You'd think Don Hay's wife, Vickie, would know better by now. Every summer, she comes up with a list of things she needs done around their summer house in Kamloops, and every year the Vancouver Giants head coach runs out of time to get them done. That's the problem when you're as successful as Hay has been in carving out a career as one of junior hockey's greatest coaches ever: the off-seasons are short, and this year was no exception.

Hay and the Giants will go back to work–preparing to defend the Memorial Cup they won on home ice four months ago–when their new Western Hockey League season begins Friday (September 21) on the road against the Portland Winter Hawks. To bet against Don Hay leading his club to its third straight Memorial Cup tournament (the Giants finished third in the 2006 event in Moncton) and second straight title would be foolish. He's been in this position before, and he knows exactly what it takes to win back-to-back championships. He did it in 1993–94 and again in 1994–95 while at the helm of the Kamloops Blazers, and he has his sights set on making history repeat itself this season.

Hay has proven that he is the best in the business at taking young hockey players and getting them to buy into his system of relentless puck pursuit, systematically wearing down opponents and taking advantage of their mistakes. There's no secret to Hay's success: his teams simply outwork and outbattle their opponents on a nightly basis.

"I don't think I understand the game any better than any of the other coaches or management people around the league," says the 53-year-old father of three and grandfather of one who, as he begins his fourth season with the Giants, was recently rewarded with a five-year contract extension. "I really believe in doing things a certain way, and I'm very stubborn about that and I'm very demanding about it. I really believe in pushing people maybe even beyond their comfort zone a little bit, and that helps if you have competitive players. I'm just a big believer in a work ethic, and in preparation, and being very organized with the group."

That preparation is evident as Hay sits in his office at the Giants training facility in Ladner prior to a recent training-camp workout. The former firefighter turned hockey coach has two laptop computers on his desk, one to pore over player information and the other to watch game film from last year.

"I think I'm a better coach now than I was back then [the Blazers' glory years]," Hay says. "I think I've gone through a lot of different experiences in the last 10 years that have prepared me for things that are going to happen now. I went to a different level and coached at a different level [the NHL and the American Hockey League] with a different group of players and learned a lot about what happens at those levels. When I left Kamloops in 1995, I thought every organization was run the same way as Kamloops. But it isn't. I think that's what makes winning so special: you're in a group where everybody is working toward the same goal."

Hay's assistant coach with the Giants, Craig Bonner, was one of his players in Kamloops 15 years ago. Bonner has seen the development of his head coach over the years, and he marvels at Hay's ability to consistently bring out the best in his players.

"I think we practise as hard as any team in the league," Bonner says. "In fact, I know we do. I think that goes into the game, and during the game Don is really good at identifying the players that are going on that specific night and the guys that aren't. It doesn't matter–and we've seen it year after year–if you're a 20-year-old or you're 16: if you're going and you're playing, and you're doing the things he's asked of you, you'll play. It takes a pretty strong, confident coach to do that. If you buy in, you'll have no issues, but if you don't, it might be a long haul."

Some might think the season after a Memorial Cup win on home ice would be a long haul, what with the Giants having pulled out all the stops as host team to ensure success. Certainly, some key trades paid off, but the franchise was careful not to mortgage its future for one year of glory. As a result, the Giants return with several players who have been to consecutive league finals and back-to-back Memorial Cup tournaments. Above all, they have a driven coach who can't wait to start the journey all over again.

"We feel this year, with this team, we have a really good core coming back," he says. "The goal at the start of the year is always to make your group a very competitive group. Once you make your group competitive, anything can happen from there on. You look back to two years ago, our team just got better and better as the year went on, and we were able to go to the Memorial Cup. It was the same way in 1994 in Kamloops: we weren't expected to win, but we just got better and better and really believed in ourselves and went on to win. I think anything is possible if your group really believes in its team identity and the direction you're leading them in."

No one can ever doubt the direction Hay leads his teams in. Named the greatest coach in Western Hockey League history almost a decade ago, he has added to his legacy over the past few seasons with the Giants, and he shows no signs of slowing down.

Hay is doing a nice job of building a dynasty at the junior level here in Vancouver–but that's about the only building he has time for. Next summer will likely be a short one again, so Vickie should probably go ahead and hire someone to get those projects finished.