NEWS

Toronto Jr. Canadiens head coach Mario Cicchillo (photo courtesy of OJHL Images) has been named as one of the assistant coaches for Team Canada East in preparation for the 2013 World Junior 'A' Challenge that will be held in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

Cicchillo joins head coach Ian MacInnis of the CCHL's Cornwall Colts, assistant coach Billy McGuigan of the MHL's Summerside Western Capitals and video coach Marc Lafleur of the NOJHL's Kirkland Lake Gold Miners as the Team Canada East staff, hoping for redemption after a disappointing fourth place finish in 2012.

Cicchillo joined the Jr. Canadiens program this past season with a wealth of experience as a coach in both the OHL and the OJHL.  After spending the late 1980's and much of the 90's coaching in various GTA minor hockey programs, Cicchillo joined the Brampton Capitals as an assistant coach in 1997-98.  He would spend two seasons in the assistant's role before taking over as the club's head coach from 1999-2002.  During those three seasons, the club would capture two Buckland Cup titles and compete at the Dudley-Hewitt Cup.  Cicchillo would spend one season as the head coach in Milton before making the jump to the OHL as an assistant with the Mississauga IceDogs.  He would spend four seasons with the team, making a trip to the Robertson Cup Final, as well as participating in the 2005 OHL All-Star Game.  When the club transferred to Niagara, Cicchillo would make the move also, taking over the head coaches role from 2007-09.  During that time he would also capture a gold medal as assistant coach of Team Ontario at the 2008 World Under-17 Challenge.

He led the Jr. Canadiens to a 16-point improvement in the standings this season before ultimately falling in the playoffs to the eventual Buckland Cup champion St. Michael's Buzzers in six games.

Congratulations to Mario on the appointment!

Below is the official press release on the announcement from Hockey Canada (www.hockeycanada.ca):

Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League, announced Thursday that Ian MacInnis, head coach and general manager of the CCHL’s Cornwall Colts, will be the head coach of Canada East for the 2013 World Junior A Challenge, scheduled for November 5-11 in Yarmouth, N.S. 

MacInnis will be joined by assistant coaches Mario Cicchillo (head coach, Toronto Jr. Canadiens, OJHL) and Billy McGuigan (head coach, Summerside Western Capitals, MHL), along with video coach Marc Lafleur (head coach, Kirkland Lake Gold Miners, NOJHL), for the tournament.

Ian MacInnis, 51, will make his first appearance with Canada East at the 2013 World Junior A Challenge. He has been owner, head coach and general manager of the Colts for the past six seasons. MacInnis guided the Colts to a league title in 2013 and a berth in the Fred Page Cup. He was also at the helm of the Colts in 2008 when they hosted the RBC Cup, Canada’s National Junior A Championship.

Mario Cicchillo, 55, will be an assistant coach for the first time with Canada East. Cicchilo just completed his first season as head coach of the Jr. Canadiens, leading the team to a 16-point improvement in the OJHL standings. Prior to coaching the Jr. Canadiens, Cicchilo coached in the OHL for six seasons with the IceDogs franchise, including two seasons as head coach in Niagara and four as an assistant coach when the team was in Mississauga.

Billy McGuigan, 37, will be an assistant coach for the first time with Canada East. McGuigan was head coach of Team East at last year’s CJHL Prospects Games. McGuigan has been head coach of the Western Capitals for the past two seasons, winning the MHL championship in 2013, and will be behind the bench at this year’s RBC Cup, which begins Saturday in Summerside. He also spent two seasons as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Sledge Team. McGuigan, who played four seasons of professional hockey in the CoHL, CHL and WCHL, has also been an MHL head coach with the Charlottetown Abbies and Miramichi Timberwolves.

Marc Lafleur, 37, will make his first appearance with Canada East at the 2013 World Junior A Challenge. Named NOJHL coach of the year this season, his first with the Gold Miners, Lafleur has also worked as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and in the NCAA with Bemidji State University. As a player, Lafleur spent two seasons with the USHL’s Thunder Bay Flyers, reaching the 1995 Centennial Cup, and won an NCAA Division II championship with Bemidji State in 1997.

Hockey Canada will announce details for Canada East camps in the near future.

Canada East has appeared in four of the seven gold medal games at the World Junior A Challenges, taking silver in 2006 in Yorkton, Sask., 2007 in Trail, B.C., and 2010 in Penticton, B.C., as well as last year in Langley, B.C. It won bronze in 2008 in Camrose, Alta., and finished fourth in 2009 in Summerside, P.E.I., and last year in Yarmouth.