Powell River’s front office overhaul and the search for a new identity

The Powell River Kings are busy preparing for next season. After securing their spot in the BCHL for 2026-27, the Kings are rebuilding both their roster and their coaching staff.

The Kings’ office is slowly filling back up. Gone are the individuals who managed hockey operations over the last three seasons: General Manager and Head Coach Stephan Seeger Jr., Director of Player Development Chris Klack, Assistant Coach Chad van Diemen, and Goalie Coach Dustin Slade. Powell River is replacing them top to bottom.

It marks the beginning of a new era for the franchise. The team has officially moved on from its partnership with the Birch Group and is actively seeking new coaching staff and fresh ownership.

Before diving into what lies ahead for the Kings in 2026-27, here is a quick look back at the Birch Group era and how Powell River arrived at this turning point.

The Birch Group partnership

Junior hockey in British Columbia has undergone massive shifts in recent years. As the BCHL transitioned into an independent league outside of Hockey Canada, it established its own regulations and operating standards.

Seeking private ownership during this transition, the Powell River Kings Society partnered with the Birch Group. That partnership directly brought Stephan Seeger Jr. into the fold as head coach.

Other notable names passed through the organization during that period as well. NHL Hall of Famer Glenn Anderson briefly served as head coach, while former NHLers Michael McNiven and Cliff Ronning also spent time on Powell River’s bench.

Financially, however, the arrangement created significant strain, culminating in well-documented financial difficulties for the Kings before the 2025-26 season ended.

The classic logo returns

In early May, the Kings signalled a return to their roots by updating their primary logo. Gone is the crown crest atop a stylized wordmark, and in its place, the classic “P” with a crown has returned.

Powell River featured the “P-Crown” logo as its primary mark from 2006 to 2023. During the Birch Group partnership, the logo underwent two rapid redesigns — first to a minimalist wordmark, and then to a wordmark topped with a crown — before the team ultimately restored its traditional look.

A new head coach arrives

On June 16, the Kings officially hired Brennan Menard as head coach and associate general manager.

Menard spent the previous three seasons with the Sherwood Park Crusaders, taking over as head coach in 2023-24 while the club was still in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He served as both head coach and general manager for Sherwood Park during the 2025-26 season following their move to the BCHL. Before his time with the Crusaders, Menard was an assistant coach with the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers.

Menard takes over on the bench for Seeger Jr.. Over three seasons in Sherwood Park, Menard compiled a strong 111-55-9 record. By contrast, Seeger Jr. posted a 19-69-6-2 mark during his tenure in Powell River.

A new hockey ops duo

To complement Menard, Tyler Kuntz returns to the Kings as general manager after six years away, joined by Curtis Fraser as the new director of hockey operations.

Kuntz previously served as Powell River’s head coach and general manager from 2018 to 2020. Fraser brings administrative and scouting experience from the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips and the Langley Rivermen, where he served as director of hockey operations in 2023-24 alongside his work with the Langley Hockey Academy.

The Rivermen connection is what reunited Fraser and Kuntz. Kuntz served as Langley’s associate coach and associate general manager during that same 2023-24 season before coaching the Academy’s U15 team last year.

Rebuilding the Roster

With hockey operations and the head coach set, the focus shifts entirely to rebuilding the roster.

Powell River experienced unprecedented roster turnover last season, icing 46 skaters and five goalies. While some BCHL programs have managed to navigate heavy roster shuffling, the lack of stability derailed the Kings’ on-ice results.

With new leadership in place, Powell River now aims to translate front-office stability into roster cohesion for 2026-27.

Photo credit: Island Images Photography