Bumstead paying her dues

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This article was published 12/09/2024 (375 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Christine Bumstead is serious about paying her dues.

The 28-year-old Winnipegger, who once guided the Pembina Valley AAA U15 girls team and Canada’s female entry at the 2024 world deaf championships, is currently juggling multiple coaching roles.

She is beginning her fourth year as an assistant coach with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s team while also in her second season as a development coach with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades.

Bumstead, a substitute Grade 6 and 7 teacher in Saskatoon, is also the head coach of the Manitoba team that will compete at the national U18 female championship, Nov. 3-9 in Quispamsis, N.B.

How does she do it all?

“It’s just a lot of time management and making sure everything in my Google calendar is set pretty much down to the minute,” said Bumstead by phone Thursday. “I’m here in Saskatoon right now with the Blades and the Huskies day-to-day and then with Team Manitoba U18 team when I have to head back (to Winnipeg). I’ve got a couple other things on the go, but I’m making it work.”

Bumstead’s coaching extras are substantial.

Last spring, she was a guest coach at the Florida Panthers development camp, which was followed by an invitation to work at the defending Stanley Cup champs’ training camp beginning next week in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Her pro experience is directly tied to joining the NHL Coaches Association Female Coaches Development Program at the suggestion of current Panthers head coach Paul Maurice and assistant coach Jamie Kompon.

“I made connections with them when they were in Winnipeg and I was still in Winnipeg,” said Bumstead, whose dad Larry is the manager of player development at the Hockey For All Centre while also serving as head coach of the St. Mary’s Academy U18 prep team.

“They’ve both just been huge coaching resources for me — Jamie especially — just talking Xs and Os with him a lot, and sending (video) clips back and forth to each other.”

The opportunity to join the Blades a year ago came as a surprise from then head coach Brendan Sonne.

“I got a cold phone call one day and he asked, ‘Do you know why I’m calling you?’” remembered Bumstead. “He had heard about me and my name had kind of been brought up to him by NHL coaches and other coaches as well in our similar networks.”

Bumstead works with the WHL team’s players at practice although she’s not behind the bench for games, but finds the work very gratifying.

“It’s no different than when you get any new coach — whether it’s a man or a woman coming in,” said Bumstead. “You have to build a relationship and they’ve got to see what, at the end of the day, you going to do to make them better and what are you going to do to make the team better.

“Once you can prove that to them and start working with them and they start seeing success or feeling like there’s value coming from when you’re working with them… that’s kind of how it transpires. “

Bumstead is only the second woman to serve on a WHL coaching staff, following Olivia Howe who was an assistant coach for the Moose Jaw Warriors from 2019 until last spring. Howe has since transitioned to a job as the franchise’s director of business operations.

Bumstead gave up playing elite hockey soon after high school.

She then found her true calling in the coaching game, having previously learned sign language to communicate with deaf hockey teammates.

In spring, she guided Canada to a silver medal at the deaf hockey worlds in Buffalo, N.Y.

“I didn’t continue to play, but I definitely fell in love with coaching early and I found I’m actually far more competitive as a coach than I ever was as a player,” said Bumstead.

Bumstead absorbed and became fascinated by teaching the game while playing for her dad at St. Mary’s Academy.

“I think there’s a similarity in our skills philosophy — he comes from a hockey camp side of things,” said Bumstead, whose younger sister Kate, another SMA alum, plays at Trinity Western University. “He did camps for 30 years. The skill development piece and managing people and all that stuff, I learned that from him while I was working for him and observing him.”

Her dad has been impressed by Christine’s willingness to work on her craft.

“She’s very patient on development — she doesn’t need that glory to be the head coach or anything like that,” said Larry Bumstead. “She just wants to be around people to learn and I think that is really unique at this day and age, because most people want things now.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca