The Swift Current Broncos have gone a little outside the box.

Instead of looking to the usual WHL coaching circles for the usual front office structure, the Broncos are trying something different.

Their new era starts with the hiring of former Austrian national team coach Emanuel "Manny" Viveiros as their Head Coach and Director of Player Personnel.

The former Prince Albert Raiders star defenceman joins a trio of directors that are taking on the responsibilities once held by the team's General Manager.

Viveiros will be responsible for shaping the roster and will have the final say on trades. However, his plate won't be as full as his predecessors.

The Broncos have made offers to two internal candidates for the other positions waiting on formal contracts. Longtime head scout and Assistant GM Jamie Porter would become the Director of Hockey Operations in charge of scouting, drafting and other league related items.

Dianne Sletten was already the Director of Business Operations and under the new structure will report directly to the board.

Viveiros joins the Broncos after a long and successful career in Europe.

The St. Albert, Alberta product has been a champion almost every place he has been. 

As a skilled defenceman he won a Memorial Cup with Prince Albert in 1985, a Calder Cup with Springfield in 1991 and Austrian league championships in 1992, 1993, 2001 and 2004.

Viveiros also played 29 NHL games with the Minnesota North Stars and represented two different countries in international play. He suited up for Canada at the World Juniors in 1986 before gaining Austrian citizenship and playing for them at the 2005 World Championship.

Viveiros then moved to the coaching ranks for Klangenfurter AC of the Austrian league in 2006-07. He took them to a league championship in 2009 and a trip to the final in 2011.

The 50-year-old has management experience as well. He was named Sports Director of Klangenfurter AC in 2011-12 and managed the team while coaching the Austrian national team.

Under Viveiros Austria qualified for the 2014 Olympic games for the first time since 2002.

He then joined the German team ERC Ingolstadt as an assistant coach in 2014-15 and helped them reach the league final. Viveiros took over as their Head Coach the following season and was fired after only 18 games.

Despite playing his junior career in Prince Albert, Viveiros does have a major Swift Current connection. He both played with and coached Broncos Hall of Famer Andy Schneider.

He replaces Mark Lamb as Swift Current's new bench boss after Lamb left to coach the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners.