Former Swift Current Broncos defenceman Mitch Love has been named the new head coach of the Saskatoon Blades. 

Love played two seasons with the Broncos from 2001-2003 racking up 31 points and 459 penalty minutes in 122 games.

Most recently the 33-year-old from Quesnel, BC served as an assistant coach with the Everett Silvertips for the past seven seasons. Memorably for Broncos fans, Love's Silvertips were eliminated in six games by Swift Current in the WHL championship series earlier in May.

Love's first head coaching stint sees him take over for a Dean Brockman-led Blades team that went 35-33-3-1. 

Brockman was fired in mid-March after a two-year run as the bench boss in the 'Bridge City'.

The Blades haven't made the playoffs since the 2012-13 season, and haven't won a post-season series since the 2010-11 season when the top-seeded Blades reached the Conference semi-finals before getting swept by the Kootenay ICE.