Team NOHA taps Brick
Thessalon native Kyle Brick has been named head coach of the Team NOHA minor midgets for the 2018-2019 hockey season.
The Northern Ontario Hockey Association and the Great North Midget Hockey League jointly confirmed the appointment of Brick, who is the coach and general manager of the Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
With the help of others, including his sidekick Craig MacDonald, Brick has overseen a major reverse in fortunes for the NOJHL Beavers.
Before Brick and MacDonald arrived in Blind River prior to the start of the 2016-2017 campaign, the Beavers had won only 10 games over the course of the previous two seasons combined.
But in two seasons with Brick at the helm and MacDonald as his trusted assistant, Blind River has a combined record of 65-39-8 and the Beavers made their first-ever appearance in the NOJHL championship series in 2017.
Brick was named NOJHL coach-of-the-year for the 2016-2017 season.
Mark Seidel, who was recently named director of operations for Team NOHA, had plenty good to say about Brick’s abilities.
“I’m ecstatic that we have been able to bring Kyle on as the head coach of this elite group of (2003 birth date players). His impact in the NOJHL, his success, and his ability to make players better made him the perfect choice out of a lot of tremendously qualified coaches who applied,” Seidel relayed.
Among other sessions, Team NOHA will compete at the 2019 OHL Cup showcase tournament next spring. The Ontario Hockey League hosts the OHL Cup ahead of the annual priority selections draft for minor midget aged players.
In addition to his duties with the NOJHL Beavers, the 32-year old Brick is up for the challenge of leading Team NOHA as its head coach.
“It’s a little bit of a different age group than I’m used to,” he told Postmedia. “But any time you get an opportunity to coach some of the best talent, you jump at it.
“We’re excited about the group (of 2003 birth year players.) It’s very deep, with a lot of skill and the goal-tending is strong,” Brick added.
PHOTO: Team NOHA coach Kyle Brick is also the coach and general manager of the NOJHL’s Blind River Beavers.