French Professional Hockey

Storm's Richard 'following a dream': Import draft selection hopes Guelph will ...

GUELPH — The newest member of the Guelph Storm turned down some pretty decent coin to play for the team next season.

Tanner Richard, the team’s lone selection in the recent Canadian Hockey League import draft, passed on a chance to play for Rapperswil-Jona of the Swiss A professional league.

“I had an opportunity to play on the pro team. I would have had one of the more important roles and got a lot of ice time,” Richard, 18, said over the phone from Switzerland earlier this week.

But Richard said the decision to come play in the junior ranks for spending money wasn’t really a difficult one to make.

“I’m following my dream. My dream to play in the NHL,” said Richard, a natural centre who plays some left wing.

“I can’t really think about money right now. In the long run it will be a win-win situation. Playing junior hockey will be better for me in the long run and my agent told me I’d regret it if I didn’t come over.”

Richard has dual Swiss/Canadian citizenship. His dad Mike Richard is an expat Canadian who starred in the Ontario Hockey League with the old Toronto Marlies in the early 1980s.

The older Richard went on to have a solid but short minor professional stint in the American Hockey League before a lengthy and fruitful career playing pro in Switzerland.

The younger Richard, who speaks English, French and German, spent three months each summer up until the age of 14 in Canada, visiting relatives in Sarnia and Toronto.

“I could kind of feel how my dad wanted me to come over and play in Canada, but he left the decision up to me. He supported whatever I chose,” Richard said.

He also had the chance to talk to Rapperswil-Jona players and former NHLers Stacey Roest and Thomas Pock. They played junior and NCAA respectively in North America and told Richard it was best in the long run for him to come over.

Richard was passed over in the recent NHL draft, in part because, in general, he didn’t really hit the radar of teams until a solid performance at the world under-18 tournament. He also suffered a shoulder injury that kept him off the ice for almost a month.

“I always try and be realistic,” he said of the NHL snub. “Now I just hope to get drafted next year.

Richard, who played eight games with the men’s team and practised with it all year, said he loves the physical going.

“I love to hit and I can take a hit.

Sault native Rich Metro returns to pro hockey | EUPNews

SAULT STE. MARIE – After four seasons as an assistant coach at Lake Superior State University, Rich Metro is returning to professional hockey and the team that won two French elite league titles during his six seasons of playing overseas.

Metro, a Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., native who played college hockey at Northern Michigan University, has been named head coach and general manager of Villard de Lans of League Magnus. Metro totaled 59 goals and 90 points in France. He has nine years experience as a professional player.

“I’m honored that they thought that highly of me to give me an opportunity as a head coach,” Metro said. “The easy part is that I know exactly what I’m getting into. The down side is that I love working here (at LSSU) and the people who go along with it. I’ve had a very enjoyable four years.”

Metro noted that head coaching opportunities don’t come along often, and he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

“I owe everything to Coach Roque,” Metro said. “For him to hire me right out of playing was obviously a bonus for my family and me. “He helped me learn the whole process – coaching, recruiting, travel, everything. We have three people here, and most teams have up to 10. One thing that’s nice is that here you learn how to do everything – travel, video, meals – we do it all. I don’t think a lot of (assistants) get to do that.”

“We will miss his energy and passion for hockey,” LSSU coach Jim Roque said. “He is excellent with the players. He has a real good rapport with the guys. He had just finished playing and brought a lot of energy to the lockerroom and office. He learned quickly, and I liked his (recruiting) eye a lot.”

Metro learned there’s more to being a head coach than teaching the game of hockey. At the pro level, Metro will replace grade monitoring and National Letters of Intent with contract negotiations.

“At the college level, coaching is 25 percent of the job, and the other 75 percent is travel, equipment, recruiting, budget and detail work,” Roque said.

Metro will be Villard de Lans’ head coach and oversee a developmental program and its coaching staff. Metro likened the elite league team and its passionate hockey community to LSSU and Sault Ste. Marie. Both go toe-to-toe with powerhouse programs.

“It’s been around for 80 years,” Metro said of Villard de Lans. “The team itself and the town remind you of Lake State. We’re competing against big budget teams and have some of the same problems that Lake State has. Everything is financial anymore. We are a town of 10,000 up against a team from a town of 500,000 that has 5,000 seats sold out. We have a rink like the Pullar. It seats about 2,000, and it’s packed.

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