The Kimberley Dynamiters have signed a new goalie coach, and signed one of their former affiliate players.

Jim Penson has signed on to be goaltending coach and assistant coach, while forward Jordan Revie will lace them up for the Nitros as a 16-year-old next season.

New head coach and general manager Garry Jacklin has long been a friend of Penson, and the two have played oldtimers hockey together.

“It’s key to have somebody that you trust and somebody that has the same sort of philosophy as you,” said Jacklin. “We sat down here before he made his decision, and we talked about hockey and what we’re going to try to do here. He seemed to be pretty excited about it.”

Penson coached his kids through minor hockey, and his last stint as coach was for the Cranbrook Rocky Mountain Bandits baseball team a decade ago.

“I certainly enjoy (Jacklin’s) enthusiasm, and I’m hoping that we can take that and put a product on the ice that is entertaining,” said Penson. “I thought it was just time to get back and give to the community. I’d been away from the game for a while.”

After some time with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Penson patrolled the crease for the Cranbrook Colts in the late 1970s, and finished his junior career by winning the 1980 Cyclone Taylor Cup with the Kimberley Knights.

“I think the game has certainly changed, and back then there weren’t many 16- or 17-year-olds that could make those teams. I’m going to have to rely on my baseball coaching experience to relate to the 16- and 17-year-olds,” said Penson. “As I said to Garry, it’s nice to be a development team, but you’d better have some experience or losing is going to get old pretty quick.”

Penson also played seven years for the senior Dynamiters, and said his perspective will help next year’s goaltenders.

“All indications are that we do have a goalie returning, and I certainly like the sounds of that,” he said. “It will make my job way easier because Tory (Caldwell) is a great goaltender. I think if you can start from there and work out, you’re in pretty good shape.”

Prior to being hired by the Dynamiters, Penson was a fan of the Dynamiters and attended most home games, particularly over the last three seasons.

“The challenge is, because you’re competing for the entertainment dollar, you’d better put something on the ice that people enjoy to come watch,” he said. “You don’t necessarily have to win every night, but if you put a team together that puts in an effort every night and can compete, that’s the best you’re going to do.”

Penson rounds out a coaching staff that also includes assistant Jordan Foreman; Jay Nelson will continue to help out in a limited capacity because of work commitments.

“(Nelson) likes what he sees and what’s going on so he doesn’t want to get out,” said Jacklin. “He just knows that he couldn’t commit, but any help is good help and he’s been there for a couple of years so he’s been helping me out quite a bit.”

On top of his coaching duties, Nelson had been assistant general manager the last couple of years, and has helped Jacklin become accustomed to Hockey Canada’s carding system.

REVIE SIGNS

The Dynamiters also announced yesterday that they had signed forward Jordan Revie for next season.

He played three games for the Nitros last season as an affiliate, and got his first point in the KIJHL out of the way last December by assisting on Brett Luker’s first goal of the campaign.

Revie said he’s looking forward to collecting more points, playing to his strengths as a playmaker.

“Last year, it seemed that the Kimberley Dynamiters were lacking goals offensively, so I think they’re trying to get more offensive players and being more of an offensive team rather than defence,” he said. “I think I can help out with that because I see the ice well in the offensive zone and I feel like I make good plays.”

Revie played for the AA midget Cranbrook Ice last year, collecting 17 points in 20 games.

“He’s a fast small guy with good skill, and I like that,” said Jacklin, who’d been keeping close tabs on the Ice when he was scout for the Trail Smoke Eaters last year.

“If you’re taking a 16-year-old, you want to make sure he’s a high-end skilled guy or a top-end defenceman, and I really liked what I saw.”

Revie was one of seven members of the Ice to play for the Nitros last season, and Jacklin hopes he can maintain the close relationship that former GM Kevin MacKay built up with the midget team.

“There’s a big group of them that are going to be able to play for sure at this level. I don’t know if it’s this year or not, but I know they’re going to be able to play and probably go on to junior A,” said Jacklin.

Revie said he had been nervous for his first junior B game last year, but got comfortable with his teammates in no time.

“Going into the game, I thought I would be pretty intimidated going on the ice against 20-year-olds,” he said. “Once it started going, I felt fine. It felt no different than playing in the midget league last year really; just the game was faster and I guess better players.”

Revie said speaking to former Dynamiter and current Smoke Eater Sam Mellor helped him make his decision.

“He thought it was very good to be playing in the KIJHL as a 16-year-old and it’s something to look forward to,” said Revie. “He thought Kimberley would be a good team for me to join, so I just worked really hard and have wanted to play there since last year.”

NOTE — Kimberley’s training camp starts Saturday, Aug. 28, with registration starting at noon.

“I didn’t send out invitations, I’m just mostly doing phone calls, so I just want to make sure everybody in the Kootenays knows it’s an open camp,” said Jacklin.