After taking over coaching duties on interim basis in February, Norm Johnston will lead the charge for the Battlefords AAA Stars behind the bench next season.
The Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League club announced Tuesday morning that Johnston has been hired as the team’s head coach for the 2017-18 season.
“Norm knows our returning plays very well from the last weeks of the regular season and he is already working on recruiting players to compliment the group we have coming back,” Stars chairperson Bruce Yockey said in a statement.
Johnston, who has coached for the Battlefords North Stars, Flin Flon Bombers, Humboldt Broncos, Lloydminster Bobcats and the Regina Pats in the past, was last behind the bench on a full-time basis for the Regina Pat Canadians in the 2013-14 season.
He took over from Jean Fauchon on Feb. 2 as the Stars were in 10th place in the league standings with a 14-20-2 record.
Although the Stars missed out on the playoffs and went 1-7 in the final month of the regular season, the team was much better defensively and had an improvement in their discipline under Johnston.
The team’s first major event ahead of the new season will be their spring camp, which will be held at the Civic Centre from April 21-23.
