Merritt, BC – The Merritt Centennials Junior A Hockey Club is pleased to announce the hiring of Joey Bouchard as head coach and general manager, effective May 11, 2009.
The Donnelly, Alberta native spent the past two seasons as head coach, general manager and vice-president of hockey operations for the Whitecourt Wolverines of the Northwest Junior Hockey League. While with the Wolverines, Bouchard led the team to a record of 91-18-1. The team also won the 2008-09 NWJHL championship under his guidance and claimed the silver medal at the Alberta Provincial Junior Championship.
Prior to joining Whitecourt, Bouchard served as assistant coach, head scout and education adviser with the Olds Grizzlys of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He completed his Bachelor of Education degree with distinction in 2007 and his Bachelor of Arts in 2005, majoring in French and physical education.
The 28-year-old's playing experience in junior hockey came with the St. Albert Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and the New England Jr. Huskies of the Eastern Junior Hockey League. Bouchard also played in the Alberta Collegiate Athletic Conference for the Augustana Vikings.
The Donnelly, Alberta native spent the past two seasons as head coach, general manager and vice-president of hockey operations for the Whitecourt Wolverines of the Northwest Junior Hockey League. While with the Wolverines, Bouchard led the team to a record of 91-18-1. The team also won the 2008-09 NWJHL championship under his guidance and claimed the silver medal at the Alberta Provincial Junior Championship.
Prior to joining Whitecourt, Bouchard served as assistant coach, head scout and education adviser with the Olds Grizzlys of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He completed his Bachelor of Education degree with distinction in 2007 and his Bachelor of Arts in 2005, majoring in French and physical education.
The 28-year-old's playing experience in junior hockey came with the St. Albert Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and the New England Jr. Huskies of the Eastern Junior Hockey League. Bouchard also played in the Alberta Collegiate Athletic Conference for the Augustana Vikings.
“Joey is a young man with a great passion for the game,” Cents governor Brian Barrett says of the hire. “He had great success building a tremendous Junior B program in Whitecourt, and he's dedicated to improving the status of the Centennials.”
“We are very excited to welcome Joey to Merritt,” continues Barrett. “Given the trying times the team has gone through in the past few years, we knew we had to find someone who could build some excitement and momentum in the community and within the team. We feel Joey is a breath of fresh air and can bring the attributes we were looking for to the Centennials.”
I'm extremely honoured to be a part of the longest continuously run franchise in the BCHL,” Bouchard says. “It`s a goal of mine that I`ve always wanted to be at this level and to be able to achieve it with a franchise with as much history as the Centennials have is a huge honour and I won`t let the organization down. We`re going to turn things around immediately.“
For more information, contact:
Brian Barrett
Governor
Merritt Centennials
250-378-4832
“We are very excited to welcome Joey to Merritt,” continues Barrett. “Given the trying times the team has gone through in the past few years, we knew we had to find someone who could build some excitement and momentum in the community and within the team. We feel Joey is a breath of fresh air and can bring the attributes we were looking for to the Centennials.”
I'm extremely honoured to be a part of the longest continuously run franchise in the BCHL,” Bouchard says. “It`s a goal of mine that I`ve always wanted to be at this level and to be able to achieve it with a franchise with as much history as the Centennials have is a huge honour and I won`t let the organization down. We`re going to turn things around immediately.“
For more information, contact:
Brian Barrett
Governor
Merritt Centennials
250-378-4832
