A key member of the Swift Current Broncos' 1988-89 Memorial Cup-winning team is back behind the bench in the Western Hockey League.

Dan Lambert, a former Broncos' blueliner, is in his first season as head coach of the Spokane Chiefs.

Lambert, who played from 1986-90 with the Broncos, was integral to the only Memorial Cup in the organization's history. In 57 regular season games that year the product of St. Boniface, Manitoba recorded 102 points (25 G, 77 A) and was awarded the Bill Hunter Trophy as the WHL's Top Defenceman. He added 28 points (9 G, 19 A) in 12 playoff games as the Broncos went on to win the 71st Memorial Cup, hosted in Saskatoon.

In 244 regular season games over his four-year career, Lambert racked up 319 points (75 G, 244 A). The defenceman's 244 career assists is the all-time leading mark in Broncos' history. Lambert added another 47 (14 G, 33 A) in 30 post-season games.

Lambert enjoyed nearly two decades of professional hockey after his WHL career, suiting up for 19 seasons from 1990-2009.

Immediately upon his retirement from playing, he jumped behind the bench to begin his coaching career. Lambert joined the Kelowna Rockets as an assistant coach for the 2009-10 season, and came back for a two year stint from 2012-14. He then became the British Columbia club's bench boss in the 2014-15 season.

Dan Lambert during his time in Kelowna - photo from WHL.ca

 

As the Rockets' head coach for that single season, Lambert amassed a 53-13-0-6 record and captured the WHL's Ed Chynoweth Cup after sweeping the Brandon Wheat Kings 4-0 in the league final. However, Lambert and the Rockets fell just short of a Memorial Cup, losing 2-1 in overtime to the Oshawa Generals in the final.

The 2015-16 season brought the opportunity to be an assistant coach in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres under then-head coach Dan Bylsma. With only one year of head coaching experience under his belt, Lambert says he thoroughly enjoyed the learning experience in the pros.

"You know, when you get fortunate enough to work with guys like Dan Bylsma, Terry Murray (assistant coach), and Dave Barr (assistant coach), you've got to be a sponge - you've got to listen more than you speak. Certainly that was what I did when I was in Buffalo," Lambert said, noting where he grew as a coach during that time.

"Just the attention to detail is probably where I'm better... I'd like to think I'm better anyway - I learned a ton when it comes to those details. Now, to continue to grow as a young coach."

After one season with the Rochester Americans, the Spokane Chiefs came calling in the spring of 2017.

'Well I always respected the organization - I think they're a class-act in the WHL and what they've done as an organization. Secondly, they approached me and, for lack of a better word, I think they had respected what I had done at this level and they wanted to give me another opportunity," explained Lambert. "I certainly didn't want to take a year off and not coach because quickly you are forgotten. I wanted to get back at this level and see if we can do something fun again."

Lambert officially was named the head coach on June 5, and fun now seems to be what he and this 2017-18 Spokane Chiefs team seems to be having, in what is a very tight U.S. Division.

"Working with young guys is certainly a passion of mine," the first-year Chiefs' head coach said. "When you're dealing with players that are 16-20, I think you can make a big impact on their life and hopefully give them the right details to have them have success down the road - whether it's in life or in hockey, or any walk of life that they want to encounter."

Spokane currently sits fourth in the division with a 26-19-1-2 record, and just two points ahead of the fifth-place Tri-City Americans, and seven points behind the first-place Everett Silvertips.

"I feel like at times we've played very good hockey and not been rewarded - other times we haven't played that well and been rewarded... it's just a very tough division - every game is a challenge, and is a battle," Lambert shared. "When you play 10, 11, 12 games in a row in your division... if you're not at your best, you're not going to get many points. So, I think consistency is something that we're battling, and we have to continue to grow."

As for Lambert's Major Junior hockey team from his playing days, he says the Broncos' flurry of acquisitions before the January 10 trade deadline have left a final roster the fans can certainly get thrilled about - and they have - as just 23 regular season games remain before playoffs.

"I'm excited for them, for the Swift Current Broncos, for the organization, for the fans. I think it's an exciting year for them," Lambert said. "Making the moves that they made, really deciding that this is going to be their season, and going for it - I think it's always exciting. It's obviously got a great buzz from the playoffs last year, to this last summer, to where they're at now. I think it's very exciting for everybody in Swift, and I'm excited to see it come to fruition."

Lambert, the uncle of former Bronco Connor Chaulk - a player traded to Calgary in one of those big deals, bested his former team earlier this week. The Chiefs beat the Broncos 4-2 on Tuesday to close out Swift Current's U.S. roadtrip.

Shifting attention to the Broncos, they now look to an important home-and-home this weekend. They host a nationally-televised matchup with the Regina Pats at the Innovation Credit Union iPlex on Saturday at 2:30 p.m., before heading to Regina for a Sunday afternoon contest at 4 p.m.

Catch both games live on The Eagle 94.1 with voice of the Broncos, Shawn Mullin.

Robertson Family Group Swift Current Broncos Hockey starts at 2 p.m. on Saturday, and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.