U18 Worlds Preview: Canada vs. Slovakia
CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has introduced the three Canadian Hockey League (CHL) common managers that can make up the Program of Excellence administration group for the 2023-24 season.
Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont./Erie, OHL) and Cam Russell (Cole Harbour, N.S./Halifax, QMJHL) will make their debuts as members of the POE administration group, with Brown guiding the lads’s under-17 program by means of the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and Russell main the under-18 program by means of the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Peter Anholt (Naicam, Sask./Lethbridge, WHL) will return to this system to advise the under-20 program and Canada’s National Junior Team by means of the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Anholt will take over for James Boyd (Midland, Ont./Ottawa, OHL), whose two-year tenure with the under-20 program included back-to-back gold medals on the 2022 and 2023 IIHF World Junior Championships.
“We are excited to welcome Dave and Cam to the POE to lead our under-17 and under-18 programs, and to welcome back Peter as the under-20 lead after an outstanding job guiding our under-18 program,” mentioned Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.), senior vice-president of hockey operations. “All three people deliver a wealth of CHL expertise to our program, and we stay up for having them work alongside our athletes and workers whereas main our males’s nationwide groups subsequent season.
“We also wish to thank James Boyd for two years of commitment and dedication to Canada’s National Junior Team. James was instrumental in helping Canada win two-straight gold medals at the World Juniors, and we are grateful for his effort and leadership over the past two years.”
Brown is in his eighth season (2015-23) as common supervisor of the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after serving 4 seasons (2011-15) as director of hockey operations with the group. He helped lead Erie to an OHL championship in 2017, and contributed to a CHL document of four-consecutive 50-win seasons (2011-15). Prior to becoming a member of the Otters, Brown spent seven seasons with the Mississauga/Niagara IceDogs, serving as assistant common supervisor (2003-05) and common supervisor (2005-10).
Russell has spent 22 seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He has served as common supervisor for the previous 15 years (2008-23), serving to the Mooseheads win the Memorial Cup in 2013. Russell began his teaching profession as an assistant with Halifax for 3 seasons (2000-03) earlier than serving as a participant improvement guide for 2 years (2004-06). He additionally served as head coach for elements of 5 seasons (2006-11), including the GM title to his teaching duties in 2008. As a participant, he performed 396 NHL video games over 10 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks (1989-99) and Colorado Avalanche (1998-99), and gained two Presidents Cup championships with the QMJHL’s Hull Olympiques.
Anholt has led the under-18 program for the previous two seasons, serving to Canada’s National Summer Under-18 Team win a gold medal on the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He is at present in his eighth full season (2015-23) as common supervisor of the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL) after being promoted from assistant common supervisor in 2014. Anholt additionally frolicked as head coach of the Hurricanes for a part of the 2014-15 season, and has gained the WHL Executive of the Year award twice (2015-16, 2019-20). Anholt brings a wealth of WHL expertise as a head coach, assistant coach and scout, together with stints with the Prince Albert Raiders (1986-89, 2002-07), Seattle Thunderbirds (1989-92, 2012-14), Red Deer Rebels (1992-95, 1998-2000, 2007-08, 2011-12) and Kelowna Rockets (1996-98).
The administration group will work alongside Salmond and Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont.), director of participant personnel, in addition to the group’s hockey operations workers. Day-to-day operations for the POE administration group embody aiding in coach and participant choices, supporting the teaching staffs and offering enter throughout camps and tournaments all through the season.
The Program of Excellence will probably be overseen by Pat McLaughlin (Saint John, N.B.), Hockey Canada’s chief working officer; Salmond; Millar; Dan MacKenzie (Guelph, Ont.), CHL president; David Branch (Bathurst, N.B.), OHL commissioner; Mario Cecchini (Saint-Lambert, Que.), incoming QMJHL commissioner; and Ron Robison (Indian Head, Sask.), WHL commissioner.
For extra info on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please go to HockeyCanada.ca, or comply with alongside through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
