Gibsons, British Columbia, October 24, 2023 – Coastal Sports and Entertainment Group Ltd. is pleased to announce that Brad Wingfield has been hired as Head Coach and General Manager of the Pacific Junior Hockey League’s newest franchise to be based out of Gibsons, British Columbia, where it will commence play in September 2024 for the 2024-2025 PJHL season.
Wingfield will be formally introduced as the junior team’s first Head Coach/GM at the GBS Charity Hockey Classic Saturday, December 2, at the Gibsons Area Community Centre (GACC) when the Vancouver Canucks Alumni take on the Sunshine Coast All-Stars. The name and logo for the community’s first-ever junior hockey franchise will both be revealed on December 2nd at the GACC.
Brad Wingfield Highlights:
- Raised on the Sunshine Coast and the first Sunshine Coast Minor Hockey Association (SCMHA) graduate to play professionally.
- Four-year junior “A” career in the BCHL followed by 12 years at the pro level including stints in organizations of the New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild.
- Director of Hockey Operations for the SCMHA since 2020.
- The current coach of the SCMHA U18 A1 T3 team.
- Co-founder/coach of NewAngleHKY Development.
Rick Hopper, Director of Operations for the new junior hockey franchise on the lower Sunshine Coast, commented: “Through a very rigorous process we reviewed multiple outstanding candidates for the Head Coach/GM position. Brad’s experience and passion for the game, coupled with his proven ability to bring out the best in young players, both on and off the ice, made him the standout choice for this position. His success at growing and developing the Sunshine Coast Minor Hockey Association and helping move an unprecedented number of players to higher levels, will no doubt be replicated with the area’s first-ever junior team.”
Hopper concluded, “We are extremely excited to have Brad join our junior hockey family and we look forward to his formal introduction as Head Coach/GM on December 2 at the GBS Charity Hockey Classic. His duties begin immediately as there is a great deal of preparation required for our inaugural season.”
Wingfield, who has been teaching at summer development camps since he was 17 years old and coaching with the SCMHA since 2011, commented: “It’s a great honour to be selected as the junior team’s first Head Coach and General Manager. It’s a major responsibility and challenge. I’m humbled at the opportunity and I will give this everything I have.”
Wingfield added, “Being a long-time professional player, I know the game extremely well. But having had the opportunity to coach for many years from the tyke level right up to U-18, and dealing with the inner workings of an association, I’m
confident I’m fully prepared to lead a highly competitive new junior hockey team in our community. The sky’s the limit for what we can accomplish here. I can see attendance records broken for the league because the Gibsons-Sechelt area is thirsty for this. We’re going to put a really exciting and competitive product on the ice with players who will represent the community and region with pride both on and off the ice.”
Wingfield will continue his position as Director of Operations for the SCMHA through the end of the current season.
For further information please contact:
Rick Hopper
Director of Operations
P: (604) 223-4235
E: rick@CSEGltd.ca
Brad Wingfield
Head Coach & General Manager
P: (604) 989-1493
E: brad@CSEGltd.ca
