NEWS

Photo: Pat Powers with Nats players – photo courtesy of London Nationals hockey club. 

By C. Scott Holland

LONDON, Ont. - For the London Nationals fans and others around the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJLH) the resignation of  GM and head coach Pat Powers certainly has been a surprise. When he began with the Nationals in the 2015/16 season, he was no stranger to coaching. He had started his Jr. B career as a coach at the helm of the St. Thomas Stars in 2007/08. 

The Nationals issued the following statement:

"The London Nationals would like to announce the resignation of head coach and GM Pat Powers. Pat was a big part of the Nationals success over the past 6 years and helped guide the club to 4 straight Western Conference finals and 3 Sutherland Cup final appearances. The Nationals wish Pat nothing but the best in the next step in his hockey career."

Despite being with the club for six seasons because of the 2020/21 cancellation due to COVID-19, Powers served only five seasons as the Nats' head coach and served as the club's GM in 2019/20.  

When Powers took over the Nationals in 2015/16 it was the beginning of a half-decade of superiority. His teams won 30 or more contests every season and finished the regular season in first-place twice (2017/18 and 2019/20). With four consecutive playoff titles, they advanced to the Sutherland Cup round and made it to the finals in three of those four playoffs seasons. Yet for Powers and the Nationals, the Sutherland Cup was elusive. They lost 4-0in 2015/16 to the Caledonia Pro-Fit Corvairs and tried again in 2016/17 but fell 4-1 to the Elmira Sugar Kings. In 2018/19 they faced Waterloo Siskins and in a hard-fought series went to game seven where Waterloo bested the Nats to take home the coveted provincial Jr. B title. 

Powers ability to acquire players and then transform them into a highly skilled team is documented by his career stats with the Nats 226 games coached, 159 victories, 53 losses, six ties, seven overtime losses and five shootout losses. During his five-year coaching span the Nationals tabbed 1306 goals while allowing only 841. Twice they limited the opposition to 123 in a season. New team records were set in his final full coaching season (2019/20). London notched 42 wins, five losses, one tie and two overtime defeats and a total of 87 points. It stands as one of the top season records in West conference history.

Despite never gaining a Sutherland Cup, Powers’ presence and genuine skill at producing top-quality players in London will not be forgotten. If the GOJHL – or even the West Conference – had a Hall of Fame, Pat Powers would certainly be enshrined in it.   

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C. Scott Holland is a freelance writer who has worked extensively with the Leamington Post and more recently the Southpoint Sun. He has been a West Conference head statistician and been involved in Jr. B hockey for 30 years and is a noted Jr. B historian. He has authored several history books including 100 Years In The Making: A History of Heinz Canada (copyright 2009)and has been a member of the Leamington and Mersea Historical Society for over 25 years.