It's Splitsville for Patrick Chan and coach Don Laws.At first it seemed it was a regular split as Laws has taken a job as head coach at the West Palm Beach Facility where he has been based. As the story unfolds, it may have been a dicier parting than originally believed.
Amy Rosewater reports in a special to Ice Network that perhaps things got dicey after HomeSense Skate Canada when Patrick went to train in Colorado Springs. When Laws joined Patrick there it wasn't so much in a role as a coach but as a "spectator" Laws says.
Chan made a quick trip back to Florida to do a show and then went back to Colorado Springs for 'altitude' training. Laws was quite surprised at this since Vancouver is at Sea Level. That's when Laws contacted Skate Canada and had them credential Toronto based choreographer Lori Nichol as well as Colorado Springs based coach Christy Krall as Patrick's coaches. "I will say that he did not run from me," Laws said. "I ran from him." Eeeeeeeek!
The rest, as they say, is history.
I'm sure an unwanted hiccup literally days from the BMO Canadian National Championships but Patrick, I'm sure, will do fine with Lori and Christy.
I'm sure there will be more on this story as the media digs into it in London during Canadian Nationals.
UPDATE: Don Laws has said his main reason behind resigning as Patrick's Coach was the disatnce issue with Chan training in Colorado Springs and himself based in Florida.
"They said the reason they went to Colorado Springs was for altitude training," Laws told Randy Starkman of the Toronto Star. "He wasn't supposed to be there for as long as he's been, but that's their choice, not mine. I can't coach anyone 2,000 miles away. That just doesn't work."
He went on to say, "There was no disagreement like some people might imagine, no fight going on. I'm certainly going to miss Patrick. He's a great individual...It's not that I did it with a smile on my face, but I felt that it was necessary."
