EIGHT OJHL TEAMS HAVE NEW COACHES THIS SEASON
Mark Jooris returns to Burlington as the coach of the Jr. A Cougars this fall. (Photo: OJHL Images)
You will need a program at an Ontario Junior Hockey League this season – and that’s just to identify the coaches.
Three OJHL head coaches have been hired by Ontario Hockey League clubs for the 2018-19 season.
John Dean, who led the Toronto Patriots to the OJHL regular-season championship last year, was named head coach of the Soo Greyhounds last month.
Greg Walters is the new head coach of the Oshawa Generals following a successful eight-year run with the Georgetown Raiders.
To replace Dean, Patriots GM Mark Joslin has added head coach to his portfolio.
Scott McCrory, who has coached at Wellington and Whitby in the OJHL, is the new head coach in Georgetown.
Mark Jooris was named head coach of the Burlington Cougars this month, replacing Chad Wisesman, the new assistant coach with the Guelph Storm of the OHL. Jooris, the former St. Louis Blues scout, has OJHL coaching experience in Burlington, Oakville and Markham.
Other coaching changes in the OJHL include:
Thomas Milne, moves from the Newmarket Hurricanes to the Trenton Golden Hawks.
Newmarket promoted assistant coach Darcy Roy to head coach to replace Milne.
Mario Cicchillo is the new bench boss of the Aurora Tigers. The coach of the Milton Ice Hawks last season was head coach with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs during his 33-year career.
Dan Fitzgerald, a former Jr. B head coach in St. Catharines and Cambridge, replaced Cicchillo in Milton.
Robert Acton moves up from the Uxbridge Bruins Jr. C team to the Stouffville Spirit. He played on Stouffville’s 2012 OJHL championship team.
