When it comes to depth of teaching skills and experience, there aren't many coaching staffs that can compare to the Kootenay Ice's.

Already boasting a head coach with an education degree, the Ice added two assistants with the same credentials yesterday by hiring Todd Johnson and Jerry Bancks. Both signed two-year contracts, with a club option for a third.

Head coach Kris Knoblauch noted his pedagogical background has helped him relate to Western Hockey League athletes.

“I'm not saying you need an education degree to do that, but for me it just slows the process down and allows me to consider each player's needs in learning a new skill or system,” he said.

The thought of working with a couple of other teachers is exciting to Bancks, who will stay on with Kimberley's School District 6 Sports School.

“There is an advantage to having a teaching background in terms of dealing with people. I think we'll see eye-to-eye on a lot of issues,” said Bancks.

Johnson, who will fill Knoblauch's former position as full-time assistant, comes to Cranbrook after six years at the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy in Kelowna; the last four seasons he was the head coach of their AAA midget squad.

“(Johnson and Bancks) have been teaching a lot of individual skills and I think that's very beneficial to making our players better,” said Knoblauch.

“Probably the thing I was most excited about was how excited they were for the opportunity. They're very passionate so I just like the enthusiasm they have coming to the program.”

The new coaches also have WHL playing experience: Johnson played for Moose Jaw Warriors, won a Memorial Cup with the Kamloops Blazers in 1992, and finished with the expansion Red Deer Rebels.

Bancks played for the Lethbridge Broncos and Calgary Centennials in the mid-70s, when it was still called the Western Canada Hockey League ( for more on Bancks, see related story ).

Johnson got his degree while playing for the University of Calgary, and left to play professionally in Germany. He had been at Pursuit of Excellence since returning to Canada in 2004.

“I'm extremely excited. It's something I've been looking at doing for a few years now, trying to make a jump to junior hockey,” said Johnson. “I'm extremely excited for that to happen with the Kootenay Ice and working alongside Jeff (Chynoweth, general manager) and Kris.”

Johnson's path has crossed a few Kootenay paths in his day. He was the first captain of the Rebels in his final year, while Chynoweth was that club's very first employee.

Although they didn't play for the Rebels at the same time, Johnson and Knoblauch recently discovered that they were billeted to the same family there.

“There will be stories to be told I'm sure, once Kris and I sit down,” said Johnson.

He also knows Ice minority owners Scott and Rob Niedermayer, having been Scott's roommate in Kamloops (alongside Cranbrook native and current Kelowna Rockets coach Ryan Huska).

There should be a relatively easy transition for Johnson, who has other things in common with Knoblauch. While the head coach and his wife Autumn welcomed their second child Emry last week, Johnson and his wife Miriam are expecting their second child in the next few weeks.

“We have a lot of things in common, and even just the brief times we have sat down and talked, we get along very well,” said Johnson, who has a two-year-old son Eli.

“It's definitely going to be important along the road, especially (at those points) when things don't go as well as possible during the season. Those are things that will help strengthen us as a coaching staff, and as friends as well.”

Johnson said the prospect of moving, taking a new job and preparing for a new baby is a little scary to consider at once.

“It's a little bit stressful but it's a month,” he said. “Once the baby comes and things kind of get settled down, things will be a lot easier.”

At present, Miriam is planning to deliver the baby in Kelowna before the family moves to Cranbrook.

Knoblauch was in a similar situation taking the assistant coaching position three years ago. Autumn stayed in Saskatoon for a while before joining her husband and giving birth to Marek.

“Family is very important to (Chynoweth and Knoblauch), and I think when the family is on board it makes the whole hockey side of it a little bit easier,” said Johnson. “Having the family on board and having two guys that are there to support you — going into that type of situation to me is very exciting.”

Johnson will join the club Aug. 23, at which point he and Knoblauch will get to sit down and clarify their different responsibilities and discuss systems.

“It's very important to have the same message to the players,” said Knoblauch. “I think it's just awful if the players hear the assistant coach tell them one thing and the head coach tell them another thing the next game.”

Johnson said he has gone on line to look at players' vital and playing statistics, and will take on whatever role Knoblauch assigns him to improve the athletes.

“Whether it's power play or whether it's the penalty kill, coming from a program where I spent a lot of time on the ice working on those things, I feel confident in doing a good job.”

NOTE — Kootenay's bench will otherwise be the same next year, with trainer Brad Shaw and goaltending coach Justin Cardinal set to return.

“Justin has done excellent work with our goalies since he's been here, starting with Kris Lazaruk and the work he's done with Nathan Lieuwen and Todd Mathews,” said Knoblauch.

“Brad is probably the most important guy in the dressing room because he's the middle man between the players and the coaching staff.