The Jr. A Bage Valley Wildcats are thrilled to announce the hiring of Shawn MacKenzie as assistant coach effective immediately.
MacKenzie, a Bedford, NS native and former professional hockey player, rose through the ranks from his hometown of Bedford, NS to the NHL. After his playing days concluded, Shawn embarked on a Major Junior coaching career that would span 16 seasons and over 1100 Major Junior hockey games. Shawn was an Assistant, and Head Coach in both the OHL, and QMJHL, and was an original member of the Halifax Mooseheads – spending over 10 years with the team. Shawn is a former QMJHL coach of the year and has coached dozens of players that went on to play in the National Hockey League.
Shawn has also spent 15 years as the Hockey Development Professional with his hometown Bedford District Minor Hockey Association, where he was recognized as a leader in both program and athlete development. In his minor hockey development role Shawn won several awards including Hockey Nova Scotia’s prestigious “Ken Mantin” award. Shawn is a coach that inspires athletes through his dedication and passion for the game of hockey and is excited to be a part of the Wildcats organization.
“Shawn’s hockey career as a player and coach speaks for itself” says Head Coach Brandon Benedict. “We are extremely fortunate to have a person with Shawn’s credentials and pedigree within our coaching staff. He will be a huge benefit for our team moving forward throughout the summer, into training camp, and ultimately over the course of the regular season. I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with Shawn this upcoming season.”
The Bage Valley Wildcats would like to welcome Shawn to the organization, and are excited to have Shawn aboard as we head into the MHL Draft in Truro on Saturday June 15. The first two rounds will be televised on Eastlink TV, with your Wildcats holding four picks (5, 13, 21 & 22) in those first two rounds. Full draft order and information about the draft is available at themhl.ca.