ Mario Pouliot as Flynn resigns

There has been a shakeup behind the Bonnyville Pontiacs bench just days before the AJHL regular season is set to begin.

Brad Flynn, who was hired in early June as the new head coach, resigned from the team late last week, the Bonnyville Pontiacs said in a statement on Wednesday, due to a family emergency that is forcing him to relocate back to Ontario.

In his place is Mario Pouliot, a two-time Memorial Cup champion and Quebec AAA Midget Hockey League Hall of Famer (LHMAAAQ). 

“I would like to thank the board, management, and the players for the opportunity to be the Head Coach of the Pontiacs. It is extremely disappointing that I cannot continue as Head Coach,” Flynn said in a statement. 

“The Bonnyville Pontiacs is a first class organization and I wish the organization nothing but the best moving forward.” 

The change comes as the Yaks are set to begin the 2022-23 season on Friday night against the Grande Prairie Storm.

Pouliot brings an impressive junior coaching resume to Bonnyville.

The 58-year-old is the only coach in Canadian Hockey League history to win back-to-back Memorial Cup championships with different teams, taking the Acadie–Bathurst Titan in the 2017-18 season and the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the 2018-19 season to Memorial Cup titles. 

He becomes the 11th head coach in franchise history.

Flynn and Pouliot have a connection as they coached together with the Titan in 2015-16.

“The Pontiacs organization is thrilled to be able to bring in a coach with a pedigree like Mario’s, he comes to us in a tumultuous time with the surprise resignation of Brad Flynn. We want to wish Brad nothing but the best going forward,” said associate General Manager Neil Langridge in a statement. 

“Chad Nelson and myself were taken back with the news of Coach Flynn, but we immediately went to work to ensure that our players would have the best leadership possible, a leader that could not only push our players on the ice but push the organization to new heights.” 

Associate General Manager Chad Nelson said in the release, “We welcome Coach Pouliot to the Pontiacs organization and are excited to integrate him with assistant coach Connor Cadaret who has stepped up in the interim. Mario comes to us with a wealth of experience and success that will be a welcome addition.” 

Since 2010-11, Pouliot has coached 555 games in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, garnering a record of 268-235-33-19. 

In the Quebec AAA Midget Hockey League, Pouliot coached 346 games and set a league record of 250 coaching wins, claiming five regular season division titles, and one league playoffs championship in the 2002–03 season, the first in the club’s history. 

The Bonnyville Pontiacs home opener is Friday, September 23rd against the Sherwood Park Crusaders. The season gets going on Friday for the first of a pair against the Grande Prairie Storm, puck drop is 7:00pm.

You can listen to every Bonnyville Pontiacs game live on www.lakelandconnect.thedev.ca/pontiacs.