Whitecourt Wolverines head coach Sean Martin has been selected as part of the coaching staff for the Canada West team competing at the 2024 Junior A World Challenge.
The Canada West team will once again be led by Mike Reagan, Head Coach and General Manager of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Flin Flon Bombers. Reagan will be joined by assistant coaches Shawn Martin and Éric Labrosse, Head Coach and General Manager of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s, Northern Manitoba Blizzard.
Reagan has been coaching the Bombers for 19 years and was named the SJHL and CJHL coach of the year for the 2023-24 season. This will be Reagan’s fourth time representing Canada West, having won gold medals in 2015 as a video coach and 2017 as a head coach.
Hockey Canada has also named Nigel Dupe, General Manager of the Alberta Junior Hockey League Lloydminster Bobcats as the Director of Operations for Canada West.
Martin says although things are moving quickly, the coaching staff are ready for the challenge.
“It’s been quite quick, there were some things that happened behind the scenes and then we all got hired about three weeks ago,” said Martin. “Obviously the focus is to get our roster down to the 30 man camp that’s going to be happening here in early December. That’s been the heavy lifting as far as coaching and stuff. Now that we’ve got that list down to 30 we’ll start jumping in on that side.”
Canadian Junior Hockey League president Andy Harkness offered his congratulations to the coaches that were selected.
“We congratulate the coaches on their selections to the respective staffs of Canada East and Canada West,” said Harkness. “The opportunity to represent your country at a prestigious international hockey event such as the Junior A World Challenge is something they will truly relish.”
Bruce Richardson, Head Coach and General Manager of the Quebec Junior Hockey League Valleyfield Braves has been selected as the head coach for the Canada East team. Richardson will be joined by assistant coaches Andrew Campoli, head coach of the Ontario Junior Hockey League Collingwood Blues and Brandon Perry, Head Coach and General Manager of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Timmins Rock and video coach Carter Hansen, assistant coach for the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Humboldt Broncos.
The 2024 Junior A World challenge is set to take place Dec. 9 – 15 in Camrose.
