Chapter 30: Kirklan Lycar
From 2014 to 2016, Kirklan Lycar played 120 games with the Dauphin Kings.
Including four playoff games, Lycar scored 48 goals. He added 42 assists. More than a decade later, Lycar is still grateful to have gotten the chance to begin his junior career in the City of Sunshine.
He remembers Dauphin as a great community and a fantastic place to live.
"We were a younger, rebuilding team during my two years in Dauphin," said Lycar. "Had a ton of fun and learnt a lot about the MJHL, junior hockey, and being a good teammate. I look back very fondly on my time in Dauphin."
In the early stages of the 2016-17 season, Lycar was dealt to the Portage Terriers. He only played five games with them. He ended that year with the Virden Oil Capitals, posting 11 goals and 31 points in 31 regular season games. He had five assists in six playoff games.
Kirklan returned to Virden for the 2017-18 season, and what a ride it was. He finished tied for 10th in league scoring and second on his team. He had 67 regular-season points. He helped the Oil Capitals win 40 games and finish second in the standings, only behind the Steinbach Pistons.
They needed just five games to beat Selkirk in the first round and swept away the Winkler Flyers in the semifinals. Lycar and his teammates had advanced to the Turnbull Cup Final against the regular-season champion Pistons.
Lycar and his teammates were in the driver's seat. They won games one and two. Steinbach quickly flipped the script. The Pistons won four straight games to win the title.
It was a tough pill to swallow for Kirklan, but it was certainly a special journey to be a part of.
"Yeah, it was a really great time. Going to the MJHL Final is something that I'll never forget," commented Lycar. "A great experience for me. It's something I lean on now when coaching. Being a part of a winning organization and that playoff run. There was a ton to learn and look back on. I absolutely loved my time in Virden."
Lycar went on to play one year of senior hockey before heading to college. He played one season with the Minot State Beavers and quickly made an impact. He averaged nearly a point per game, with three goals and 20 points in 21 games. It was his lone year with the Beavers.
Lycar returned to Manitoba and played one more year of senior hockey with the Boissevain Border Kings and torched the league. He had 17 goals and 49 points in just 17 regular-season games. In nine playoff games, he had two goals and 12 points.
A storied career as a player had come to an end, but his place in hockey certainly had not. Lycar turned his focus to coaching.
He was an assistant coach with the Eastman Selects last year of the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League. Eastman advanced to the playoffs before falling in four games to the Winnipeg Thrashers in round one.
He had long known that when his playing days were over, he wanted to stay in the game. He got his start at the AAA level. He went in as a sponge and absorbed everything he could.
"Last year was a really good learning experience for me," commented Lycar. "Just the ability to coach high-end players. For me, getting to progress my skills as a coach. Giving back was a big thing, too. I played for Eastman, so getting to coach at that level, for that team, was special for me.
Now, it's all come full circle. Dauphin was the first stop on his junior journey. He's now getting set to move to Dauphin. The Kings announced that Lycar has been hired as the team's assistant coach, joining Bryann Kromm, who was recently named the team's head coach and general manager.
He made a name for himself in Dauphin. Lycar is back at the junior level and is getting excited about the move and the start of a new season.
"Yeah, it's really fun how it worked out. Having a bit of familiarity with Dauphin, I think that will help me," said Lycar. "It's full circle. Everything happens for a reason. I'm super excited to be back as a part of the Dauphin Kings."
Kirklan is a gamer. He was an extremely gifted player. He's been through the grind of making a deep playoff run as a player and has proven himself every step of the way. Getting hired at the junior level to coach is another notch on his resume.
He has always been a great communicator and has always been noticed as a relentless competitor. He trusts his ability to evaluate and coach talent.
"Although last year was technically my first year coaching at a higher level, I never really got out of the game," said Lycar. "This is going to be my first year at this level, but it's something I've been preparing for since I stopped playing."
Kirklan is grateful for the opportunity and looks forward to working with Kromm.
Kromm comes to the Kings after spending the last two years with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Hockey League. He's also regarded as a great communicator who brings the best out of his players.
"For us, it's been easy to hit the ground running with some things we're looking to accomplish," ended Lycar. "Get on the same page as far as the way we see the game and want to coach the players. The two of us are really aligned with that. It has been quick, but I would say that Bryan and I really see eye-to-eye. It's a relationship I'm really looking forward to continuing this season."
Training camp is right around the corner, and the team's staff for the 2026-27 season is set.
Stay tuned in the coming weeks for 730CKDM's broadcast schedule.