letowski mckee

Hockey Canada announces changes to National Junior Team, U17 coaching staff

Trevor Letowski joins staff for World Juniors; Jay McKee named U17 assistant

NR.126.15
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October 21, 2015
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CALGARY, Alta. – Trevor Letowski (Thunder Bay, Ont./Windsor, OHL) will be looking to bring his golden experience from the 1997 World Junior Championship to this year’s Canada’s National Junior Team as he joins the coaching staff in the team’s final push to Finland.

Letowski, who wrapped up his NHL career having played a total 616 games as a member of the Phoenix Coyotes, Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Carolina Hurricanes, spent five years coaching the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, and joined the Windsor Spitfires’ coaching staff this summer. He steps into a role recently vacated by Martin Raymond, head coach of the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL, who has stepped aside to focus on the Voltigeurs who have started their season with 10 wins in 14 starts.

“Working with Hockey Canada has been an unbelievable and enriching experience,” said Raymond, who hails from Pierrefonds, Que. “The commitment level required for such a program is demanding. As such, I have decided to withdraw from my position with the National Junior Team this season to spend my time and efforts on my club team, the Drummondville Voltigeurs. I am thankful to Tom Renney, Scott Salmond, and Dave Lowry for understanding my decision. I wish our Junior Team the best of luck in the upcoming World Junior Championship in Finland.”

Raymond was an assistant coach with the National Junior Team when it won gold at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, and won gold as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2014 U18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.

“On behalf of myself, Hockey Canada, and the National Junior Team coaching staff, I want to thank Martin for his contributions to our programs. I understand and completely support his decision,” said Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations and national teams. “I also want to thank Trevor for agreeing to step up into the role and bring his talents to our team. We are all focused on making this a smooth transition for everyone involved, and we’re right down to business as we take these final few months to evaluate this year’s National Junior Team prospects before our final camp in December.”

Letowski’s move to the National Junior Team coaching staff leaves a vacancy within Team Canada Black’s coaching staff for the upcoming World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, which will be filled by Kingston, Ont.’s Jay McKee, associate coach with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL.

McKee, who was a guest coach with the under-18 teams as part of Hockey Canada’s National Teams’ Summer Showcase in August, transitioned from a playing career to coaching in the OHL in 2014 when he accepted an assistant coaching role with the Erie Otters. He will be travelling to Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C., later this month for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, taking place Oct. 30 – Nov. 7.

For more information on the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca, or follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hockeycanada, and www.twitter.com/hc_men.

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

[email protected] 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

[email protected]

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

[email protected]

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