Published: June 19, 2008 11:57 pm      

Bilodeau heads Thunder

Former Johnstown Chiefs defenseman Brent Bilodeau took the next step on his professional path when he was announced Thursday as the head coach of the Central Hockey League’s Wichita Thunder.

Bilodeau becomes the ninth head coach in franchise history and will be looking to turn around a program that was out of the playoff picture early last season.

The 17th overall pick in the 1991 NHL Entry draft by Montreal, Bilodeau played 12 years professionally, and spent six as a central cog along Johnstown’s defensive blueline.

“The atmosphere and the fan support and generosity of people here in Wichita reminded us of Johnstown,” said Bilodeau, who will move his wife, Cass, and twin sons, Tyler and Jacob, to Kansas. The family is also expecting a daughter in August. “The community support, booster club and the organization itself are some of the things that were a deciding factor in coming here.”

Bilodeau had spent the past three seasons as assistant coach and assistant general manager with Las Vegas. In Wichita, Bilodeau will be responsible for the day-to-day hockey operations of the franchise in addition to his coaching duties.

“While this will be Brent’s first head coaching job, he is by no means inexperienced,” Thunder General Manager Joel T. Lomurno said in a team release. “Las Vegas, year after year, is one of the most successful teams in minor league hockey.”

Bilodeau’s first order of business should be something he’s quite familiar with: Building up his defensive corps. After that, he will have plenty of other positions to fill on a team that went 20-42-2 last season.

“It’s excitement more than anything right now,” Bilodeau said in a telephone interview Thursday night. “Being able to put together your own team, recruiting your own players. It’s going to be a challenge. I’m a little late getting here and am a bit behind the 8-ball. But it’s just exciting to come to an organization like this. Cass and I are very excited.”