We sat down with Brandon to talk about the upcoming season.
1. Can you tell us about your background in hockey, both as a player and a coach?
I have always had a deep passion for the game of hockey since I can remember. I started out playing ball hockey at a very young age here locally in the PMMBHL and instantly gravitated to the goalie position and never looked back. I had a late start to my ice hockey career which started in my U13 year, playing for the PMHA local league team and had an incredible first season which made me fall in love with the game even more. From there I played at the Rep level for my U15 and U18 seasons being a part of teams that had some very successful seasons. I still play pickup hockey regularly with friends and love all aspects of the game.
My background in coaching started in the 2023-2024 hockey season when I was an Assistant coach for the U21 Juvenile Team in the PMHA. During this season I gained very valuable experience coaching alongside multiple bench members with 20 plus years of coaching experience. Our team had a ton of fun throughout the year, really coming together in the playoffs, winning our division. At the end of the season our coaching staff was very fortunate and honoured to receive the Coaching Staff of the Year award at the end of the season.
This past season was my second year as an assistant coach, helping on the bench with the U18 B in Penetang. Our team had an awesome year of growth and really came together towards the end of the year, although falling short in the playoffs, the hockey our team played at the start vs end of the season was night and day. It was incredible to be a part of and build relationships with everyone.
2. What is your overall coaching philosophy, and what values are most important to you as a coach?
My overall coaching philosophy is to create a positive environment with tons of support and reinforcement for all parties involved. I want all players, parents and fellow coaches to enjoy these years as much as possible, especially the children as they are in the best years of their life. I believe in keeping a constant line of communication and always staying professional.
I will support every child I coach and do the best job possible to create lifelong memories for the team while teaching them valuable life lessons along the way. I will teach respect, communication and a culture to always pick up the person next to you.
I value being a positive teammate and bringing your best to everything you do. Give 100% in everything you do and at the end of the day you can’t be upset with the results if you truly gave it your all. I will never get upset with anybody for making mistakes if an honest effort is put forth. I want to create a hockey family and create a bond for all players that will last a lifetime
3. What style of hockey do you coach, and what can players expect in terms of systems and game strategy?
I coach a fast paced, free flowing game with lots of movement and puck possession that creates offence but still staying structured and demanding that all players play a 200 foot game and take care of all areas of the ice. Players will be taught different systems and special teams for different game scenarios such as penalty kill, powerplay and much more. Players will be put in the best possible positions to succeed through hard work and preparation in practices. I will do everything in my power alongside the fellow bench staff to help all players develop all skills required to bring their game to the next level.
4. What are you most looking forward to in the upcoming season?
I am looking forward to meeting all the players! With every season comes an entire new group of personalities and I am thrilled to get everyone together as soon as possible for some team building activities to kickstart the season! I am beyond excited to see the talent level in the new organization and to see the growth that the organization is going to achieve.
5. Why should players want to be part of the Islanders next season? What makes this team and program special?
I think that players should want to be part of the Islanders because I believe across the organization as a whole the people are truly incredible. I think we have a very new school approach across the board and we are going to be very adaptive to new things and provide the best tools possible for every player to have the resources available to become the best hockey players and people that they can become.
6. Is there anything else you’d like players and families to know about you or the upcoming season?
I want all players and families to know that I feel the most important thing to a successful season is communication! I am always available to talk and want nothing more than to create an environment that is going to create the most confident young hockey players/people that will look forward to coming to the rink all year.
I am absolutely thrilled to be the head coach of the U15 B team for this coming season with the Georgian Bay Islanders and to help build this program from the ground up. I cannot wait for the season to begin and look forward to meeting you all!