If Nathan Oystrick has learned anything in his playing career, it’s that the biggest thing hockey does for anyone is building relationships.

“Whether it’s in the community, your teammates, your coaches it doesn’t matter. Every city you play in, everywhere you go, you’ll always remember someone or a group of people from that area.”

Oystrick will forge a new relationship with the Humboldt Broncos and the broader community as the team’s new head coach and general manager.

His hiring was announced at a news conference at the Elgar Petersen Arena on Tuesday.

He told media and the public that he plans to push his players to be the best they can, and wants the team to play a fast-paced, in-your-face game.

“Having played at different levels, I know that pressure is a big thing in the game. My goal here is to win championships - but also to build strong character people.”

Born in Regina, Oystrick was most recently head coach at Colorado Academy high school. He was also an assistant coach with the Atlanta Gladiators and Elmira Jackals of the East Coast Hockey League. He played 65 games in the NHL and 338 games in the American Hockey League.

The biggest thing he has learned in his coaching career is that every player is different, he said. Once he and his wife move to Humboldt, he’ll sit down with each player to get to know them.

“Players learn differently, they react differently to different coaching styles. I think I’m a pretty open, honest, positive person and that’s helped me in my past. I try to keep things upbeat and I hope my players appreciate that.”

Broncos president Kevin Garinger said the team received around 50 applications for the job.

They wanted someone who would treat the kids well and who had the background and skills to move the organization forward, he said.

“What I appreciate about Nathan, in general, is that he’s committed to people first and through the commitment to people comes a commitment then to an organization and a community and ultimately a hockey team.”

Oystrick will also become the public voice of the franchise, allowing Garinger to step back from the public spotlight in which he's been since the April 6 bus crash.

“The face and the heart and soul of this organization was (former coach) Darcy Haugan. It was not me. I was never on the radio, I never talked to cameras, I never had to do any of that. It’s not something I ever wanted to do. Now we have that presence we have someone here now who can step into that role. That’s a critical and important role for this community and this organization,” Garinger said.

Oystrick said he feels honoured and excited to lead the team next season - and while he didn’t know Haugan, he wishes he had. Haugan’s core covenant for the team will remain on the wall outside the Broncos dressing room.

“I believe in his commitment to not just developing skilled hockey players but developing great human beings. And I hope that I can make him proud while doing this job,” Oystrick said.

He wouldn’t be here without the influence of the coaches he had through his career, he said.

“So I’m hoping to give back the same way. I hope that in 15 or 20 years I’m at a press conference where one of my players is doing the exact same thing, and possibly saying it was because of Coach Oystrick.”