FT. COLLINS, Colo. – All the rumors and presumptions regarding the Colorado Eagles’ coaching situation for the 2010-11 hockey season were laid to rest Monday at a press conference held by the Eagles organization.
Chris Stewart
“We do have a big announcement and a very big decision we have come to make – that is simply the fact that myself and Kevin McClelland have mutually agreed upon separating ways and we will not be renewing Kevin McClelland’s contract,” Stewart said. “We have appreciated the last couple years’ work that Mac has put in to the Colorado Eagles but again it was a mutual agreement, we were going in different directions and this is what we’ve decided to do.”
Stewart’s next announcement was met with applause from many in the crowd which included members of the media, players, assistant coaches, front office personnel, and Eagles executives.
“In addition to that announcement, I have made the decision, after a lot of discussion with my wife Debra and my family, and certainly with the support of Ralph Backstrom (Eagles Founder) and Martin Lind (Eagles CEO), to jump back behind the bench again.”
That concluded the meat of the press conference but Stewart went on to answer several media questions concerning his decision to return to coaching after a two-year stint behind a desk.
When asked what incited his return, Stewart alluded to his strong feelings for the game.
“Prompting the return is number one, passion – the passion never left me,” Stewart said. “I think the decision to walk away was about the timing of Ralph Backstrom’s retirement and I had gone through some personal things with the surgery and the timing was right to step away from the bench, but I never really lost the fire as far as coaching was concerned. That brings me back into a whole new chapter of coaching I think, and that’s what it is, it’s based on passion.”
Stewart also assured the assemblage that his recovery from major back surgery has gone well enough to allow him to resume the rigors of coaching and stand up to the long bus rides.
“I do feel like…I mean time will tell obviously, but what I was going through is something that was a culmination of a number of years of never getting a chance to get a break,” Stewart said. “I think that two year sabbatical has really re-freshened everything for me so I am 100% healthy and ready to take it on and ready to go jumping in with both feet.”
Eagles captain Riley Nelson had this to say when asked for his thoughts on Stewart resuming the head coaching position;
“I think it’s a great thing,” Nelson said. “Not taking anything away from Mac but they decided to go in different directions and I don’t think there is anyone else that players or management would want behind the bench. Chris Stewart is a proven winner, he has won here in the past and he brings some of the intangibles we may have missed in the last couple years. Yeah, it’s an exciting day for the Eagles organization and the players that are coming back next year.”
Contact the author/photographer at terry.sanford@prohockeynews.com
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