Hockey Manitoba announces U-16 and U-18 Program of Excellence coaches; McNish named video coach

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Published on Thursday, March 7, 2013

myWestman.ca

Hockey Manitoba announced the 2013 Team Manitoba coaches for the under-16 and under-18 Program of Excellence teams. 

Each staff will lead their respective programs through the team selection process, team preparation process, and their respective championship events this upcoming season. The U-16 Team Manitoba contingent will compete at the Western Canada U-16 Challenge Cup in Calgary, held Oct. 31 - Nov. 3 and it features the province's top 1998-born male players. Following that event, U-18 Team Manitoba squad will compete at the national women's under-18 championships, held Nov. 6-10.
 
Leading U-16 Team Manitoba as head coach will be Doug Sinclair (Winnipeg), who currently is coaching as an assistant with the Winnipeg Thrashers (M-Midget AAA). Sinclair has been an assistant coach with U-16 Team Manitoba the previous two seasons and is also a long-serving scout for the Everett Silvertips (WHL). Joining the staff as assistant coaches will be Wayne Bartley (Oak Bluff) currently an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Wild (M-Midget AAA) and Rob Smith (Steinbach) currently an assistant coach with the Steinbach Pistons (MJHL), both first time coaches within the Program of Excellence. The staff will be rounded out by Dennis McNish (Brandon), currently the head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings (Midget Bantam AAA) who will serve as the team's video coach.
 
After two trips as assistant coach, Neil Chow (Winnipeg) will also make the step up to head coach for the U-18 program.  Chow currently is head coach of the Winnipeg Hawks (M-Bantam AAA), he has previously served as assistant coach with U-18 Team Manitoba in 2009 and 2012. The assistant coaches for U-18 Team Manitoba will be Andrea Keating (Winnipeg) currently of the Assiniboine Park Rangers (F-Bantam AAA) who also served as video coach with Team Manitoba in 2012, along with Reid Sloan (Morden) currently assistant coach with the Pembina Valley Hawks (F-Midget AAA).  Ferdi Nelissen (Portage la Prairie) currently head coach of the Central Plains Capitals (F-Midget AAA) will also join the staff as video coach.
 
The Program of Excellence process will begin March 28-30 with the P.O.E. Spring Tournament held in Winnipeg. Through Hockey Manitoba's scouting networks, invites have been sent to the province's top 136 male 1998 born players and top 102 female 1996-1998 born players to compete at the first phase of the selection process. Following the P.O.E. Spring Tournament, approximately 40 players from each program will be invited to the P.O.E. top 40 camp, held May 9-12 in Portage.

Hockey Manitoba release