For over three decades, the lives and careers of Brian Bourque and Jake Grimes have intersected in one way or another: they were minor hockey teammates in Nova Scotia, draft picks of the Belleville Bulls (OHL), then young coaches rising through the ranks at the same time, and mutual resources for each other, as they helped major junior players find the next steps of their hockey careers. And now, their parallel paths will converge in a new adventure: working behind the same bench at the University of Waterloo.

Grimes, a veteran bench boss with over twenty years of junior hockey coaching experience, has joined the Warriors men's hockey program as a full-time Associate Coach.

His resume speaks for itself: Grimes spent 15 seasons as an assistant and associate coach in the OHL, making stops in Belleville, Peterborough, and Guelph. Four times, he was part of the Team Ontario coaching staff at the World Under-17 Challenge (including twice as the head coach), and most recently, Grimes served as the head coach of the Cape Breton Eagles of the QMJHL from 2019-21.

But before he became a mainstay behind major junior benches, Grimes got his coaching start in U SPORTS, serving as an assistant with the Dalhousie Tigers men's program from 1996-2000. It's a level of hockey that always appealed to Grimes, so he jumped at the opportunity to re-enter the U SPORTS ranks with the Warriors.

"My experience at Dalhousie really gave my life some direction after I lost my playing career early due to injury," said Grimes, who was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 1992. "I left for other experiences in junior B, the OHL, and then the QMJHL, but I always wanted to work on a university campus. The timing was perfect here at Waterloo: my family and I live in Guelph, my son is a signed Guelph Storm prospect...and my connection with Brian goes way back."

For Bourque and the men's hockey program, Grimes is a massive addition to the staff. They received dozens of applications from talented coaches across the country, but Grimes' reputation, ability, and experience was impossible to overlook.

"He's obviously a wealth of experience," said Bourque. "But when we dug deeper, we found that a lot of his responsibilities with his OHL clubs mirrored what we were looking for here – he's been in charge of the defense, special teams and he has experience with small group skill development. He understands the hours, and what it looks like to play one night, then get to work and prepare for a game the next night."

Grimes is also familiar with the life and demands of student-athletes, and the recruiting process for players exiting junior hockey – during his time in the OHL, he helped advise countless players on what program or academic situation was the best fit for them. For years, Grimes and Bourque often crossed paths during recruiting season, and former Warriors stars such as David Edgeworth, Kyle Sonnenburg, Steve Whitely, Joe Underwood, Brett Mackie, Steve Silas, and Adam Bignell played for Grimes in Belleville.

"When I watch USPORTS hockey I am reminded how fast the pace of play is and how quickly they process the game. Working with athletes who are challenged to combine academics and athletics in a high-end program is a great opportunity.  I've been educating junior players about this league, and how good it is for a long time." commented Grimes.
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Grimes will join a staff that will remain largely in-tact from the 2021-2022 season: Graeme Swan will return as an assistant coach, while former Warriors all-star Mike Moffat will make his planned move from the role of associate coach to assistant coach. Matt McGahey will return as goaltending coach, and David Edgeworth will be back as skills coach.

It's still to be determined which specific portfolios each coach will be responsible for, but the additional experience of Grimes gives them plenty of options. And while some coaches might hesitate to bring in an associate who has commanded the head coaching position before, Bourque and Grimes see nothing but positives from the new arrangement.

"A lot of modern-day NHL benches have an associate – or maybe even two – that have been a head coach in the league," said Bourque. "You can divide tasks and work together, and you can have leaders with specific responsibilities. I know Jake is more than capable of overseeing any area."

"I think being a head coach in the past will make me a better associate coach," added Grimes. "We can put our heads together to get things done, and it's great to work with a Coach with Brian's experience and accomplishments."

Grimes officially started with the Warriors this week. He'll continue to help with recruiting and preparation for the Warriors' annual summer hockey camps before the Warriors get back on the ice for training camp in September.