Pandemic Recruiting with Women’s Hockey Head Coach Chris Larade
Written by Drew McConnell
Photo by U-Sports
When the 2019-2020 women’s hockey season came to a close, the Saint Mary’s Huskies were the number one ranked club in all of Canada according to U-Sports. The team dominated all year long, amassing an impressive regular season record, which saw them win 22 out of 28 games while outscoring their opponents 90-42 on route to a first-place finish in the Atlantic University Sports (AUS) standings.
The Huskies were successful last season in large part due to their tremendous roster depth. They didn’t rely on just one or two superstars to provide offence and drive play. Rather, it was a true team effort which saw five of the top ten scorers in the AUS come from Saint Mary’s. This depth is a testament to how crucial the recruitment process is in university athletics. For the women’s hockey team at Saint Mary’s, recruitment falls under the purview of head coach Chris Larade.
“In my mind, [recruiting] is the most important part of the job,” Larade told me in a phone interview. “I look at the success we’ve had, [and] it’s in large part due to not just the players we have, but the people that they are,” he added.
Larade has been at the helm of the women’s program for nearly a decade. His first season was the 2011-2012 campaign, which saw the Huskies win just one game all year. However, Larade led the team through a remarkable turnaround, finishing in the top 3 in the AUS standings every year since. It’s no wonder he’s won the AUS women’s coach of the year award three times, most recently in the 2019-20 season.
There’s no question that Larade’s recruiting strategy is a significant factor in establishing the Huskies as a perennial contender in the AUS. One of the keys to this success has been Larade’s willingness to undertake an expansive search for the best talent.
“It’s across the[continent]… I’m getting emails from Wisconsin, I’ve had some from California in the past,” Larade said in reference to the scope of his recruitment lens. “The contact [with potential recruits] is constant,” he added.
As the world was forced to adapt in the midst of a global pandemic, it’s fair to assume that the process of recruiting top quality athletes has had to be overhauled as well. However, Larade says that technology has made the adjustment more seamless.
“What we can do as far as emails and phone calls… nothing’s changed too much,” he said. But Larade concedes that there are things he simply cannot do, thanks to a USports directive. “Eventually you plan a visit, you plan a trip to campus… you have something to aim for. Whereas now, U-Sports has a moratorium, which has been in effect since late March,” Larade says.
The U-Sports moratorium essentially bans any type of in-person meetings, whether in an official or unofficial capacity. It also prohibits schools and prospective athletes from making any travel arrangements related to the recruitment process. Other types of recruiting, such as phone calls, text messages, and emails, are permitted during the moratorium. While these virtual methods are helpful, the in-person aspect is the most crucial for securing a commitment from a prospective recruit.
“A perfect example we have right now is we’ve got a forward from Ontario [who has] verbally committed and she’s interested, [but] she, rightfully so, just wants to see campus for herself before she gets anything done officially,” Larade said. Despite the frustration it may cause, Larade says he completely understands why someone would want to have an in-person visit before such a big decision.
“I don’t feel it’s right for myself, or any other coach, to try to persuade a 17 or 18 year old to commit without signing [in person], if them or their parents are going to be spending $50,000 by the time it’s all said and done,” he said. “I don’t think it’s right.”
It appears that this moratorium will be in place for the foreseeable future. When asked whether he’s received any type of indication regarding a potential relaxation of the moratorium restrictions, Larade said poignantly, “No, absolutely zero.”
“I would like to think that after Thanksgiving we will start to see things opening up,” he said, before adding “I’m not sure it helps as much unless the borders to Atlantic Canada are open.” Given that a large number of players on the women’s team are from outside of the Atlantic region, this certainly acts as a critical barrier to national or international recruitment. On the bright side, it gives the Huskies an opportunity to develop more homegrown talent from within Atlantic Canada.
“I take comfort in knowing that the quality of player that we can snag around here [in Atlantic Canada] is much higher than in the past,” Larade said. “We can kind of stay closer to home.”
Larade noted to me that he’ll be watching with great interest at how the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s (QMJHL) Halifax Mooseheads will fare in October, when they will be permitted to allow spectators at 20% capacity (around 2,000 fans) inside Scotiabank Centre. This could be a litmus test to gauge how ready sports teams are to operate during the time of mandatory masks and social distancing. It could also provide USports with the motivation to alleviate the recruitment restrictions and provide a path back to pre-pandemic processes.