Noel Kingwell, pictured here at a Hockey Canada Coaching Seminar. (Submitted photo/Noel Kingwell)

By Martin Martinson

Fresh Slate behind bench

Kingwell named interim head coach of AAA Sharks

Feb 16, 2023 | 9:37 AM

There’s a new face behind the bench for the Battlefords AAA Sharks.

Noel Kingwell has been named Sharks interim head coach for the remainder of the 2022-23 season, bringing experience, familiarity, and a fresh outlook to the team.

A board member with the Sharks for the last couple of years, Kingwell takes the coaching helm looking to right the ship for the team. The Sharks currently sit seventh overall in the Sask Female U18 AAA League, with a 1-20-2-0 record at the time of his arrival through their opening 23 games.

“Coaching changes are always tough mid-season, but we’ve tried to focus on the opportunity,” Kingwell said. “It’s a clean slate for everybody and we hope to move forward in a positive way and finish the season strong. This [past] weekend was a positive start for us, and the girls have, in my eyes, really responded well.”

In his first two games with the team last weekend, Kingwell saw the Sharks respond quickly, snapping a 20-game losing skid with a 4-3 shootout victory over Weyburn Saturday. They then followed the performance with a hard-fought 3-1 loss to fourth-place Notre Dame, in a one-goal game to the final minutes before an empty-netter stretched the end score.

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An experienced coach, Kingwell’s resume speaks for itself with time spent in the Alberta U18 AAA League, and Alberta Junior Hockey League (as an assistant), as well as the Prairie Junior Hockey League where he was named PJHL Coach of the Year with the Tri-Town Thunder in 2008-09.

Initially offering to step in until a new coach could be found to take over this season, Kingwell agreed to stay on with the team to finish out the season, giving the players stability at the coaching position.

He said there are lots of positives for the team to build on down the stretch, with a bright future ahead.

“The first thing that stood out to me right away was their pace,” Kingwell said. “They’re a really fast team and they work really hard, and they’re a very aggressive group as well. Those are the strengths I’ve tried to play to these last two weeks, coming up with a game plan that is aggressive both in the offensive and defensive zone and allows us to generate turnovers and attack the net.”

Kingwell joined the Sharks just ahead of a pivotal stretch in the schedule that will see the team set out to Langley, BC., Thursday for the Fraser Valley Classic U18 AAA Tournament, Feb. 17-20.

The tournament will kick off a busy stretch for the Sharks, as they will have three games in three nights after returning to league play to end next week, with games Thursday and Friday in Prince Albert, and Saturday in Regina.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1