Truitt returns with well deserved new title

Truitt spent five-plus seasons there before hooking up with Habschied in 2018, where the two would rekindle the magic by winning a WHL title with the Raiders in 2019.

In Prince Albert, he again was promoted to associate coach, but technically always worked under someone since leaving the Okanagan 15 years ago.

He was eventually replaced by Ryan Huska, who is now an assistant coach with the Calgary Flames to Brent Sutter’s older brother Darryl.

While helping the Rockets win a Memorial Cup title in 2004 as an assistant to Habscheid, it was his work in 2005 as a head coach that was the most impressive.

“We had Bodie, Keller, Comeau, and it was that depth coming back after capturing the Memorial Cup”, Truitt recalled. “We had 45 wins and we won the league championship. It just showed the depth that we had from the years prior.”

The real challenge for Truitt heading into the 2004-2005 season was making sure the team, with lots of talent, still had the desire to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup again after playing deep into May.

“That’s where it became a culture thing. We wanted to get back to it [WHL finals]. I remember in the summer talking to the leadership group and everyone wanted to get back there.

“The big message going into that season was we had to do it by committee”, Truitt said honestly. “We still had some great pieces, but we couldn’t rely on two or three guys. It had to be a collective unit.”

Captain Brett Palin provided exceptional leadership that season, with a helping shovel full of character from then 19-year-old Shea Weber, who would go on to be the WHL playoff MVP in a finals win over Brandon.

“We had to play good structure. We had to play well because every night we played, as champions, other teams were always coming after you.”

The leading scorer that season was Tyler Spurgeon, with just 62 points in 72 games, yet the team had seven 15-goal scorers with Justin Keller leading the way by lighting the lamp 31 times.

“We had to have all hands on deck. It didn’t matter where it came from, if you were at the front end or the back end if you get 11 guys with 10 or more goals, that sure does help.”

The Rockets would tie for the WHL regular season title that season with 104 points, with the Kootenay Ice winning the banner with two more wins, yet Truitt’s team lost two fewer games.

In 2004-2005, the team scored the 5th most goals in the WHL, but it was the ability to defend that made them what they were.

Allowing just 139 goals against, it was no wonder they went 30 and 4 on home ice that season.

“Captain Brett Palin was an emotional guy”, Truitt recalls. “With Spurg [Spurgeon] and Webs [Weber], they kept the group grounded. They kept it focused and kept guys in line.

“That is what you get from great leadership is the extension of the coaching staffs, the belief from the players that they can do it again, and while it started with Brett, he had a lot of good company in there helping him as well.”

How good was Shea Weber at 19?

“He was a man amongst boys”, Truitt said with a smirk on his face. “On the ice he was scary. When he shot the puck, it was one of the best in the league. When he defended, Webs was punishing. He was never intimated, in fact when he stepped on the ice, the other team was wondering where he was.”

Truitt calls Weber the ‘ultimate competitor’ which is a reason why he played over 1,000 games at the NHL level and is regarded as one of the best modern-day d-man to play the game.

“It was sure nice having a bullet in your chamber like Shea Weber at 19, he dominated the league. He was a gym rat. He was hard in practices, keeping that intensity up, and he made people accountable.”

With Truitt’s troops coming to town Saturday night, it will be a homecoming of sorts to where he was given a first chance of being a WHL head coach, something he proudly can say he is – again.

by Regan Bartel

Truitt returns with well deserved new title

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