Rick Swan Named Finalist for CJHL Coach of the Year Award
Posted May 17th, 2016 @ 11:37 am
CALGARY, Alberta – Six Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) coaches have been selected as finalists for the 2016 CJHL Coach of the Year Award. The award recognizes the most outstanding coach in the CJHL. The award criteria is based on the coach’s team and individual performance during the regular season.
Each of the 10 leagues in the CJHL submitted a candidate for the Top Coach Award. A representative from all 10 Junior A leagues then ranked their top five choices from among the 10 national nominees and the rankings were assigned a point value. The five coaches with the highest point total moved on as finalists to the final round of voting. The finalists for the 2016 Coach of the Year Award are outlined below.
Rick Swan, Bonnyville Pontiacs, AJHL – Rick Swan is the 2015-2016 AJHL Coach of the Year as voted by the Alberta Junior Hockey League General Managers and Coaches. Swan recently completed his third season as Head Coach of the Bonnyville Pontiacs and has guided the team to the playoffs in all three years. In 2015-16, the Pontiacs set new Franchise Records for Most Wins, for Best Winning Percentage at .742 and for Most Points in a Single Season. The 2015-2016 Pontiacs captured three AJHL League Awards – League MVP, Outstanding Defenceman and Coach of the Year. Captain Steenn PASICHNUK was also nominated as the AJHL Most Dedicated Player. Through Swan’s tenure, 28 Pontiacs players have committed College and Universities across North America. In 2014/15 the Bonnyville PONTIACS also broke numerous Franchise play-off records. The Bonnyville Pontiacs promoted Rick Swan to Head Coach and General Manager in April 2013. Swan spent the 2012-2013 season as the Pontiacs Associate Coach and Assistant General Manager after joining the club from the Knights of Columbus Midget AAA club in Edmonton where he had been the Head Coach since 2008-2009. Swan was a guest coach with Team Canada West in 2015 and in 2009, Swan won the Glen Sather Trophy as the AMHL Coach of the Year in addition to the Midget AAA Minor Coach of the Year in 2008 along with three additional Coach of the Year honors during his time in Sherwood Park.
Other nominations from the CJHL for the award include:
Blake Spiller, Portage Terriers, MJHL
Fred Harbinson, Penticton Vees, BCHL
Dustin Treylen, Brockville Braves, CCHL
Pierre Pétroni, Collège Français de Longueuil, QJHL
Kevin Hasselberg, Battleford North Stars, SJHL
The recipient of the 2016 CJHL Coach of the Year Award will be announced during the week of May 24th. All award recipients will receive a special ring designed by Jostens Canada the official award supplier to the CJHL.