Saskatoon Blades will need to find a new head coach

The Saskatoon Blades will soon be on the hunt for a new head coach.

In a news release on Monday, the team said Brennan Sonne, who has been in the position since 2021, accepted an assistant coach position with the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the American Hockey League (AHL) — an AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken.

“It’s always bittersweet to lose a fantastic coach but we couldn’t be happier for Brennan and his family getting the opportunity to coach in the American Hockey League after three fantastic years with us,” Blades general manager Colin Priestner said in the release.

“He will go down as one of the best coaches in Blades history with all he accomplished here but also the impact he leaves on our culture, staff, and our players will continue to pay dividends in the coming years.”

Sonne, 37-years-old from Maple Ridge, BC, found his first head coaching position with the Blades. The team went 131-54-14 under his guidance over three seasons, bringing it a .701 winning percentage.

“My time in Saskatoon is something I am very proud of, we accomplished a lot, won a lot of games, but most importantly we put some incredible human beings into the world,” Sonne said in the Blades’ news release.

“I’d like to first thank the Priestner family for giving me the opportunity. I would also like to thank Steve ‘Hilty’ Hildebrand, Dan Tencer, and all the great hockey operations staff we had.”

Priestner says it won’t be long before Sonne graduates to coaching in the NHL.