WHL Moose Jaw Warriors

Millar Looking Forward to World Junior Experience

Published on January 31, 2020 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release


Thirty years working in a front office in the Canadian Hockey League took Alan Millar to this point.

The Moose Jaw Warriors' general manager was named to the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence's management group this week for the third consecutive year.

"Being a manager in major junior hockey so long, these types of opportunities are great honours and probably one of the biggest honours that you can get in the game, so for all those reasons, it's really special," Millar said.

"It's certainly an honour to be able to represent the Western Hockey League and do it as a Moose Jaw Warrior."

This year, Millar will jump up a level and manage Canada's national junior team after will gold and silver medals with Canada's national men's summer under-18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2018 and 2019.

"The excitement of the tournament being in Edmonton and Red Deer next December and January," Millar said. "We saw what happened in the Czech Republic, it's a pretty special opportunity and I'm really excited to be a part of it and get going."

Millar has been with the Warriors for ten years now after being named the team's director of hockey operations in 2010. He became general manager in 2012.

He says through the ups and downs over the last ten years, the organization and city have become special to him and he is proud to represent Moose Jaw.

"Moose Jaw is home now, the logo means a lot to me and it's been a special opportunity and I'm just thrilled and very proud, humbled to get these types of opportunities and do it representing this hockey club," Millar said.

According to Millar, the process of preparing for the 2021 World Junior Hockey Championship in Alberta is already underway. He says it will be a busy next 12 months, but an experience that he is looking forward to.

"We can get at it, start communicating, start working, look at planning, look at our exhibition schedule, our summer camp, pre-competition, rounding out our staff, there are all kinds of things that we can get a good head start on and that's the plan, to start putting all this together," Millar said.

One part of the easy transition is Millar's experience with Team Canada head coach André Tourigny, who is the head coach and vice-president of hockey operations with the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67s.

"André and I, along with Brad McEwen - Hockey Canada's head scout - know that 2001 age group very well and at the same time, have spent this past year working with the 2002 group, so there is some continuity in terms of working together as a staff," Millar said. "There is some continuity in terms of our familiarity with the players and André and I can benefit from those experiences."

Millar says McEwen has already provided him with a first draft of the roster for Canada's summer showcase games.

"Brad McEwen has been tracking players, he prepares all year long in terms of evaluating players, looking at depth charts and camp rosters from under-17, under-18 and under-20," he said.

"Our role during this is to lead, to support, to bring the experiences that we've gained over the years in terms of managing teams at the CHL level, managing this age group, and bringing the information together to put the best group together."

The tournament will be hosted in Edmonton's Rogers Place and Red Deer's Westerner Park Centrium from Dec. 26, 2020 to Jan. 5, 2021. Coming off a gold medal win earlier this month; Canada will be expected to be golden once again on home ice.

Millar says he is excited about the challenge.

"That's what it's all about, for me pressure is about responsibility, the pressure is about the opportunity, we feel pressure to be successful here every day and to win as many games as we can, " he said. "Obviously, the World Junior Championship is a different level in terms of short-term competition, but for me and our group, to do it in Canada is special."

The Warriors return to the ice on Friday night when they face the Saskatoon Blades at Mosaic Place. Moose Jaw welcomes in the Victoria Royals on Saturday.

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Western Hockey League Stories from January 31, 2020


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