McParland to lead Lakers Hockey team

Dennis Lathem, V.P. of Hockey Operations with Nipissing University addressed guests and the media with new Lakers head coach Mike McParland in the background via video conference. Photo by Chris Dawson.

The Nipissing University Varsity Hockey Program made its first big step forward Tuesday as the school announced the hiring of North Bay native Mike McParland as the new head coach of the Lakers hockey team which will begin play in the fall of 2009.

"I'm excited and honored to be here as the first coach of the Lakers and to be returning home to North Bay," said McParland.

"This is a great opportunity to develop a top-notch program from the ground up."

McParland has not lived in North Bay for more than 25 years but he brings more than 20 years of coaching experience with him - including a number of Professional European coaching stints in Switzerland (Div. I & II) and Germany. He coached Team Canada to victory in the Loto Cup back in 2003.

Last season McParland coached EHC Basel in Switzerland and was let go by the organization in March.

He considers himself a player’s coach and with his European coaching background he hopes to ice a team with speed for the fall of 2009.

Recruiting

McParland is expected to be in North Bay to officially start his job by the end of October. While he has been away from North America for more than 20 years he insists he has the contacts and a network that will allow him to entice elite hockey players to the new program.

“My ace in my pocket is my connections in Europe,” said McParland from his video teleconference seat at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

“Through my connections here (Europe), I can almost guarantee them a job playing professionally in Europe after University.”

McParland is already putting that recruiting strategy together and will most certainly look internally at current Nipissing University students and other local players that can play at the varsity level . He said he’s contacted some Major Junior teams about the protocol surrounding talks with players at that level where November 1st is considered the earliest date a University can contact a Major junior player for the following year.

The Right Guy

More than 30 applicants put their names forward for the job including other well known North Bayites such as Beau Moyer, Darren Turcotte and Randy Edmonds.

Vito Castiglione, Manager of Sports and Recreation at Nipissing University calls McParland a world-class coach.

“Mike brings a tremendous knowledge of hockey, as well as, personal and professional contacts that will be essential in recruiting top players,” said Castiglione adding that among McParland’s references is former NHL and former Canadian Olympic team coach Dave King.

Castiglione believes McParland – A member of the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame – has the added credentials of playing at the University level in Guelph where he won a pair of OUAA championships.

“He also brings his experience as a student athlete; he understands the commitment our student athletes must make.”

The Assistants

McParland said he has discussed different assistant coaching candidates with the school but nothing has been confirmed yet.

Local hockey coaches interested in a position with the team such as John Couch or Beau Moyer may be good fits for the University program, however, McParland never gave a time frame on when he would fill those positions.