It's been a season and half since Dean Brockman made the jump to the Western Hockey League after 17 years behind the bench of the Humboldt Broncos.

The St. Benedict product was lured to the major junior level after LeRoy's Bob Woods was named the Blades' General Manager and Head Coach.

Brockman's attempts to make the jump in levels were surprisingly limited for the most part over his victory laden time in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League but when the call came from Bridge City he didn't think twice.

Admittedly, despite the plethora of talent that graced the ice at the Elgar Petersen Arena under his watch, it's the skill and desire of the WHL's top end talent that was an immediate eye opener for the 48 year-old Assistant Coach.

"The play or the structure of the game isn't that much different but the players, it's how they approach things. I think it's a more professional approach, not taking anything away from the guys that I'd coached in the past but these guys aspirations are to play in the National Hockey League and get drafted. Not saying we didn't have that in Humboldt but there wasn't as many."

Players such as Nikita Sherback immediately come to mind, the Russian sniper was on the Blades for the first half of Brockman's first season. He is a first round pick of Brockman's favourite NHL team, the Montreal Canadiens.

The level in play was one thing that he did have a hard time adjusting too.

"Year one was a big challenge for me, as you get to year two you recognize a lot more faces and people know who you are and know where you came from. It's been a lot easier in year two that it has been in year one."

There has been some improvement for the hockey club as well.

Woods and Brockman took the reigns with barren cupboards but they have already equaled their win total this season from a year ago. In fact on the night Brockman spoke to us, 15 year-old Chase Wouters became the first Blades first round draft pick to dress for the team since Tim McGauley in January of 2011.

As of Thursday, they are currently 11 points back of a playoff spot.

Game day routines have been altered for Brockman as well with the jump in skill levels. Much more video, that takes up a good portion of Brockman's day followed by meetings with Woods, the team's trainers and players all leading up to puck drop. The day begins before 8 o'clock to "beat the Saskatoon traffic" and outside a small mid-afternoon break to spend time with son Parker, it's about midnight before his truck pulls into the driveway of his east-side Saskatoon home he shares with his wife Cheryl and step-son Connor.

It took the two-time national championship winning coach in junior "A" almost 20 years and four SJHL Coach of the Year honours to realize his dream and step behind a major junior bench but is he satisfied with that?

If you know of his work ethic or his desire the answer comes quickly.

"Absolutely, I think your aspirations are always to better yourself as a person and in your career. Whether those opportunities come or not I will always remember my roots in Humboldt."

"I love that community, it's a big part of my heart."

You can hear much more from Brockman below in his interview with Bolt FM's Clark Stork.