The Rockland Nationals are proud to announce the coaching staff for our U18 team for the upcoming 2021-2022 season. Returning for his 4th season with the Nationals, Jeff Stanton will once again lead the charge for the 3rd consecutive season. Jeff was named Head Coach of the Year for the HEO Midget AAA league in 2018-2019. “Jeff has been a tremendous contributor to the development of our U18 players. Over the last three seasons that he’s been with our program, we have seen eighteen players make the jump to JR A from our U18 teams. Jeff embodies the values that we want to instill in our young players. He creates an environment where players can learn from their mistakes and where they can work on building their confidence” notes GM Dan Sauvé.
With assistant coach Charles Lavigne being promoted to the JR A level and Zac Car stepping down, we have hired two new coaches to round out the staff. Brian Gillam has been named associate coach to Stanton’s staff. Brian has an extensive coaching and teaching background including roles with HEO and Hockey Canada. Brian was an assistant coach with the Ottawa Myers U15AAA team last season and he has also been serving as Rockland’s bantam scout for the past two seasons.. His most recent experience at the U18 level came in 2017-2018 when he was head coach for the Navan Grads U18 team.
Joining Jeff and Brian this season is newcomer Jason Bélanger. Jason has been coaching minor hockey since 2016. The former Cobras coach spent last season with the Alexandria Glens of the EOJHL as an assistant coach. He was promoted to head coach midway through the season. The school teacher will join the Nats staff as an assistant coach.
“We are thrilled to add both Brian and Jason to our staff. Both have backgrounds in teaching and are highly motivated to help develop young hockey players. Our U18 players will be in great hands this season” adds Sauvé.
The Nationals hit the ice on August 13-15th for their annual Evaluation Camp. U18 tryouts will start on September 10th while the regular season is set to open on October 2nd.
