Sheen finding coaching groove with ECHL Steelheads

By Lethbridge Herald on January 18, 2023.

Photo by Noah Saucerman Pitts Lethbridge’s Everett Sheen has been making a name for himself in only his third season as the head coach of the East Coast Hockey League’s Idaho Steelheads.

Justin Seward – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – sports@lethbridgeherald.com

Lethbridge’s Everett Sheen has been making a name for himself in only his third season as the head coach of the East Coast Hockey League’s Idaho Steelheads.

Sheen had coached the franchise to its best start in history with a 23-3-0-1 record, tied their winning streak in the ECHL modern era at nine games and had the most wins at with 23, the most points with 47 and the best winning percentage of (.870) in the entire league as of Dec. 28.

“It’s a group we brought in, in terms of they’re very good hockey players, but good people first and foremost,” said Sheen, on the team’s successful start.

“But, yeah, it’s kind of been a wild ride. Like my first year was the 2019-2020 (season), we were looking really good going into playoffs and then there was the whole world shutdown. Then we took a year off; we weren’t allowed to play with COVID restrictions. So basically starting an expansion team last year. We had a good season, came up short in the playoff hunt. But we had a lot of returners back from that team which has been very helpful. You know have the returners who are familiar with how we want to play here and just a tremendous staff too.”

Sheen said the buy in from this group happened almost immediately it seemed like.

“And then all of sudden you start winning games, and you start getting rewarded and just really solidifies the buy in,” he said.

“I think the biggest thing too is they love coming to the rink. Like today (last Tuesday) we practiced at 10 a.m., we’re off the ice at 11 a.m. (and) guys were still in the locker room at 1 p.m., like they just wouldn’t leave.”

For his efforts, Sheen was named head coach for the western conference all-star team in December for the ECHL All Star Classic that took place on Monday.

“It was a tremendous honour,” said Sheen.

“It’s something that you know not just myself, but for our staff and our group of guys, to be honoured with that. And it came down to the fact that we had the best record in the league come Christmas break. So kind of doing the mental math in my head, I kind of saw it coming.”

However, Sheen declined his spot on the bench at the all-star game because he decided to stay back and coach the Steelheads game that night.

“So I had the choice of do I want to coach the three-on three game or coaching our team for an actual game,” he said.

“I couldn’t leave our guys high and dry for a game.”

After retiring from playing in 2016, Sheen landed a job as an assistant coach with the Steelheads after being approached by then coach and former teammate Neil Graham.

“I actually got really lucky, one of my old junior teammates from the Okotoks and Crowsnest days, Neil Graham, he was a Calgary guy ,he was actually the head coach here in Boise,” said Sheen.

“And when I retired, he called me and asked if I wanted to come and be his assistant. So I think it took me about 24 hours to call him back and say, ‘Yeah I’m in,’ and yeah honestly I got a little bit lucky there with a start but couldn’t be more pleased with how it’s worked out.”

Sheen remembered that first season as an assistant coach being a wakeup call, in terms of actually how much work actually goes in behind the scenes in coaching.

“Especially at this level where you know we have a very small staff and we do everything — you know recruiting, immigration, travel,” said Sheen.

“Everything you can possibly think of is done by a two-man staff. So that was the biggest wake-up call for me actually was how much work goes on behind the scenes. You just don’t show up at practice and then leave.”

Sheen played his minor hockey in the city before playing in the AJHL with the Crowsnest Timberwolves (2003-2004), the Canmore Eagles and Drumheller Dragons (2004-2005) before finishing out his junior career with the Okotoks Oilers from 2005-2007.

Sheen then received a scholarship to play at College of the Holy Cross from 2007-2011 and then began his professional career in 2011-2012 with the Reading Royals, and then had stops with Ontario Reign before retiring after a season with the Colorado Eagles in 2016.

The Steelheads are 28-6-0-1 and continue to lead the ECHL’s Mountain Division.