Patrick King

Legendary coach Don Hay is one win shy of standing alone in Western Hockey League record-books.

Vancouver Giants' bench boss Don Hay won his 101st career playoff game on Tuesday to tie the mark set by former Portland Winterhawks coach, Ken Hodge. The win gave his team a 2-1 series lead over the Tri-City Americans in the Western Conference finals and he will get his opportunity to break the record in front of a national audience on Rogers Sportsnet on Thursday.

"We're real proud," Giants general manager Scott Bonner told sportsnet.ca. "He's earned everything he's gotten. He's a blue collar person and I think we pride ourselves on being a blue collar team."

That blue collar work ethic was notable in reviving the young franchise. The Giants struggled at its inception, but quickly found an identity under Hay's guidance in their fourth season. The Giants finished third in the B.C. Division in 2004-05, a sure sign of their emerging talent.

Vancouver won the championship the next season then hosted and won the Memorial Cup in 2007. It was Hay's third Memorial Cup title as head coach after winning it twice with the Kamloops Blazers.

A win on Thursday would not only give him the record, but bring his team to within a game of another league finals appearance. With that comes the distinct possibility of another Memorial Cup appearance, as the hosts, the Brandon Wheat Kings, battle with the Calgary Hitmen in the Eastern Conference finals.

Should Brandon and Vancouver meet in the finals, the Giants would gain entry into the tournament regardless of the outcome.

But whatever lies around the corner, Bonner is confident because of his coach's preparation. After all, the Giants' success this season is a telling sign of Hay's ability to get the most out of his players. Vancouver opened the season without five of its top six scorers from a year ago and appeared destined for a rebuild.

"I think this has been probably the best coaching job he's done of the six years he's been here," Bonner explained, "because we don't have a bunch of rock stars. We lost Evander Kane as an 18-year-old. James Wright left for 50 games (to the Tampa Bay Lightning) and we sort of didn't miss a beat."

Few would have expected the Giants to repeat as B.C. Division winners for the fifth-consecutive season. Even fewer predicted the Giants to experience their post-season success when a trio of U.S. Division rivals - Tri-City, Everett and Spokane - was thought to have the best chance to reach the finals.

The fact is, in the inconsistent and unpredictable nature that is junior hockey, Don Hay is the ultimate equalizer. Having coached professional in both the National Hockey League and American Hockey League, Hay understands what it takes to prepare prospects for the next level.

"I think that's Don's greatest strength," Bonner said. "The one thing I hear across the board is that the guys that are coming out of our program now have very good habits.

"He's just got it," Bonner continued. "He understands our league as well or better than anyone. He's got a formula that just works at the junior hockey level and I think his preparation is unbelievable."

It's for that reason that when Hay's contract expired with the Utah Grizzlies of the AHL that Bonner and owner Ron Toigo made hiring him their top priority.

"Don had a track record with (Jarome) Iginla and Shane Doan and Darcy Tucker," Bonner said. "We just felt it was a no-brainer."

The trio of Hay, Bonner and Toigo were familiar with each other from their days with the Tri-City Americans. Toigo owned the team then with Hay as head coach and Bonner as a scout.

That familiarity helped the Giants work cohesively towards building a perennial powerhouse.

"We all knew each other for quite some time so I think it was fairly seamless," Bonner said. "I don't question his coaching ability or anything he does and he doesn't question any of our player personnel decisions. It's been a very good fit for both of us."

As evidenced during this year's playoff run, the Giants may not have the most talent-laden roster, but developed and instilled a work ethic that is hard to match. Those who play for him know what's expected and veterans such as Wright, Craig Cunningham and Lance Bouma enforce their head coach's principles.

"We want to pride ourselves on work ethic and I think all of Don's teams across the board have been built around that," Bonner said. "I think he should be real proud of his accomplishments."