In the midst of a 4-18 regular season, and with the Brown Bears currently in eighth place in the eight-team Midwest Division of the NAHL, the Kenai River Brown Bears have announced the departure of Head Coach Josh Dubinsky from the Brown Bears organization.
Dubinsky was not on the bench for the Brown Bears three-game home series against the Springfield Jr. Blues; a series which Kenai River won 1 of 3 contests. Assistant Coach Taylor Shaw has taken the helm in the interim as the Brown Bears conduct a head coach search.
The Brown Bears General Manager Chris Hedlund released notification to the public through a November 17th press release; which buried the lead of the release of Dubinsky to the final paragraph.
Kenai River Brown Bears Press Release…Nov. 17, 2021
The Kenai River Brown Bears, proud members of the North American Hockey League, announced today that they have made staff changes. The Brown Bears have added Dan Daikawa of MAP HOCKEY Minnesota to the organization in the role of Player Development. MAP hockey, in Blaine MN, is a leading off ice/dryland/player development provider in the hockey industry, and the Bears are excited to partner with them while in Minnesota. Owner Justin Johnson, a standout goalie for the University of Minnesota, has built an excellent team of hockey driven professionals that make MAP hockey the leader in hockey training in the Minnesota market. “This is a great opportunity for our players while we are on the road in the lower 48.” Hedlund stated. “Having a state-of-the-art location to provide off ice workouts and the highly skilled staff at MAP, is a great addition to our time in Minnesota.” Furthermore, Dan Daikawa Lead Instructor for MAP Hockey will be working with the Brown Bears for on ice player development while the team is in Minnesota. “Dan will be a great asset to the team. His background and experience both in playing and coaching will help our players immediately. His experience in the NAHL is invaluable. We are excited that he will be able to provide on-ice knowledge in practices and film support to bring our team’s game to the next level.” stated Hedlund.
Finally, the Brown Bears have parted ways with former Head Coach Josh Dubinsky. Assistant Coach Taylor Shaw will remain with the team as the Brown Bears conduct a search for their new Head Coach. Shaw’s experience in Junior hockey continues to prove a strong asset for the Brown Bears. Applicants interested in the position should send resume, with references, to chedlund@krbbears.com.
Brown Bears Coaching Update
The Kenai River coaching vacancy represents the fourth replacement of a Brown Bears head coach in 2021. In the spring of 2021, Kevin Murdock resigned mid-season; Dubinsky took the reigns and guided Kenai River through the Robertson Cup finals, only to be replaced by Keenan Kelley. Kelley resigned in August without coaching a game and Dubinsky was named head coach. Now, the Brown Bears are again in search of a new head coach for the program.
