The BCHL has announced that Simon Ferguson (West Kelowna Warriors), Cam Keith (Cowichan Valley Capitals) and Ryan Tobler (Blackfalds Bulldogs) have been named finalists for the Joe Tennant Memorial Trophy for Coach of the Year.
Simon Ferguson – West Kelowna Warrriors
Ferguson, who is in his seventh season behind the Warriors bench, led his team to first place overall in the BCHL standings during the 2025-26 season, finishing the year with a 40-11-3-0 record and 83 points to capture the team’s first ever Ron Boileau Memorial Trophy as the top BCHL team in the regular season.
West Kelowna also finished with the fewest goals against in the BCHL this season and had a power play and penalty kill that were both top-three in the league.
Cam Keith – Cowichan Valley Capitals
Keith, who previously won this award when he guided the Surrey Eagles to the top of the standings and eventually a league championship in 2024, led the Capitals to first place in the Coastal West Division with a 38-13-3 record.
The Capitals averaged 4.48 goals per game this season, which was second best in the league, while their penalty kill tied for second in the BCHL with a rate of 82.6 per cent. Keith has coached in the league since the 2016-17 season.
Ryan Tobler – Blackfalds Bulldogs
In his first full season as a BCHL head coach, Tobler helped Blackfalds regain their form after a down year in 2024-25 where they finished second last in the league and missed the playoffs.
This season, the Bulldogs owned a 37-15-2-0 record in the regular season and finished second in their division and fourth overall in the league, resulting in the biggest improvement in the standings by any BCHL team this year. They averaged 2.5 goals against per game, second best in the league, and were a top-five team when it comes to goals scored.
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Finalists were determined after a vote among the 20 BCHL head coaches and general managers. Winners will be announced between Rounds 2 and 3 of the playoffs.
