Don Chesney tried retirement.
It didn’t take.
Chesney had stepped down as the Yorkton Terriers’ Director of Public Relations and Marketing in March, a position he held for two seasons.
At the time Chesney said in his mind it was just the right time to step away from not just the Terriers, but hockey.
“I’m pretty happy with what I’ve accomplished over the years,” he said then.
Chesney said he has enjoyed every facet of hockey, from his days as a Junior player with Melville, through to championship seasons with the Terriers, and even the lower spots of a team that has struggled the last two seasons.
“But it all takes a lot of energy,” he said.
But time apparently rejuvenates.
Chesney has taken a position with the Portage Terriers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
“They talked to me at the Western Canada Cup (held in Estevan this year),” he said, adding the discussion centred on him taking the role of Saskatchewan scout for the MJHL franchise.
It took a bit more time, but Chesney said yes.
“I’m excited … At my age it’s a great opportunity to stay in the game,” he told Yorkton This Week Monday.
The position will have Chesney looking for talent in Saskatchewan who might help the Portage variety of Terriers.
“I’ll scout all of Saskatchewan for them,” he said. “It’s full time but I can stay at home and still feed my cows.”
Chesney said a lot of the scouting will be done attending local games, with the Yorkton Terrier and Melville Millionaire franchises close at hand to scout teams coming through looking for talent which might move east in a trade.
And the AAA Midget team in Yorkton allows him to keep a close eye on upcoming players too.
“Once a player is done Midget he can go out of province,” said Chesney, adding it will be his job to point potential players to Portage. “… I’ll be looking for players who are a good fit to go over there (Portage).”
Chesney noted Portage has a successful program with an RBC Cup win in 2015, coach Blake Spiller named 2015-2016 CJHL Coach of the Year by the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), and are playing in a new arena.
“It’s a good place to play Junior hockey,” suggested Chesney.
