Image credit: KIJHL

By Aaron Schulze

First Cents Coach

KIJHL Merritt Centennials unveil Wes McLeod as inaugural head coach

Apr 18, 2024 | 10:45 AM

MERRITT, B.C. — The new Merritt Centennials have their first head coach.

In a news release issued Thursday (April 18) morning, the Centennials announced the hiring of Wes McLeod as their head coach and assistant general manager heading into the 2024-25 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) season.

The 31-year-old spent the previous two seasons as head coach of the U-18 Fraser Valley Thunderbirds. McLeod also served as head coach for the U-16 and U-17 Valley West Giants from 2018 to 2022.

“Getting the opportunity to build a Junior A team from scratch is one that doesn’t come up every day, and to be able to do it in a passionate hockey community like Merritt was too good to pass up on,” McLeod states. “I like my teams to play a fast, up tempo, forward checking brand of hockey. The Nicola Valley Memorial Arena is a smaller ice surface, so finding players who are comfortable playing through contact and in tight areas is important for us to be successful.”

Brad Anstey, Centennials owner and general manager, credited McLeod’s experience in building the Thunderbirds program and connection with players in B.C.

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“His technical and tactical knowledge, along with confidence gives us the assurance that he is our guy to lead the development of our program. Our ownership group feels his experience and success will carry over with us in the KIJHL. His vision for the players, team and our community was important to us,” Anstey states.

The Centennials are an expansion franchise in the KIJHL, keeping the same logo and name of the recently folded B.C. Hockey League club.