Brent Batten is the new head coach and general manage of the Grand Forks Border Bruins.
Bruins President Michael Wirischagin said that he is excited and hopes this is the turning of a new leaf for a team that hasn’t had a season winning season since the ‘90s.
“Hopefully it means we can bring some resemblance of success back here and gives this town a chance to have a competitive team, that’s what it means to me anyway,” Wirischagin said.
“Hopefully this is the guy, and I believe it is the guy, who’s going to bring the Bruins back to relevance.”
Wirischagin said that Batten’s youthfulness and drive to win is what will be the key factors that will help the team to succeed.
“He’s a younger guy, in his thirties, he has a ton of experience – 11 years of coaching experience on his belt already,” he said.
“He has an incredible personality and this unbelievable will and desire to win.”
Wirischagin said that another thing about Batten is that he is looking to use Grand Forks as a jumping point to higher hockey levels.
“He’s not looking at coming here and staying here, he wants to use this as a stepping stone to the next level, whether it be junior A or WHL, but he doesn’t want to get comfortable,” he said. “He’s absolutely aware of the circumstances surrounding the team.”
One of those circumstances is that it will be difficult to get players to come to Grand Forks.
“He just absolutely loves that fact, that if he can do it here, he can do it anywhere,” he said. “I think it’s an exciting time to be a Bruins fan.”
Batten is beginning to recruit for next season, which begins in September.