Oceanside's Save On Foods Generals split their two junior B hockey games over the Thanksgiving weekend, but the results on the ice are small potatoes when word came down that two coaches and both goalies are done like dinner.
In what is easily the biggest mid-season shakeup in the club's 21-year history, Generals GM and head of hockey operations Dave Johnston released first year head coach Jason Dubyna and assistant coach Bryce Abbott last Saturday afternoon following Friday's listless loss to the Glacier Kings in Comox. That loss dropped the Gens to 2-9-1.
On Wednesday in an interview with The News, Johnston confirmed Dubyna "has been relieved of his duties." The Generals also parted ways with second year assistant coach Bryce Abbott from Port Alberni.
"We just felt we weren't going in the right direction," said Johnston, adding the decision to cut Dubyna, a longtime General, loose, "wasn't easy ... it wasn't really based on style, it was really based on results, and we just didn't see our team getting better ... the players weren't buying in."
Johnston continued his early season house cleaning spree Wednesday when he told The News, "both of our goaltenders (second-year starter Kolding Larson and first-year back-up Tighearnan Marshhave) have been released today ... I'm working on some stuff. I'll have some new goaltenders in place by Friday."
Read more in Friday's print edition of The News.