Born in Wymark, Saskatchewan, Habscheid's parents were both born in Luxembourg before moving to Canada.[1] Habscheid played three seasons with the Western Hockey League's Saskatoon Blades before turning pro. This included the 1981–82 campaign where Habscheid had 151 points, second only to Bruce Eakin in team scoring. He also played in the 1982 World Junior Hockey Championship, leading Canada to its first ever gold medal at the tournament. That season he played 7 games with the Oilers, scoring 4 points. He played 4 more seasons with the Oilers, before he was suspended by the team for refusing to report to the AHL's Nova Scotia Voyageurs and subsequently dealt to Minnesota in December 1985. Habscheid played 7 more NHL seasons with Minnesota, Detroit, and Calgary. He also represented Canada internationally twice, at the 1988 Winter Olympics and the 1992 World Championships. Habscheid went on to play 5 more seasons of hockey (2 in Switzerland, 2 with the IHL's Las Vegas Thunder, and one final season in 1995–96 with the DEL's Augsburger Panther). He retired officially in 1996.
Coaching career
Habscheid got his start in coaching in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League with the Melfort Mustangs. He then moved on to coach the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL. On November 29, 1999, he was named head coach of the Kelowna Rockets. Habscheid achieved great success with the Rockets. He won the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2003 and a Memorial Cup in 2004. He was also named the CHL Coach of the Year in 2003.
Habscheid was also head coach of the 2003 Canadian World Junior team, becoming the first player to represent Canada at the tournament as both a player and coach. He was subsequently named head coach for all international tournaments on July 29, 2005. He won a gold medal at the World Championships in 2004 and silver in 2005. As well, Habscheid served as an assistant coach for Canada at the 2006 Turin Olympics. Habscheid also spent one season as an associate coach with the Boston Bruins. On June 3, 2009, Habschied was named as head coach and general manager of the Chilliwack Bruins, a major junior team in the Western Hockey League which has since moved to Victoria, British Columbia to become the Royals. On November 4, 2014, Habscheid returned to the WHL coaching ranks when he accepted the Prince Albert Raiders head coaching position.[2]
^ abThe 2020–21 WHL regular season was shortened, started late, then was cancelled early, and no playoffs were held, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Prince Albert Raiders were in a mathematical position to finish anywhere from 4th to 7th in the East Division when the season was cancelled.
