Former Hab Gordie Dwyer named head coach, general manager of NL's new QMJHL club
The province's new Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) team has named its first-ever head coach and general manager.
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On Monday morning, June 2, the Newfoundland Regiment announced that former Montreal Canadien Gordie Dwyer will be the first to take the reins as bench boss, the same post he held with the now-defunct Acadie-Bathurst Titan for the last three seasons.
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A hockey lifer, Dwyer accumulated 108 games of NHL experience in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a hard-nosed winger for the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens, and boasts an equally impressive coaching resume.
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'Great opportunity'
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Dwyer, who skated in a few AHL games in St. John's as a member of the opposition, says he's excited to become a part of a burgeoning junior hockey market in Newfoundland and Labrador and believes there's plenty of excitement, both across the province and across the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), for the arrival of the Regiment.
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'Ultimately, the buzz is real here… Not only is it real here, it's real across the Canadian Hockey League. People are excited to have junior hockey back in St. John's. Our goal is to be one of the top organizations in the CHL and in our league. We have the facilities, we have the ownership group, we have the team in place and our goal is to be one of those teams.'
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CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Newfoundland Regiment names first head coach and general manager
It's been just over five months since the Newfoundland Regiment unveiled its name and logo to a room full of screaming hockey fans eagerly awaiting the return of elite-level hockey in St. John's. On Monday, the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League's (QMJHL) newest franchise slotted in another big piece of the puzzle, by naming its first head coach and general manager during a news conference at the JAG hotel in the city's downtown. Gordie Dwyer will command the squad from behind the bench and in the front office. Dwyer spent the last three seasons in those roles with the Acadie–Bathurst Titan, meaning the ownership group, SPS Entertainment, didn't have to look far to find its first leader since buying the New Brunswick-based franchise last year. "Once our ownership group got to know the people in Bathurst, it became pretty obvious to us the direction we should go," team president Glenn Stanford told reporters on Monday. Beyond the QMJHL — also known as the Q — Dwyer has coaching and playing experience spanning the globe. As a player he spent time making a name as a gritty winger in major junior before making the leap to pro. In the late 90s and into the early 2000s Dwyer split time between the American Hockey League and National Hockey League with the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens clubs. As a head coach he found jobs throughout the Q, with a stint in the professional Kontinental Hockey League in Russia. Dwyer also served as a coach with Canada's U18 club on the international level. But the new bench boss has little time to soak in the moment. The Regiment is looking ahead to the QMJHL selection draft on Thursday. It has some draft capital in tow with three early first-round picks, and there are local players who could be among the top picks. "It's our responsibility to know the players and know the draft. There's a lot of work that goes into it, not just looking at a player once or twice," Dwyer said. "Ultimately we can't control the draft and where players happen [to go], but we've definitely got our eye on a few top prospects for sure." Looking ahead With the draft just days away, Stanford is busy getting things ready for opening night this fall. They'll release the regular season schedule in full on Wednesday, giving fans their first real look at the calendar for 2025-26. Stanford said there's still a few jobs on the table to hire for — an athletic therapist and assistant coaches — but those processes are underway. And what good is a logo without a jersey? Stanford said they'll unveil the sweaters on Thursday as well. Over 2,000 season tickets have been sold so far. Stanford said he expects more will sell once other packages become available. "I really do believe this week once the schedule comes out, once you see the results of the draft, hopefully, we'll have some more excitement around here next week," he said. The dressing room at the Mary Brown's Centre will undergo some changes to fit the criteria of a major junior hockey club. Stanford said the franchise will tie in some Royal Newfoundland Regiment themes in that makeover.
Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Former Hab Gordie Dwyer named head coach, general manager of NL's new QMJHL club
The province's new Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) team has named its first-ever head coach and general manager. Article content Article content On Monday morning, June 2, the Newfoundland Regiment announced that former Montreal Canadien Gordie Dwyer will be the first to take the reins as bench boss, the same post he held with the now-defunct Acadie-Bathurst Titan for the last three seasons. Article content Article content A hockey lifer, Dwyer accumulated 108 games of NHL experience in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a hard-nosed winger for the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens, and boasts an equally impressive coaching resume. Article content Article content 'Great opportunity' Article content Dwyer, who skated in a few AHL games in St. John's as a member of the opposition, says he's excited to become a part of a burgeoning junior hockey market in Newfoundland and Labrador and believes there's plenty of excitement, both across the province and across the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), for the arrival of the Regiment. Article content Article content Article content 'Ultimately, the buzz is real here… Not only is it real here, it's real across the Canadian Hockey League. People are excited to have junior hockey back in St. John's. Our goal is to be one of the top organizations in the CHL and in our league. We have the facilities, we have the ownership group, we have the team in place and our goal is to be one of those teams.'
