Dogs welcome back former trainer

Darren Zary at the University Cup

Peter Herd prefers to be seen but not heard now that he’s back with the University of Saskatchewan hockey Huskies as a mentor for their young training staff.

“These are the guys that got them there, putting up with long nights and goofy road trips,” says Herd, pointing his finger to a group of young student trainers led by head equipment manager Brett McCorkell, 21.

“I’m just a calming influence in the background. It’s a great bunch of guys. They’re all willing to go the extra mile and that impresses me. I’m really thankful to be able to help out.”

Herd — who began with the Dogs in 1986 but sat out the last four years “raising children (now ages six and nine) and doing the parenting thing” — is making his sixth trip to nationals.

For the Huskies, it’s their seventh journey to nationals in the last 10 years and 12th overall.

“I was there when we lost to Trois-Rivieres in the (1987) final at Edmonton,” said Herd. “That was my first year — 20 years ago.

“When Tyler was three or four months old, we won the Canada West championship (in 2000) and he was sitting right there in his baby’s seat on the trainer’s table on Sunday afternoon when we won the whole thing.”

In real life, Herd works as a community peace officer (AKA campus cop) on the U of S campus.

“Coach (Dave Adolph) gave me a call in December and asked me for a bit of help because of one of the fellows (McCorkell) had an opportunity to help out another team (SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos). He asked me if I could come in and help.

“It’s been that way since December, but just in the background.”

Herd said he expected to be there all night Sunday, getting everything set and packed, before the team left by bus from Rutherford Rink at 4:45 a.m. for Saskatoon Airport.

Herd left for Moncton, N.B., early Wednesday morning.

“There’s quite a bit of work, just getting all the equipment there and making sure everything is there,” Herd said, adding that the team has to be prepared if it somehow loses something in transit.

“Sometime you do, so you have to split it all up. In the event that you do lose one (bag), you can make the adjustment and get stuff ready. I’ve been fortunate, with Canada West, that I’ve managed to do a Japan trip (Nagano Cup), an Italy trip (World University Games) and a few other trips.”

McCorkell is the head trainer and equipment manager for a volunteer group which includes student trainers Tyler Judd, Marc Pesant, Jeff Hamm, Mark Walkner and Sheldon Wright.

This is McCorkell’s third trip to the University Cup in three years.

“They’ve been working hard all year,” McCorkell said. “It started off a little tough at the start of the season in exhibition but they’ve really turned it on the last few weeks to make it where we are right now.

“Hopefully they can finish off this year unlike two years ago when they lost with 23 seconds left.”

McCorkell, a former goalie in the Saskatoon minor hockey system, got a call-up for a paying gig with the SJHL’s Broncos.

“I went there Boxing Day and came back a week in January,” McCorkell said. “It was a good experience going there. (Former Huskie student trainer) Chico (Ramandeep Dhanjal) went to Germany with the Canadian women’s under-22 team.

“It was kind of a different group of guys and a little different set-up.”

McCorkell is glad to have Herd on board as a mentor.

“He knows pretty well everything,” McCorkell said. “There’s a lot I can learn from him. I’ll soak up what I can while I’m here.

“We haven’t had any problems yet when we’ve flown. Hopefully we can go one more without getting anything lost.”

With a group of seven on the training staff, it’s a lot different than the limited help Herd had 20 years ago.

“But one of those trainers is now in the NHL — Troy (Parchman) is in Chicago (with the Blackhawks),” Herd points out.

“It’s been a great journey for me. I’ve met lots, been lots, traveled lots and had a good time. We’re certainly going to make sure that everything is as prepared as it can be for the players to do their thing.

“At the University Cup, we’ve been prepared as anybody but things didn’t work out. I was in Edmonton (for two University Cup tournament), three in Saskatoon, one in Kitchener. Hopefully this is it and we win it all.”