Michael Dyck is looking forward to returning to the Vancouver Giants, where he said his job will be “to get the right people on the bus, and get the wrong people off the bus, and maybe switch some seats along the way.”
Dyck was speaking during an online interview on Friday, a day after the Langley-based team confirmed his return, this time as both head coach and GM, the first person in franchise history to hold both roles.
”I’ve coached in this league a long time, so I know the landscape’s changed a lot since I’ve been here and [it’s] different team, a different time, but the coaching part of things, I know what to expect,” Dyck commented.
“The general manager part is going to be new to me, but I think the one thing that I’ve always embraced and certainly challenged some of the players with is getting out of their comfort zone.”
Dyck returns to the Giants after three seasons as assistant coach with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies, which recently captured the 2026 Calder Cup.
“We want to build a culture very similar to what we had with Marlies,” Dyck said.
”It was a very family-like setting. If you have strong relationships, and you have growth, and you have development, and you have success, those three things lead to a very strong culture. One doesn’t come without the other.”
Dyck was Giants head coach for five seasons between 2018 and 2023, and during his first season with the G-Men he led them to overtime in Game 7 of the WHL Championship Series against Prince Albert.
His goal is to make the Langley Events Centre “a much harder place to come and play in” for visitikbrg teams.
“When you look at hockey today, it’s a fast game. It’s a possession game. It’s got to be connected,” Dyck summarized.
”That’s probably the biggest thing, is to play connected and be hard to play against. That’s something that we want to embrace.”
Giants Majority Owner and President Ron Toigo said Dyck knows what it takes to build a winning culture. “ “His experience, character and commitment to player development make him the ideal person to guide our team both behind the bench and in the front office as we enter the next chapter of Giants hockey.”