An important mentor for Carels has been Jim Playfair, who’s in his third season as the team’s associate coach. Playfair was a hardnosed defenseman during his playing days, a WHL champion with the Portland Winter Hawks who had a cup of coffee in the NHL during an eight-year pro career. In the early ’90s, Playfair shifted to coaching, and he’s been behind the bench practically ever since. “You need a father figure in your life because your dad’s obviously working on the farm and can’t be there for you,” Carels said. “He kind of did that for me, and he does that for all of us on the team. He also really helped me last year, teaching me how to play defense and how to be a pro.”
