SUDBURY, Ont. – Hockey Canada has announced the coaching staffs for this December’s World Junior A Challenge in Bonnyville, Alta., and a member of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League is one of those selected to serve on the staff of Canada East.
Timmins Rock head coach Corey Beer has been named an assistant coach on the Canada East contingent for the WJAC, which runs December 9-15 at the R.J. Lalonde Arena in Bonnyville.
Beer joins the Canada East bench staff headed up by head coach Patrice Bosch (Inouk de Granby, LHJAAAQ), who will be making his fifth appearance at the WJAC.
Joining Beer as an assistant coach will be Peter Goulet (Kingston Voyaguers, OJHL), who served in a similar capacity with Canada East back in 2013.
Rounding out the coaching staff will be team video coach Darcy Findlay (Nepean Raiders, CCHL) while Chris Vanstone (OJHL) is Canada East’s director of operations.
Beer, who will be making his WJAC debut, is coming off his first season in Timmins where he led the Rock to a playoff spot in his inaugural campaign with the club.
In the postseason he led his charges on an impressive run that saw Timmins get past the Hearst Lumberjacks in opening round play before going on to upset the first place and highly touted Powassan Voodoos in the East Division semifinals.
The Rock would also give the eventual NOJHL champion Cochrane Crunch a stiff test in the East final before bowing out and wrapping up their solid playoff run.
“I’m very honoured to represent the Timmins Rock, the NOJHL and my country,” offered Beer.
“I can’t wait to work with the Canada East staff,” added the Rock skipper.
The event itself will feature Canada East made up of players from the five eastern-based Jr. A leagues in the Canadian Junior Hockey League taking on the defending WJAC champion Canada West side featuring a squad consisting of top members from the five western Jr. A loops in the CJHL as well as four international squads.
“The NOJHL extends in heartiest congratulations to Corey Beer on his being named to the Canada East coaching staff,” stated league commissioner Robert Mazzuca.
“To have yet another coach from the NOJHL be selected to serve on the staff for such a prestigious international event like the World Jr. A Challenge, it is not only a tremendous accomplishment, but continues to show the great work our league coaches do on a yearly basis is being recognized on a national level,” summarized Mazzuca.
Current Hearst Lumberjacks head coach and general manager Marc Lafleur was an assistant coach on the Canada East staff for four years from 2013-16 during his time as the bench boss and GM of the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners.
Canada East mined a silver medal in the 2016 WJAC, their fifth in the history of the 12-year event.
Rosters for the Canada East Identification and Selection Camp will be announced at a later date.
The NOJHL’s 2018-19 regular season begins September 7.