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
CHL execs not panicking as players head to NCAA in changing junior hockey landscape
RIMOUSKI – London Knights GM Mark Hunter says it's concerning. Canadian Hockey League president Dan Mackenzie isn't panicking. Western Hockey League commissioner Dan Near, meanwhile, will be surprised if some players don't change their minds by Christmas. One thing is certain: winds of change are sweeping through Canadian junior hockey with some top CHL prospects flying south to the NCAA. Where it all lands is anyone's guess. 'It's a real new landscape here right now of what's going to happen to junior hockey,' Hunter said. 'The next two years are going to be some wild, wild west.' The WHL, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League have long produced the most — and many of the best — NHL players. But the talent pipeline could shift after the NCAA lifted a long-standing ban in November, allowing CHL players to compete at U.S. colleges starting next season. A wave of CHL talent — particularly players nearing the end of their junior careers — committed to American schools in the months that followed. In recent weeks, younger players Canadian junior teams had planned to build around have joined the trend. The WHL's Victoria Royals took a huge hit Friday when highly touted 2025 prospect Cole Reschny and 16-year-old Keaton Verhoeff committed to the University of North Dakota. Brampton Steelheads goalie Jack Ivankovic, 18, is reportedly following suit to the University of Michigan, joining projected first-round NHL pick Malcolm Spence, who's leaving the OHL's Erie Otters. Gavin McKenna could be next. Rumours have linked the prize of the 2026 NHL draft to the NCAA after he led the Medicine Hat Tigers to the Memorial Cup final on Sunday. 'It is concerning,' Hunter said. 'We can't sit there and say it's not.' While the country's top junior teams congregated for the Memorial Cup, CHL executives met in Rimouski to discuss what some fans see as the beginning of an exodus. The league is monitoring closely, but plans to let the dust settle before making any reactive moves. 'We don't know who's going and how that's all going to work,' MacKenzie said. 'We also don't know if they're going to stay, if they're going to go into the portal, if they're going to come back, like who knows? 'A lot still has to play out, but by no means are we panicking or not confident that we can't develop great players.' MacKenzie noted that the CHL has more NHL draft picks than any other league. He and Near also highlighted that a record 170 CHL players landed on NHL Central Scouting's pre-draft rankings. 'We are the best development environment in the world,' Near said. 'Am I surprised that NCAA schools are interested in our players? I'm not.' So why are players leaving? The increasing departures have some puzzled. 'The reasons they're giving us are basically, it's not you, it's me,' QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini said in French. 'You didn't do anything wrong. The support is perfect. My coach is great. My billet family is amazing. 'Why this move gets made escapes me.' Near believes players might view the NCAA as a shiny new toy. He also credits recruiters from U.S. schools as persuasive salesmen. The WHL commissioner, however, suggested the grass may not be greener. More than 300 players, he said, entered the NCAA transfer portal, a sign that many aren't satisfied with their situations. 'Means they weren't happy with where they were,' he said. 'When they're recruiting, they don't talk to you about whether the scholarship is guaranteed for the time that you're there. 'I'd be shocked if some guys didn't come back at Christmas because they didn't think it was what they expected.' The NCAA is still a proven path to the NHL. Teams have drafted 63 first-round picks from the NCAA in the last 10 years, including Macklin Celebrini, last year's No. 1 overall selection. MONEY TALKS One reason players could be eyeing the NCAA? Money. In June 2021, the NCAA implemented a policy allowing players to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). Near argued that NIL money would pale in comparison to future NHL earnings. He also raised questions about how much players could make under their foreign student visas. For example, Canadian basketball player Aaliyah Edwards couldn't actively participate in endorsements in the U.S. when she played for UConn. CHL teams, meanwhile, provide only a modest monthly stipend. Players are allowed to pursue sponsorship deals, but cannot be paid under the league's amateur student-athlete model. MacKenzie doesn't see that changing anytime soon. CHL VS. NCAA MacKenzie said the CHL and its schedule of 60-plus regular-season games — followed possibly by four playoff rounds and the Memorial Cup — is an ideal development path to the NHL. In contrast, NCAA teams play between 30 and 40 games in a given season. Cecchini highlighted that the average age of players in the NCAA also skews higher. 'Don't underestimate this, it's a man's league,' he said. There's also a bigger emphasis on school. While the QMJHL mandates players to study, the OHL and WHL have looser requirements. 'Some players may want to focus more on the hockey than on the school side,' MacKenzie said. 'Every player is different in terms of what their objectives are.' NEW RECRUITING METHODS The changing landscape, Hunter said, will force teams to ask more questions during their recruitment. 'Do you want to play in the CHL?' he said. 'You've got to be more specific about what their thoughts are. I totally agree with that. We have to be more thorough with what we're doing now.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The rule change could also swing the other way, with more Americans joining the CHL, now that players won't burn their bridge to the NCAA. This year's OHL draft saw a rise in American selections, and Cecchini predicted the same would happen in the QMJHL. Ottawa Senators draft pick Blake Montgomery, who's headed to Wisconsin next season, also moved from the USHL to the OHL's London Knights this season. Medicine Hat general manager Willie Desjardins sees teams increasing recruiting efforts south of the border. 'We'll look. I think there'll be more players coming up,' he said. 'We're going to do what we can to hold players from going to NCAA, we want them to stay with us, and USHL is going to do what they can to keep their players, so it won't change, but there will be a different flow of players.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025.
