Former MJHL and SJHL coach of the year Doug Hedley has signed a three-year contract to serve as the Olds Grizzlys head coach and director of hockey operations.
Hedley replaces Kevin Hasselberg, who resigned following the Grizzlys’ brief playoff run in March.
Hedley coached in the Manitoba and Saskatchewan junior leagues for 17 years. He was an all-star coach twice in the SJHL and four times in the MJHL while guiding the Dauphin Kings and more recently the OCN Blizzard, and was a co-coach of the SJHL Selects who competed in the Camrose Viking Cup tournament in 1999 — as eventual champions — and 2001.
He joins the Grizzlys after a successful stint as the event coordinator for the 2010 Royal Bank Cup held in his hometown of Dauphin.
Hedley holds a Bachelor of Education degree from Brandon University and played his junior hockey with the Dauphin Kings and also suited up for the U of Brandon Bobcats under former St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings head coach Andy Murray.
“We are excited to have Doug on board,” Grizzlys president Jim Ross said in a press release. “Doug has a proven record of success at the junior A level and is reported to be an excellent teacher of the game. He also understands the small community market and how to make it successful. We had about 80 applicants for the position and it took us some time to narrow it down to Doug . . . It was somewhat overwhelming to see the level of response.”
“I’m looking forward to working in the AJHL,” said Hedley. “It is a very competitive league and I look forward to have the players represent the crest of the Olds Grizzlys and challenge for the top.”