Former Canadian Olympian and longtime NHL assistant coach Kevin Primeau, along with his wife Cindy, recently moved to Osoyoos. Primeau is now a licensed realtor and he is hoping to build a boutique hotel between the Holiday Inn and Coast Hotel. Primeau is also lending a helping hand by sharing his coaching expertise with the Osoyoos Coyotes. (Keith Lacey photo)

If Kevin Primeau enjoys the same level of success in business here in Osoyoos that he has enjoyed over a 40-year career in hockey as a player and coach, his golden years will be as special as his glory days.

After a long and rewarding career as a player and coach – he was a key player for Team Canada in the 1980 Winter Olympics and played his only two NHL games for the Vancouver Canucks – Primeau, 62,  is hoping to continue his winning streak here in Osoyoos as he and his wife Cindy made the decision to call Osoyoos home for the rest of their lives after living, playing and coaching all over the world.

Born and raised in Edmonton, Primeau enjoyed a solid playing career that was highlighted by being a key member of the Canadian national team that played and was in medal contention in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Primeau played for several years in the American Hockey League before earning a spot for the Oilers in the WHA before they joined the NHL.

He was a former captain of the three-time Canadian university hockey champion Alberta Golden Bears (1975-78).

After accepting an invitation by legendary Golden Bears head coach Clare Drake to get into the coaching ranks, Primeau was an assistant for Drake for several years, before accepting a position with the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL, where he was an assistant coach between 1991-97.

For the past 20 years, he has coached overseas and enjoyed great success coaching Hungary’s national team, as well as stints in Switzerland, Germany and most recently was head coach of the Japanese league champion Nippon Paper Cranes in 2015.

Primeau and his wife decided Osoyoos is where they want to spend their retirement years and moved her permanently a couple of months ago. They have vacationed here on numerous occasions over the past 30 years.

“I’ve lived and travelled all over the world … and my wife and I honestly believe Osoyoos is the best place to live,” he said. “We’ve been coming here for years for vacation throughout my hockey career and we always knew this is where we wanted to settle down and live once hockey was done.

“I honestly believe Osoyoos is one of the most beautiful places on the planet … we hope to spend the rest of our lives here.”

While his hockey career is finished, Primeau isn’t about to settle into retirement.

He and his wife purchased a small home located between The Coast Hotel and Holiday Inn Hotel in Osoyoos that he is hoping to turn into a “beautiful modern boutique hotel” over the next year or two.

“I’m been working with investors … and I’m looking for a few more investors, but the hope is to build a real nice boutique hotel on this property,” he said. “I’ve already been in touch with planning and development and they know about our plans.

“It’s just a matter of putting everything together in the coming months. When all the tourists come to town, it’s still hard to find a room in a nice hotel room in this town and we believe a nice boutique hotel would be a really nice fit.”

Primeau is also in the final stages of getting his real estate license and was recently hired by Re/Max Realty here in Osoyoos and is now selling homes in and around Osoyoos.

Describing himself as “a very late bloomer in hockey”, Primeau played juvenile hockey in Edmonton and was never drafted into the WHL, but did manage to earn a spot with the Golden Bears during his first year in university.

“We had great teams every year I played at the University of Alberta and managed to win three national championships,” he said.

Because of his success in university hockey, Primeau was recruited by the Oilers in the WHA, but opted to join the Canadian national team with the 1980 Olympics just around the corner.

Several future NHLers, including Glenn Anderson, Randy Gregg, Paul McLean and Jim Nill were on that team.

The 1980 Winter Olympics are most fondly remembered because a bunch of American collegiate players defeated the Russian national team in the “Miracle on Ice” in Lake Placid, N.Y.

The day before that game, Team Canada had a one-goal lead against the Russians heading into the third period, said Primeau.

“If we would have won that game, it would have been us playing the Americans with a chance to go to the gold medal game,” he said.

When he looks back at his life and career, competing in the Olympics was easily the highlight of his hockey career, said Primeau.

“Most of the players in the NHL never play in the Olympics, but once you’re an Olympian, you are an Olympian for the rest of your life,” he said. “I can still remember that experience like it happened yesterday. It was simply unbelievable.”

Like so many others, he pursued a career in the NHL after the Olympics, but he decided after a very brief stint with the Canucks, that playing in Europe was his best choice, said Primeau.

“I could make way more money playing big minutes in Switzerland than being a fourth-liner or sitting in the stands with the Canucks,” he said. “Back then the money was much better if you played and scored a lot in Europe than it was as a fringe player in the NHL.”

After a solid few years in Europe, Primeau hung up the skates and accepted a coaching position under Drake at his alma mater.

Drake was not only the best head coach in the country in university hockey, but he became a friend and mentor and he couldn’t turn down the opportunity to become an assistant coach and learn from the master, said Primeau.

“He’s a legend in the sport in Canada and I couldn’t think of a better guy to learn under,” he said. “He is the reason I got into coaching and I would never have coached in the NHL without his help.”

Back in the early 1990s, after winning five Stanley Cups, the Oilers, under head coach Ted Green, were looking for an assistant coach.

Legendary trainer Barry Stafford encouraged Primeau to apply and Green agreed to meet with him.

“I flew in for an interview and we talked about hockey for five hours … he offered me the job the next morning,” said Primeau.

Next to playing in the Olympics, coaching in the NHL is his proudest hockey achievement, he said.

“Working with the best players in the world is what it’s all about,” he said.

Now that he’s settled in Osoyoos, Primeau has already made contact with Ken Law, head coach and general manager of the Osoyoos Coyotes, and is more than willing to lend a helping hand whenever asked.

“I’ve know Ken for a few years and he had me out a couple of times last year,” he said. “I’m willing to do whatever I can to help out whenever I’m asked.”

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times