Now that you've met Coach Chris King and the U18 AAA Lloydminster Lancers, plus found out more on the controversey surrounding King's firing as Coach of the Lakeland College Rustlers women's basketball team after a national championship season, it's time to see if the Ted Lasso shoe actually fits King. Can he successfully change from coaching basketball to coaching hockey and have a successful season with the Lancers?
Episode 3 of Shift Change has King in the driver's seat of shaping the Lancers for the 2025-26 Alberta Elite Hockey League season. The U18 AAA team is looking to rebuild following back-to-back disappointing seasons in which they combined for just 19 wins in 76 games. As with any coaching change, improvement is not automatic or guaranteed.
"We are starting fresh, this is blank slate for all of us, but we have to do more than everyone else. What does that look like for us? What are we willing to sacrifice? If we do just as much as everyone else, it's not going to be enough." - Chris King
King, who is known for his culture building, believes the foundation of a good team begins with a strong identity, as determiend by the players. Resiliency, competitive & trust are what they come away with, while determining process goals to measure success.
With the team coming together off the ice, the literal ice has finished coming together at the Cenovus Energy Hub, a brand‑new, state‑of‑the‑art sports, recreation and entertainment facility in Lloydminster. The 2,500 seat multi-purpose arena (expandable to 4,500 seats for concerts) is the largest venue of its kind in the region, built to bring community events, major concerts, hockey games and cultural activities under one roof.
It's a pretty sweet place to play home games, complete with a swanky locker room for the players - if they make the cut.
How does King handle making tough roster decisions? All this and more in Episode 3 of Shift Change!
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