Edmonds gets coaching offer from Germany

BayToday.ca has learned that North Bay Skyhawks coach Randy Edmonds may be heading back overseas. Photo by Chris Dawson.

Randy Edmonds days with the North Bay Skyhawks look to be over. The North Bay native has been offered a contract by the Augsburg Panthers of the German Elite League.

“I’m definitely thinking about it and we’ve both decided June 1st is the deadline.” Edmonds said in a phone interview with BayToday.ca.

However, Edmonds is still looking at his offers on this side of the pond. He says if a deal is done with the German club it would have to include an out-clause.

“I’d still like a window of opportunity to come back to North America.” Edmonds said, as his wife is going to teacher’s college this fall at Nipissing, and he would prefer to coach in North America.

News of the move came from a European Hockey Website which stated that Edmonds had officially accepted a transfer to the Panthers on May 22nd.

Edmonds believes someone close to the club gave the website the information. He says the site is a well known rumour mill website in Europe which posts rumours and facts about player transfers overseas. While he believes about 70 per cent of the postings are accurate, he says that his post was premature.

Edmonds contract with the Skyhawks expired at the end of April. While he was successful in leading a younger Skyhawks team to an NOJHL title this year, he did indicate that he missed coaching professional hockey. The North Bay native coached three different Swedish professional clubs for more than a decade before returning home last fall, and he wants to make sure he makes the right choice.

“I have to look at all my options and what's best for my family,” Edmonds said.

Edmonds also told BayToday.ca that he has not had any contract discussions with the Skyhawks since his contract expired.