hunder Bay Kings AAA Hockey
Media Update
Release date: Friday, April 21, 2017
Kings announce head coaches for 2017-18
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The Thunder Bay Kings announced Friday their respective head coaches for the 2017-18 season.
MAJOR MIDGET: Rob DeGagne – Was named NAPHL U-18 coach of the year in 2016-17. … Will also serve as the club’s general manager. … Longtime coach junior in the OHL and at various levels of senior and professional hockey, including the Thunder Bay Twins senior team and the Thunder Bay Thunderhawks Colonial Hockey League squad.
MINOR MIDGET: Bradey Fox – Fox enters his fifth year in the Kings organization and steps in as head coach after spending the last couple of season as an assistant coach, which included being part of the Kings’ bantam team that won a silver medal at the 2015 provincial championship.
BANTAM: Ed Atwill – Set to enter his fourth year in the organization. … Returns to lead the bantams for another season … Was a member of the 2005 Allan Cup winning Thunder Bay Bombers side that captured the Canadian Senior Championship. … Was also on the team that represented Canada at a four-nation international event in Budapest, Hungary back in 2006.
PEEWEE: Lorne Vis – Joins the Kings’ program after a successful stint coaching the Current River Comets midget AA’s in the Thunder Bay Minor Hockey Association.
The complete team coaching staffs will be announced once they are finalized.
The Kings have also added new Hockey Operations Board Members that will align directly with teams to support the staffs and help recruit players at all levels.
Those team liaisons are as follows:
Major Midget: Jeff Ricciardi – Played is minor hockey in Thunder Bay, including being a member of the Thunder Bay Bearcats bronze medal-winning team at the 1988 Air Canada Cup, now TELUS Cup, in Thunder Bay. … Went on to play four seasons on defence in the Ontario Hockey League with the Ottawa 67’s. … He was chosen by the Winnipeg Jets in the eighth round, 159th overall, in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. … He then spent 12 full seasons in the professional ranks, which included stops in the AHL, IHL and ECHL as well as six years in the DEL, the top league in Germany, and a couple season skating in Italy. … Was also a member of the Thunder Bay Bombers Allan Cup winning team back in 2005. Went on to be named the Top Defenceman at the 2006 Pannon Cup in Budapest, Hungary where Thunder Bay represented Canada in a four-nation international event against Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary. … Also owns and operates the local CORE Hockey School.
Minor Midget: Lonny Bohonos – Played three full years in the Western Hockey League with both the Seattle Thunderbirds and Portland Winter Hawks. … Following his junior career signed with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. … Went on to play 83 NHL games with the Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs as part of the dozen years he played professionally. … Skated in the AHL and IHL as well along with four years with HC Davos in the Swiss A League and a stint in the DEL. … Has also coached in both the Kings and Thunder Bay Queens rep programs previously and well in Thunder Bay Minor. … Won a bronze medal with the Fort William Hurricanes at the Keystone Cup Jr. B Championship back in the early 90s.
Bantam: Ian Swalucynski – Spent a number of the years coaching Kings teams at every level from peewee right up to major midget. … Among those he coaches were the current NHL-playing Staal brothers and multiple others that went on to play professionally, junior and collegiate hockey. … Has also worked with OHL Central Scouting.
Peewee: Kevin Marks – Captained the Kings to their first-ever medal at the Air Canada Cup, now TELUS Cup back in 1992 when Thunder Bay mined silver at the Canadian National Midget Championship in Dartmouth, N.S. … Also played defence for the Kings bantam side the year previously. … Has coached and been associated with multiple minor hockey organizations over the years. … Also won a bronze medal at the Keystone Cup Jr. B Championship back in the 90s with the Fort William Hurricanes.
The Kings team tryouts for 2017-18 will run May 24-28 at Fort William First Nation Arena.
Both the major under-18 and minor U-16 midget sides will be competing in their third year in the North American Prospects Hockey League.
Meanwhile the bantam and peewee clubs will take part in midget AA and bantam AA respectively within the Thunder Bay Minor Hockey Association as well as various tournaments.
The Kings will also be hosting their second annual Christmas Showcase, powered by OneHockey, Dec. 14-17 at Fort William First Nation Arena.
They along with Hockey Northwestern Ontario and the TBMHA will also be hosting the 2018 TELUS Cup West Regional, April 5-8, along at FWFNA.
For more information or to register, visit the Kings’ website at thunderbaykings.com.
