2026/2027 Bage Valley Wildcats Junior A Coaching Staff
Jesse MacLean – General Manager & Head Coach
MacLean, 30, who currently resides in Cambridge, Nova Scotia is entering his first full season as Head Coach and Assistant General Manager after taking over as Head Coach in October of 2025.
Jesse is entering year 12 of coaching at a high level. Before joining the Wildcats he spent 1.5 seasons as Head Coach & General Manager of the Strait Pirates of the NSJHL. Prior to coaching in the NSJHL, Jesse spent five seasons as Head Coach of the Cabot Highlanders U16 AAA Hockey Club along with serving as an Assistant Coach on various Hockey Nova Scotia teams (U14, U15, U16) through Hockey Nova Scotia’s High Performance Program between 2020 – 2024.
MacLean has attended and completed Hockey Canada’s High Performance 1 program, travelling to Ottawa in June of 2023. He also holds a college diploma in Health, Wellness & Recreation from Eastern College.
Marc Bildstein – Assistant Coach
Marc began his hockey journey with TASA Minor Hockey, where he developed the work ethic, compete level, and attention to detail that would define his career.
His strong play earned him a spot with the Halifax MacDonalds as an underage defenceman, competing against the top players in the province. Marc was later drafted to the QMJHL and went on to play Junior A before joining the Sackville Blazers Junior B program, where he became a key member of a team that captured two Don Johnson Cup championships — the pinnacle of Atlantic Junior B hockey.
Marc transitioned into coaching in 2009, bringing the same passion and structure that shaped his playing career. Over the past 15+ seasons, he has coached at nearly every level of the game, earning a reputation for building confidence, structure, and strong team culture.
For the past five years, Marc has also served as a Development Professional with West Hants Minor Hockey, designing and delivering modern, athlete-first programming for players and coaches throughout the association.
Marc is the owner and operator of Even Strength Hockey Development, where he leads a comprehensive development system built on structure, confidence training, and long-term athlete growth. Through Even Strength, he has become a trusted leader in Nova Scotia’s hockey community, helping young athletes develop strong habits, strong character, and a lifelong love for the game.
Rob Smith – Assistant Coach & Strength/Conditioning Coach
A proud Annapolis Valley native, Rob played his minor hockey with his hometown Bridgetown and capped his career with a Military National Championship while serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. He began coaching right out of high school and has since gained experience across all levels.
He returns to the Wildcats with an additional 15 years of experience, having served as an Assistant Coach for our program during the inaugural NSMBHL (now NSU15MHL) season. His resume includes six seasons as Head Coach of the U16AAA Valley Wildcats, highlighted by multiple championships and bringing the first Monctonian banner back to the Valley.
After taking a season to step back and introduce his son to the game at U7, Rob felt drawn back to competitive coaching. This past season, he completed his High Performance 1 certification while leading the Bedford Blues U13 AAA team, where he also intends to continue as Head Coach for this coming season.
Anderson Snair – Goaltending Coach
Snair, 31, who is originally from Halifax now living in Kentville has an extensive playing & coaching background.
He was a goaltender in the Maritime Hockey League from 2012-2015 spending time with the Metro Shipbuilders, Yarmouth Mariners and finishing off his junior career with the St. Stephen County Aces. He also had a stint in the USHL with the Indiana Ice, bringing him to a total of 100 career games played in junior hockey.
Since retiring from the game he has switched his focus to coaching, mainly focused on working with goaltenders on and off the ice. He has been the Goaltender Coach for the Basin Armada U16 AAA team since 2017 for a total of 8 seasons. In that time Snair developed and mentored some of the top goaltenders in the league consistently every year. In his time there he brought home 3 provincial gold medals and 1 maritime championship along with multiple tournament championships.
Snair has also worked with Hockey Nova Scotia’s High Performance Program for many years as a goaltender coach & consultant.
Alexis Jacques – Skills Coach
Jacques, who is originally from Quebec now residing in Annapolis County as an RCMP officer joins the Wildcats organization after a very impressive tenure as a player spending time in both the QMJHL before finishing his Junior career in the MHL with the Edmundston Blizzard & Campbellton Tigers.
Jacques holds the second most points recorded by a defenseman in Edmundston Blizzard franchise history along with multiple Defenseman of the Month awards while in the MHL.
Known as a high impact defenseman with a high hockey IQ, strong skating skills and an impressive skill set is ready to pass on his knowledge, abilities & experience of the game to our organization in a more specified role working with our players on their individual skill sets both on and off the ice throughout the season.
Eric Lawrence – Equipment Manager
Originally from Labrador City in Newfoundland & Labrador now residing in Eastern Passage with his family, Lawrence brings a long history of hockey experience mainly focused on equipment managing.
Beginning his hockey journey at just 12 years old with the Oland Exports Junior A Team as an Assistant Trainer along side his father who was the main Equipment Manager. He has been in this game for as long as he can remember.
His journey really took off when he had the opportunity to join the Junior A League as he headed to Miramichi to be the Equipment Manager for the Timberwolves before returning closer to home to become the Head Equipment Manager for the St. Margaret’s Bay Ducks of the NSJHL.
After spending time in St. Margaret’s Bay, Lawrence made the jump to the South Shore where he has been now for many years. Originally working with the Liverpool Privateers which are now the South Shore Lumberjacks.
Along with his club teams he has been apart of High Performance Programs in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick working along side some of the top Equipment Managers in the Maritimes.
Sam Sinclair – Medical Trainer
The Bage Valley Junior A Wildcats have announced that former player Sam Sinclair will return to the organization for the 2026–2027 season as the club’s new Medical Trainer.
Sinclair previously played within the Wildcats system at the U15 and U18 levels before finishing his playing career with one season in Junior A hockey. Off the ice, he is currently a senior Kinesiology student at Acadia University and has spent the past three years working as a medical assistant in his father’s medical practice while pursuing his goal of attending medical school.