Grimes finds new hockey life in Peterborough

Former Belleville Bulls assistant coach and forward Jake Grimes poses for a picture with his wife Kim and son Dixon at his introductory press conference in Peterborough on May 26, 2015. Photo courtesy: Peterborough Petes

By Brock Ormond

PETERBOROUGH – The ties to the city of Belleville run deep for former Belleville Bulls‘ player and assistant coach Jake Grimes.

Grimes played three seasons in a Bulls uniform from 1989 to 1992 and had been an assistant coach with the organization for 11 seasons dating back to 2004. The Bulls were abruptly sold and moved to Hamilton to become the Bulldogs on Mar. 12 of last year.

The significance of the Bulls and the city of Belleville, Grimes says, really made him into the person he has become today.

Jake Grimes as assistant coach of the Belleville Bulls. Photo courtesy: Belleville Bulls

“…It definitely was a part of me. My family is there, my son has grown up in Belleville, he was one year old when we moved there. We’re all a big part of the community still and there’s no question it feels like a hometown,” Grimes said.

“As a parent, it’s a tremendous place to send your young player away to…you’re kept accountable because of the size of the town and the fact that the fans care. When you do something well, it reflects. When you go out and do a great speech at a school or work with young kids, it reflects, people know about it, and they might want to come see you play. And if, for whatever reason, you wanted to stay out a little bit too late than you should be as a young hockey player, then somebody probably saw you do that too,” he added.

“They did nothing wrong, the fans deserve a team and I feel really bad that they lost a team.”

Following the Bulls’ four-game playoff exit last spring at the hands of the Barrie Colts, Grimes was briefly left without a job. Then, the Peterborough Petes came calling for his services.

Grimes has now completed his first regular season behind the Petes bench as an assistant coach alongside head coach and former NHL forward Jody Hull and fellow assistant Andrew Verner. Grimes says coaching alongside the two former Petes has been great for his development on the bench.

“It’s been excellent, every situation is different and the situation I’m in with Jody will allow me to do certain things that are new to me even…I’m growing as a coach and I think I can bring a lot to the table here in Peterborough to add to the whole program as well.”

Grimes says he keeps in contact with former Bulls head coach George Burnett – now in Hamilton with the Bulldogs – and former assistant coach Jason Supryka – now in Kingston with the Frontenacs. The Burnett-Grimes-led Bulls went to four Eastern Conference finals, an OHL final and a Memorial Cup, both in 2008.

“My working relationship with the guys was fantastic. I think we had a good thing going in Belleville. I think if we didn’t, it would reflect on the team and the team wouldn’t have had those types of successes that it did have, and I’m still very close to everybody today,” Grimes said.

Grimes and the sixth-seeded Petes are currently battling in their first round playoff series against the third-place North Bay Battalion.