The Powassan Voodoos have found their new coach.
Peter Goulet has been named the fifth coach in Voodoos history, succeeding Marc LaFleur who accepted a job as assistant coach of the Acadie Bathurst Titans of the QMJHL late this past week.
“I am so grateful to Jim Bruce, the owner of Powassan, for believing in me and giving me this new opportunity,” Goulet said in a press release.
“I look forward to working with Jim and the communities of Powassan, Callander and North Bay.”
Goulet brings loads of coaching experience as he most recently coached with the Trenton Golden Hawks of the OJHL, along with stops in the ECHL with the Brampton Beast, the CCHL with the Nepean Raiders, and scouting duties with the Mississauga Steelheads and Halifax Mooseheads. He also won league championships with Nepean of the CCHL and the Kingston Voyageurs in the OJHL. He's hoping to add another title in yet another Ontario league in the NOJHL.
Throughout his time coaching, he has helped set up players for NHL careers such as Mackenzie Weegar with Florida, Ben Hutton, Ryan Johnson, Scott Harrington, Buddy Robinson and goaltender Dan Altshuler.
“It’s an unbelievable accomplishment and I think it speaks to the players,” Goulet said at his introductory press conference. “I think it speaks to the players themselves and they were really coachable. I have had a lot of good players underneath me and a lot of players who have gone D-1 in the NCAA.
“Any good team starts with surrounding itself with good people and always starts at the top with ownership and I have been very lucky to have great owners over my career.”
The Voodoos, who won an NOJHL championship in 2017, has historically iced strong teams over the team’s history. Goulet believes team success helps players move to the next level.
“It brings success for everybody,” Goulet explained. “It brings it for the town of Powassan, all the players. Schools, NCAA, coaches want players at the top and players with championship qualities. Only one team can win a championship and no matter who wins, it takes special people off the ice and on it.”
Joining Goulet behind the bench from Trenton is Josh Hardiman, and long-time Voodoos assistant coach Josh Dale.
Goulet will get his first look at some of his players on July 9th as the team will have a prospects camp at Pete Palangio in North Bay.
