Swift Current Broncos hire new head coach, general manager

Travis Crickard has been named the general manager and head coach of the Swift Current Broncos. (Source: https://chl.ca/)

The Swift Current Broncos have secured a new head coach and general manager, as the team announced the hiring of Travis Crickard.

The team made the announcement Friday morning.

“Travis brings a wealth of coaching and general manager experience at the CHL level, along with a deep understanding of the standards and expectations within Hockey Canada programs,” Broncos Chairman of the Board Trent McCleary said in a news release.

“We are confident that his leadership, vision, and dedication will have a lasting impact on our players both on and off the ice, and we’re excited to see where he can help take the Broncos moving forward.”

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Originally from St. John’s, N.L., Crickard previously served as the head coach and general manger of the St. John’s Sea Dogs of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League for four seasons.

He originally joined the club as an assistant coach during the 2021-22 season. The team announced he was no longer serving in his roles in late February.

According to the Broncos, Crickard has been heavily involved with Hockey Canada, serving as a head coach, assistant coach and video coach across several U-16, U-17 and U-18 programs.

In total, Crickard aided Canada in earning three IIHF U18 gold medals, a Hlinka-Gretzky Cup Bronze medal, and two U17 World Challenge Silver medals.

Crickard represents the organization’s third head coach in three years.

In January, the Broncos announced a third-party review of its organization after losing two head coaches following league investigations into misconduct.

Last month, the Broncos’ general manager, Chad Leslie, stepped down from his position and transitioned to a scouting focused role with the team.