SUDBURY – The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League announced today that Kirkland Lake Gold Miners head coach and general manager Marc Lafleur has been named an assistant coach for Team Canada East that will compete at the World Junior A Challenge Dec. 14-20 in Kindersley, Sask.
Lafleur will be joined by Marty Abrams (Wellington Dukes, OJHL), who will serve as head coach, along with fellow Canada East WJAC assistants Mark Grady (Smith Falls Bears, CCHL) and Troy Ryan (Campbellton Tigers, MHL).
The Gold Miners bench boss led Kirkland Lake to their first-ever NOJHL championship in 2013-14 and a berth at last season’s Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Jr. A event.
Lafleur, who was named NOJHL coach of the year in 2012-13, makes his second straight appearance on the Canada East staff after serving as an assistant and video coach at last year’s event held in Nova Scotia.
“This is another well-deserved honour for Marc,” offered NOJHL Commissioner Robert Mazzuca.
“The effort he has put forth in the league has earned him and his team a multitude of success and he has once again been recognized at the national level for those efforts with his appointment to the Canada East coaching staff,” added Mazzuca.
