U16, U18 Jr. Hound coaches
Sault Ste. Marie is poised to be represented by both Under 16 and Under 18 teams as members of the AAA level Great North Under 18 Hockey League effective the 2024-2025 season. And the head coaches of both programs are already finalizing their staffs ahead of the ’24-25 campaign.
Notably, both the U16 and U18 Soo Jr. Greyhounds AAA teams will have former Ontario Hockey League and National Hockey League players at the helm as head coaches.
Denny Lambert, who played three seasons in the OHL for the Soo Greyhounds before skating in more than 500 NHL games as a rugged left winger, will coach the U16 Jr. Hounds next season. The 54-year old Lambert’s staff of assistants will include former OHL and NHL winger Ken Belanger, former Division 1 college hockey forward John Bossio and two former forwards with the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League in Anthony Miller and Ty Zachary.
Meanwhile, Trevor Zachary, who will oversee the U16 Jr. Hounds as general manager, has advised Hockey News North that tryouts for next season will begin on Friday, April 26. Players wishing more information can do so via e-mail, U16AAASooJrGreyhounds@gmail.com.
The ’24-25 season will mark the first time in six years that the Jr. Greyhounds will have a U16 AAA team as members of the Great North U18 HL.
Meanwhile, 49-year old Jeremy Stevenson has been tapped to be the head coach of the U18 AAA Jr. Hounds for the ’24-25 campaign. A former OHL winger who was a first round draft pick of the Cornwall Royals before being traded to the Soo Greyhounds, Stevenson went on to play in more than 200 NHL games.
And Stevenson has assembled a staff of assistants with many who played the game at the OHL, NOJHL, Canadian university and American university levels. In full, Stevenson’s staff includes assistant coaches Keegan Stevenson, Nic Sicoly, Mark Tassone, Avery Rebek, Dave Doucette, Steve Caruso and Chris Chiapetta as well as trainer Dr. Kevin Caruso and equipment manager Louie Cuglietta.
“If you want to keep kids at home instead of having them move away the first thing to do is have a credible staff of former players who played the game at a high level,” Jeremy Stevenson relayed to Hockey News North. “We certainly think we have done that.”
Great choices, glad to see this. Promoting players here in the Soo with these staffs was a long time coming. Best of success and health to the teams.