Temiscaming, QC – The Temiscaming Titans announced on August 9^th that they have brought in Stanley Cup Champion Gaston Gingras as a Skills and Development Coach.

Gingras, a native of Temiscaming, began his career playing Junior A Hockey in 1974 for the North Bay Trappers. Following an impressive rookie season at the Junior A level, Gingras made the jump to Major Juniors the following season where he would play the next three seasons in the OHL for the Kitchener Rangers. Gingras would make the jump to professional hockey in 1978 where he would play in the NHL’s rival league, the WHA. Gingras would then be drafted to the NHL the following season by the Montreal Canadiens going 27^th Overall in the second round of the draft. Gingras would spend the next four seasons with the Canadiens before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He would spend two seasons with the Maple Leafs before returning to the Canadiens in 1985, where they had him finish the year with their AHL affiliate team, the Sherbrooke Canadiens. The Sherbrooke Canadiens would go on to win the Calder Cup that year, bringing Gingras his first professional Championship. The following season Gingras split time between Sherbrooke and Montreal, but ultimately became apart of Montreal’s Stanley Cup run in 1986, which they eventually win, giving Gingras two Championships in as many years. Gingras would spend three more seasons in the NHL splitting time between Montreal and the St. Louis Blues. Gingras would spend eight more years at the professional level, playing in the NLA, NLB, AHL, and finally the ECHL, before retiring in 1999 after twenty years of professional hockey.

Since his retirement, Gingras has grown his reputation as one of the best power skating and skills coaches. The Titans General Manager said in a statement, “It's an idea that came to me to give the players a unique experience and to take advantage of Gaston's knowledge and experience. [He was] a very mobile defenseman, and has always been a good skater as well as an elite shooter; his slap shot was one of the hardest in the NHL. Over the years, Gaston has become one of the best power skating teachers you can find. The Montreal Canadiens often use him to work on power skating with their prospects, as do many other organizations around the world. On September 2nd, Gaston will jump on the ice to work in power skating with all Titans players. He will then offer a clinic dedicated to defensemen. Finally, he will participate in a discussion with the players in the form of questions and answers, focused on his experience of the NHL, but also on the proper preparation to put forward to excel in hockey. For me, this is something that will greatly benefit players and demonstrates the organization's commitment to excel."

The GMHL is proud to see another team bringing in another high-end asset in order to develop its players. The Titans will now be the fourth GMHL team with a Stanley Cup winner involved with the team. The other teams are the Rosetown Red Wings (Head Coach Kevin McClelland), the Bradford Rattlers (Head Coach Ric Jackman), the Niagara Whalers (Director of Hockey Operations Ethan Moreau), and now the Temiscaming Titans (Skills and Development Coach Gaston Gingras). Between these four players are seven Stanley Cup Championships, with four coming from the Rosetown Red Wings Head Coach Kevin McClelland.