Seeking to replace head coach Clint Mylymok this season, the Whitehorse Minor Hockey Association turned to one of its own.

Whitehorse native Derek Klassen has been named the new coach of the local organization.

The 28-year-old hit the ice in his new role this week as Whitehorse Mustangs training camps are underway.

“It’s great to be back in hockey,” Klassen told the Star yesterday. “I started my career as a Whitehorse Mustang and now I’ve come full circle and have a greater role.”

After one season in the Yukon capital, the 42-year-old Mylymok took the job of head coach with the Jr. A Notre Dame Hounds in Saskatchewan, creating an opportunity for Klassen.

“I’m beyond excited to be back in hockey and meet everyone involved, and make Whitehorse minor hockey the best association it can be,” the newly-minted head coach said.

Klassen’s love of the Yukon runs deep. When not on the ice or in the office, he is more than likely gone hunting or fishing somewhere in the backcountry with his dog Dudly.

Following his graduation from the University of Alaska – Fairbanks in 2011, Klassen turned down opportunities to play pro in the East Coast Hockey League to remain in the North.

He married his college sweetheart, Megan Thigpen, and spent the last three years working with Northwestel as a marketing manager.

Upon his return to Whitehorse, Klassen suited up with Yukon Brewing’s recreational hockey team, where he has been a perennial leading scorer.

Taking a role behind the bench was always in the back of Klassen’s mind during his playing career, he admitted.

“As a player, you dream big,” he said. “You want to make a living playing hockey.

“I’ve often played a leadership role, and have always enjoyed working with other players. But mostly, I have a huge passion for the game of hockey and always wanted it to be in my life.”

WMHA president Carl Burgess said Klassen beat out applications from across western Canada for the job.

“He was the best candidate and the best fit for us,” Burgess told the Star. “He’s been through it. He understands the challenges of all our athletes and membership.

“He’s an incredibly accomplished athlete, and his dedication to the game and enthusiasm for it is certainly infectious,” said Burgess.

“He demonstrated the knowledge and leadership acumen that we’re looking for.”

Klassen began playing hockey at age seven, and was soon a key member of the rep hockey program.

At 14, he decided to take his talents to Saskatchewan where he spent four years at the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame.

Following graduation, Klassen headed to Fort McMurray, where he played three seasons for the Oil Barons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

There, he earned several individual awards under the tutelage of head coach Gord Thibodeau.

Klassen also helped the club win a league title, and earned himself an NCAA Div. 1 scholarship with the Nanooks in the process.

In Fairbanks, Klassen quickly earned the respect of his teammates and coach Dallas Ferguson.

He wore a leadership letter in each of his last three seasons.

The centre squared off against many top college stars over the years, including current NHL players Justin Abdelkader, Matt Frattin and Carl Hagelin.

In the classroom, he earned a business degree.

As a new coach, Klassen’s hockey experience will play a major role in his player interaction and tactics as he attempts to guide today’s young stars down a path similar to his own.

“I’ve had a few good coaches and some bad ones too,” he said. “You learn from both of them.”

Klassen said he’s been through the full gamut of hockey experiences, including being cut from teams and called up to others.

His experiences as an elite player in junior and college, as well as the mindset and work ethic necessary to reach that level, will provide the foundation for his coaching techniques.

Under his direction, the minor hockey system – especially house league – will be fun, “first and foremost,” but also a program in which players work hard and develop their skills from the age of five to 17.

Klassen said tactics and system development will be addressed more seriously within the Whitehorse Mustangs rep hockey program.

His role as WMHA head coach will also see him formalize how to best teach skills, and work with individual coaches in both the house league and rep systems.

“It’s a pretty unique position,” Klassen said. “I’ll be heading things up, but it’s really volunteers who make the world go round.”

Entering the coaching realm opens up a whole new world of possibilities in the hockey community, but for now, Klassen is content to stay right where he is.

“I’m focused on Whitehorse minor hockey for the near future,” he said.

“Doors could open, but right now, my heart really lies in Yukon and Whitehorse.”