The SJHL’s Melville Millionaires recently introduced Mike Rooney as the team’s new head coach and general manager.
The Yellow Grass, SK product has a La Ronge connection, as Rooney previously served as a goalie consultant for the La Ronge Ice Wolves.
“Probably the biggest memory is doing summer hockey schools and Bob Beatty would just work the crap out of me,” said Rooney. “We had some good goalies, Jonathan Jobin was a real good goalie in that league, Kody Van Rentergem — a good goalie. It was a lot of fun, it was kind of those years where we started getting it going and they had some good success a little bit later on.”
Rooney coached the Kindersley Klippers from 1995-97 and he also was the general manger for the SJHL’s Notre Dame Hounds before advancing through the hockey ranks. He brings several years of NHL scouting experience to the table. Rooney has worked for the Nashville Predators and Buffalo Sabres as an amateur scout.
Rooney comes to a Melville franchise that finished last in the overall standings this past season. The team has also missed the post-season for the last two years.
“The Melville situation is really interesting, it’s a good location and a real good building, real good hockey community,” said Rooney. “They’ve been on hard times here the last little while, but it’s really a good little town, so I thought, ‘Hey why not?’ I had the opportunity, so I think there’s a lot of upside here.”
Meantime, the Estevan Bruins also have a new head coach, as Jason Tatarnic was hired recently to replace Chris Lewgood.
(PHOTO: Melville Millionaires logo. Photo courtesy of Melville Millionaires, Twitter.)