BONNYVILLE, Alta. – Canada’s two teams at the 2018 World Junior A Challenge in Bonnyville, Alta., will be led by coaching staffs that can be characterized as a balance of experience and familiarity, with fresh insights.
For Team Canada West, Rick Swan (Bonnyville, AJHL), 2017 gold-medallist as an assistant coach, takes the reins as head coach when the World Junior A Challenge returns to the home of his Bonnyville Pontiacs in December. Swan is joined behind the bench by Joe Martin (Merritt, BCHL) and Derek Sweet-Coulter (English River, SIJHL), who both won gold with Team Canada West in 2017, and Brandon West (Surrey, BCHL), who was an assistant coach for Team Pacific at the 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Jamie McCaig (Spruce Grove, AJHL) returns to Team Canada West as goaltending coach.