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Bruce Richardson has made a final statement in his role as original Player/Coach for the Braehead Clan. Coach Richardson wanted to address the fans on a personal level before hanging up his Clan jersey for good.
“Following my decision to leave the Clan and pursue a new career here in Canada, I wanted to take a few days to let the news and my emotions settle down before I addressed the fans. I know some people are asking why have I gone to Midget AAA hockey? For those who don’t know, Midget AAA hockey is the stepping-stone for kids/players to become NHL or professional hockey players. It is a league where all the top NHL players from Quebec start their careers. From Midget AAA they move on to Junior and NHL.
I often spoke to the fans about my goals and ambitions so most of you will know that my main goal in my career was to move up the coaching ranks. After talking to many high-end people in the world of hockey, they suggested to me that I needed to come back to North America and get my name out there. Many coach’s have started their careers in this league.
Another factor which pushed me to make this decision was my family. For the last 16-years we have been moving across the world and my wife and kids have always been there to support me. When the opportunity to coach here in Canada came about, and the chance to stay in my own home without uprooting my family, I just couldn’t say no.
I hope the fans understand my decision and will respect it. I will always have Braehead in my heart, and I will always remember the fans and how they helped me over this past year. I want to take this time to thank Kirsty for the help she gave me while I was in Scotland and the work she has put in to make this franchise successful. In addition, I would like to thank Neil Black for giving me the opportunity to run my own team, and lastly thanks to Corey Neilson for bringing me to the UK. The last 3 years have been filled with great memories! I hope the Clan can keep building on what we started and I know for sure that the guys I had already signed will be icing in Clan shirts next season should the new coach still want them, which I am sure he will, as they are great guys.
Have a great summer and keep supporting the Clan.”
