Courtesy of Bisons Sports, www.gobisons.ca.

Bison men’s hockey head coach Mike Sirant has been named the Canada West Hockey Coach of the Year for 2009-10 season. This is the third time that Sirant has earned this conference honour in his 14 year coaching career at Manitoba.

In his 14th season with Manitoba, Mike Sirant has guided the Manitoba Bison men’s hockey program to a 16-10-2 regular season record and third place in the highly competitive Canada West conference in 2009-10. The win total is three more than last season and represents the highest win total for a Manitoba men’s hockey team since the 2000-01 season. The Bisons also improved their point total by two points from last season’s quarter final team.

Sirant reflected, “It is an honour to win this award and humbling when you consider previous winner like Dave King, Wayne Fleming, Mike Babcock and Clare Drake. This award is a team award and I’d like to thank assistant coaches Larry Bumstead and Brent Zelenewich and, of course, our players who all share this award.”

Sirant molded a team that had six rookies and nine other players in the roster this season who had not played under his tutelage prior to his leave of absence. Sirant returned to the Bisons after a three year break (2006-09) during which he was the Sports Director and Head Coach of the Danish National Ice Hockey Men’s Team.

Sirant led the Bisons to a highest ranking of third place in the CIS Top Ten rankings at the start of the season in the first poll on October 20/09. Manitoba was listed in the CIS Top 10 for 15 consecutive weeks from Oct. 20/09-Feb. 23/10. Manitoba also had impressive multiple victories over two CIS ranked teams (top ranked Alberta and Saskatchewan) this season. In addition, the Bisons reduced their goals allowed from 82 to this season’s 77.

Sirant has now be at the helm for the last two Manitoba Bisons team to earn a berth into the CIS University Cup (2004-05 and 2009-10 season), the last two CIS National Championship appearances for Manitoba since 1984-85 season. He was the first Bisons head coach to earn the Canada West Coach of the Year award in 1995-96 and he repeated the feat again in 2004-05 when he led Manitoba to the CIS University Cup tournament. Don MacGillivray also won this award while at Manitoba during the 2007-08 season.

Sirant is the winningest head coach in the 57 years of Bison men’s hockey history with over 280 overall victories while at Manitoba.

CANADA WEST HOCKEY COACH OF THE YEAR

1979-80 Dave King, Saskatchewan

1980-81 George Kingston, Calgary

1981-82 No Selection

1982-83 No Selection

1983-84 Bill Moores, Alberta

1984-85 Clare Drake, Alberta

1985-86 George Kingson, Calgary

1986-87 Clare Drake, Alberta

1987-88 Clare Drake, Alberta

1988-89 Clare Drake, Alberta

1989-90 Bill Moores, Alberta

1990-91 Bill Moores, Alberta

1991-92 Bill Liskowich, Regina

1992-93 Bill Moores, Alberta

1993-94 Mike Babcock, Lethbridge

1994-95 Mike Coflin, UBC

1995-96 Mike Sirant, Manitoba

1996-97 Tim Bothwell, Calgary

1997-98 Dave Adolph, Saskatchewan

1998-99 Rob Daum, Alberta

1999-00 Dave Adolph, Saskatchewan

2000-01 Rob Daum, Alberta

2001-02 Rob Daum, Alberta

2002-03 Rob Daum, Alberta

2003-04 Rob Daum, Alberta

2004-05 Mike Sirant, Manitoba

2005-06 Eric Thurston, Alberta

2006-07 Greg Gatto, Lethbridge

2007-08 Don MacGillivray, Manitoba

2008-09 Eric Thurston, Alberta

2009-10 Mike Sirant, Manitoba