The Drayton Valley Thunder Hockey Club regrets to announce the resignation of General Manager and Head Coach Fran Gow. Fran and Sherri Gow will be relocating to Edmonton, Alberta where Sherri is pursuing a business opportunity that requires the Gow family to leave Drayton Valley.
“The decision to leave Drayton Valley was not an easy choice, but a successful Thunder hockey program cannot be run from a distance,” stated Fran Gow. “We look forward to this new opportunity in our lives and we are grateful for the last four years with the Thunder organization.”
The Drayton Valley Thunder organization is optimistic about the future of its franchise after two consecutive playoff berths in the last two seasons, and post-secondary commitments by eight players in that same time frame. “The Thunder organization appreciates all that Fran has done over the past four years,” stated Thunder President Scott Carter. “Fran was a big part in keeping our team in Drayton Valley and he will be missed by the community and the team. We would like to wish Fran and Sherri the best of luck with their future endeavors.”
Gow is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the AJHL and has coached over 1,000 regular season games. He has led the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, Grande Prairie Storm and Drayton Valley Thunder since his AJHL coaching career began in 1993. While coaching the Oil Barons, Fran took the MOB to four League Finals while winning the AJHL Championship twice. Gow also led the Oil Barons to a Doyle Cup Championship and National Championship in 2000. Twice in his tenure with the Storm, he took the team to the League Finals and winning the AJHL Championship in 2004. Over 150 players that Gow coached in the AJHL have moved on to careers in the NCAA, CIS, ACAC, and Pro Leagues.
Gow will assist the Thunder organization in the transition of a new Coach / General Manager. The Thunder will announce a succession plan in the coming weeks.
For more information, please contact Thunder President Scott Carter at 780-621-2510.