Swift Current Broncos Hall of Famer Andy Schneider is confident the Broncos have the right man for the job with new coach Manny Viveiros.

"The biggest thing I could say about him is he's just a really solid person," Schneider said. "He's been a leader his whole life, he's played on championship teams and he went from being a leader on the teams he played on to coaching. I think that's going to translate to the type of team he puts together in Swift Current.

Schneider played with and for Viveiros in Europe. He was the leading scorer when the Viveiros coached Klagenfurt AC won the 2009 Austrian league championship.

"When I had taken over as a coach and manager in Austria I know Andy was available and I did everything possible to get Andy to come to Austria," Viveiros said. "Andy was probably the easiest player I had to coach. Such a professional. We just became really good friends."

Schneider remembers a coach who had the pulse of his players.

"I think it might have been his first or second year of coaching," he noted. "What I can remember most is I always thought he was a very good communicator. He could read the players very well. He was always talking to his players on the ice and in the dressing room getting to know them as a person. I think he's going to be very good at knowing what buttons to push to get the best out of his team."

Having played a lot of his career in Europe before coming back to coach and scout junior hockey himself, Schneider expects Viveiros will have to make some transitions.

"I do think he will have a little bit of learning to do," Schneider said. "But he played in North America a long time as well. He played and coached at almost every level. I think if anything being in Europe that long should actually help him in that he's going to have a lot of fresh ideas to bring back into the North American style. He's going to have a lot of ideas and different systems that he's tried in Europe that have worked. He's going to implement some new things that maybe fans haven't seen before."

One of the biggest challenges for Viveiros as coach and Director of Player Personnel is getting to know the league and the players as he tries to shape Swift Current's roster. Schneider is confident Viveiros has the knowledge and the contacts to do just that.

"He's going to have some growing pains trying to figure out how things work in the Western Hockey League and dealing with young men day in and day out," Schneider said. "He's a smart guy, he works hard and he's going to learn fast. He's got lots of support and contacts within the hockey world already. He's going to be able to tap in to many different people."

One of those people could be Schneider himself who is a scout for the New Jersey Devils. It's a relationship that also helped lead to Viveiros landing in Swift Current.

"Andy and I had always kept in contact," Viveiros said. "I know how difficult it is to get an opportunity especially being in Europe for so many years to get an opportunity in North America. Andy was as big support for me. Also he's a great resource he's an NHL scout and sees players all over the place."

Schneider gets to see a lot of the Broncos and sees it as a good situation for his old friend.

"He's got some good pieces there," Schneider noted. "I think the Broncos have drafted pretty well over the past couple years and those players will be coming in. I still think the depth of the team... they need to add to that. I do think they have some good skill and hopefully he can come in and get the team into the playoffs."

Ultimately the biggest thing Schneider can say about Viveiros is that his personality will mesh with the community and with the players.

"I think he's one of those people when you're around him just for a few minutes you just want to be around people like that."

BRONCO NOTES

Viveiros, Jamie Porter and Dianne Sletten have all now verbally agreed to terms as the new Swift Current Broncos management team. They will finalize contracts shortly.

Meanwhile, Schneider's Devils plucked a Bronco for their rookie tournament this fall. Defenceman Colby Sissons will get a chance to suit up for the Devils before he returns to Swift Current for the WHL season.

Sissons joins Lane Pederson (Arizona) as undrafted Broncos who have received opportunities at NHL camps this year.