By Nathan Kanter

Norm Johnston brought in to coach AAA Stars

Feb 5, 2017 | 2:00 PM

There is a new face behind the bench for the AAA Stars, one that may be familiar to North Stars fans.

Norm Johnston was the owner, general manager, and coach of the Battlefords North Stars during the 1980s before moving on for coaching stints with the Flin Flon Bombers, Humboldt Broncos, and Regina Pats.

His last coaching gig was in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League with the Regina Pat Canadians from 2008-2013. Now, Johnston is hoping to guide the AAA Stars into the SMAAAHL playoffs with just six games left in the season and the team on the outside looking in.

“It’s very difficult,” he said of being hired right in the middle of a playoff race. “Number one, I don’t know the players well enough. That’s the first thing I’ve got to do. Second thing I’ve got to do is I’ve got to get them to trust in me.

“[It’s] very difficult to get them on the same page. What I want to do in six [games] is what I would have done all winter. So basically the time frame is just scrunched.”

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Johnston was a substitute teacher in a small community outside of Regina before deciding to come up to the Battlefords, where he would sub roughly 85-90 days of the year.

The Stars just got in touch with him just a few days ago when they decided to let Jean Fauchon go. Fauchon was brought in just days before the start of the 2016-17 season.

“When somebody asked me if I was interested to come, I looked at my sub days and said, ‘Yeah, I’ve got nothing else to do,’” Johnston said. “I like the game. I’m still decent at the game. I know the game. I’ve got nothing else to do. I like Battleford. I lived here. I know a lot of people.”

The first game with Johnston behind the bench did not go well, as the Stars fell 9-1 to Prince Albert, but the team had literally just met him for the first time and Johnston said they were nerves both ways.

“They were nervous, I was nervous,” Johnston said. “We played pretty well in the first period but after that the wheels fell off. We just didn’t have what it took.

“We’ve only got five practices left and six games, so [I’m] basically just trying to get the kids to compete.”

The Stars are currently three points out of eighth place with six games remaining.

Nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca

@NathanKanter11