The Peninsula Panthers will be led by a new bench boss after a mid-season slump put an end to a hot start to the season.
Panthers general manager Pete Zubersky will be taking over as head coach after Chris Driebergen was relieved of his duties early Saturday afternoon.
The team is looking to recapture the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) championship after claiming it last season and break a mid-season losing slump, which saw them drop a 5-0 loss at home to the Oceanside Generals Friday night.
“At times our group seemed to lack some jump, which came as a surprise to me as the Generals are leading the VIJHL and the match was a good measuring stick,” Zubersky said of Friday’s contest.
The decision to let Driebergen go mid-season was not an easy one, Zubersky said.
“Chris is one of the nicest people I have come to meet and I wish this situation could have had a different outcome. But with that being said, we have had a rough stretch in the past couple months and I felt like our season was on the brink.”
Panthers hit the road for a game on Wednesday in Saanich against the Predators before hosting them on Friday at the Panorama Recreation Centre in North Saanich. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.
“We have 12 regular season games left in our schedule and there is time to turn it around,” Zubersky added.
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