Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League, announced Wednesday the full Canada East and Canada West coaching staffs for the 2011 World Junior A Challenge, scheduled for November 7-13 in Langley, B.C.
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Powell River Kings head coach Kent Lewis will be behind the bench for Canada West with Dean Brockman of the SJHL's Humboldt Broncos and Andrew Milne of the AJHL's Camrose Kodiaks as assistant coaches.
Mark Ferner was originally introduced as Canada West head coach during the 2011 RBC Cup, but stepped down after accepting a job as head coach of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. For Lewis, the call from Hockey Canada to ask if he was interested was a welcome one.
"Last year, I didn't apply but I gave it some thought late in the season that if the opportunity came up, I'd certainly love to do it," said Lewis, 44. "When Mark left to the WHL, I knew the opportunity was there and when I got the call from Hockey Canada, I was tickled."
It won't be the first time Lewis has coached a Canadian squad in an international event. He guided a Senior Men's team to the Allan Cup in 2000 and as a result got to take the team the following year to Japan to play in the Nagano Cup.
"Like any coach, you get wrapped up in an international event," said Lewis. "It's a thrill to coach and a great challenge. There's lots of pressure and expectations to live up to and that's what makes it fun."
Team Canada West will hold an initial camp starting Sept. 11 in Camrose, Alta. with players recommended by Western Junior A clubs. There will be another camp in November just before the WJAC that will include players who emerge in the season's early months.
Team Canada East will be headed by Curtis Hodgins with assistants Jason Nobili and Greg Walters. Hockey Canada released bios on all coaching personnel who were named Wednesday:
Curtis Hodgins was named head coach of the OJHL’s Whitby Fury in April 2010 after a long tenure with the Bowmanville Eagles as both a player and a coach at the Junior A and Junior C levels. During his time behind the bench in Bowmanville, the Eagles won three East Division championships, and reached the Central Canadian Hockey League final in 2009-10. He served as an assistant coach with Canada East at the 2010 World Junior A Challenge, winning a silver medal.
Jason Nobili just completed his first season as head coach and director of hockey operations with the OJHL’s Toronto Jr. Canadiens after one successful season in the same position with the OJHL’s Oakville Blades that saw the Blades win the OJHL championship and advance to the 2010 RBC Cup, Canada’s National Junior A Championship. Nobili also has head coaching experience with the ECHL’s Reading Royals, and has been an assistant coach in the AHL, ECHL and OHL, as well as with Ontario at the 2003 Canada Winter Games and 2004 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Greg Walters has spent one season as head coach and general manager of the OJHL’s Georgetown Raiders following eight seasons as an assistant and associate coach with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, which included a stint as interim head coach during the 2003-04 season, culminating in the first division championship in team history. A fourth-round selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, Walters played 12 seasons of professional hockey in the AHL, ECHL, CoHL, IHL and UHL.
Kent Lewis has been head coach and general manager of the BCHL’s Powell River Kings for the past four seasons, leading the team to three consecutive appearances in the BCHL championship series. Overall, he has spent parts of 12 seasons as the Kings’ head coach, appearing in the BCHL final six times and winning the BCHL Coastal Conference Coach of the Year award on three occasions. He has also spent time behind the bench of the BCHL’s Victoria Salsa and Nanaimo Clippers, and won an Allan Cup, Canada’s National Senior Championship, as head coach of the Powell River Regals in 2000.
Dean Brockman is entering his eighth season as head coach and general manager of the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos, having led the team to SJHL championships in 2007, 2008 and 2009, an RBC Cup championship in 2008 and a berth in the RBC Cup championship game in 2009. He previously spent seven seasons as the Broncos’ general manager and assistant coach, helping the team to its first RBC Cup championship in 2003. He will make his fifth appearance at the National Junior A Championship with the Broncos when Humboldt hosts the 2012 RBC Cup next May.
Andrew Milne has been head coach and general manager of the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles since the start of the 2008-09 season, and served as an assistant coach with Canada West at the 2010 World Junior A Challenge. Prior to joining the Eagles, Milne spent time as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers and Swift Current Broncos, as well as with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. He played two seasons in the WHL and two in the AJHL, and spent part of the 1999-2000 season playing professionally in the British National League. Milne also served as video coach for Team Pacific at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
“The coaches we’ve named today have a tremendous amount of experience at all levels of hockey, from minor hockey to Junior A, Major Junior and the professional game,” said Kirk Lamb, chairman of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. “We’re confident they’re the right coaches to lead Canada’s teams at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge.”
