New Rebels coach Brent Kisio opens training camp at Centrium
Brent Kisio, formerly of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, addressed media Tuesday as his first Red Deer Rebels training camp got underway.
A new era began for the Red Deer Rebels this week as head coach Brent Kisio opened his first WHL training camp at the Marchant Crane Centrium. Kisio was hired this summer after Marc Habscheid's departure, and spoke to media Tuesday ahead of players arriving. On-ice activity starts Friday and runs through Sept. 1, closing with the annual Black vs. White intrasquad game.
Kisio, 43, said he wants Red Deer to be a hard-working, physical and fast-transitioning offensive team, calling those traits reflective of the city itself. He spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL's Henderson Silver Knights and previously built a strong reputation leading the Lethbridge Hurricanes from 2015 to 2023, compiling a 267-176-44 record, a division title, two Eastern Conference Final appearances and a WHL Coach of the Year nomination. He also won a WHL championship as an assistant with the Calgary Hitmen in 2010.
Kisio said the jump from junior to professional hockey brings far greater uncertainty and work ethic demands, and that it will take time to gauge the Rebels' potential this season based on players' summer conditioning and camp performance. The team is coming off an eighth-place finish last season after making the playoffs the year before, losing in the opening round to the Prince Albert Raiders.
Pre-season play begins Sept. 4 in Calgary, followed by home games against the Hitmen and later Edmonton, plus a stop in Lethbridge. The regular season opens Sept. 18 in Calgary, with the home opener the following night.
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