Eagles Coach To Miss Season Start

Chris Stewart, head coach of the Colorado Eagles, will not be able to work the opening night game. From the Coloradoan:

Stewart, who has led the Eagles to two titles in their four seasons, will miss an undetermined length of time at the beginning of the season as he recuperates from recent back surgery. The coach underwent "experimental surgery" to put two artificial discs in his back.

You know what? You gotta do what you gotta do, and if that means missing the start of the season, so be it.

Assistant coach Ryan Bach will assume the day-to-day coaching of team, implementing a system Stewart said has been refined through years of trial and error.

"Ryan Bach will take over, and he'll handle things the very best he can," Stewart said. "I've dictated everything in a very specific pattern."

I didn't realize Bach was an assistant coach for the team. I hate to admit, and it pains me to think about, but I owned a Ryan Bach game worn jersey from the inaugural season. Alas, it is gone, lost in a parking garage in Baltimore, MD. But that's a story for a different day.

I'll let the Coloradoan finish this one off with some words about Ryan Bach.

For the early portion of the season, though, Bach will be the one in charge. He said he will lean on the system and the players who have proven track records in the organization.

"Basically, we have something that's worked here," Bach said. "The biggest thing that works in our favor is the chemistry we have in the locker room and the guys returning."

The man who was the first Eagles goalie in 2003-04 and joined the staff as a goalie coach last year never imagined he would be taking on a full-time role.

Bach has a successful real estate career, but he has reworked his schedule and delegated some of his work to make sure he can fully concentrate on his new job. He said he was hooked when he got to be around the team during its title run last season and when Stewart approached with the assistant coach offer, Bach took the plunge.

He said he'll look to set the tone early in training camp, which officially starts Oct. 8.

"As a coach, I have to provide the direction and environment so that moving forward we have no comfort zone," Bach said, meaning he won't let complacency set it. "Teams will be gunning for us, especially after last year.

"I've got a challenge in front of me, no question. I'm looking forward to it."

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