After replacing long-time coach Murray Wegener at the helm of the High River Flyers, new bench-boss Bruce Cowie knows he has his work cut out for him.

With many years of coaching under his belt, he says it's not his first time coaching a Junior "B" hockey club.

"I coached Junior "B" in (Calgary) for almost five years," he says. "I know how to coach at this level, you have to have control of your team right from day one, and if you don't, they'll step all over you."

Cowie says when it comes to either putting his own stamp on the team, or carrying on with the team's current identity, it doesn't have to be one way or another.

"I thinks it's got to be a combination of both, what I bring and what the players are bringing," he says. "I know I've probably got some pretty big shoes to fill with Murray leaving, but basically the players have to buy in to what I'm going to sell them, and I have to buy in to what they're offering us."

Cowie says he expects to be under the microscope a little more in High River than his days coaching in Calgary.

"It's a lot different coaching in a small town, as opposed to coaching in the city," he says. "You're in the limelight in a way, because everyone's watching you, not just management, but the fans are watching you, the media's watching you, while in Calgary, it's very low profile, really."

The Flyers kick off their 2015/2016 HJHL regular season Sep. 25 in Medicine Hat.