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GMHL

The Greater Metro Jr. A Hockey League

The Cold Lake Wings Hire Troy Mick as General Manager and Head Coach

Mick is a former NHL Drafted Player and has 17 years of coaching experience in the BCHL and WHL

 August 24th, 2019 at 8:51AM  August 24th, 2019 1:58PM

Cold Lake, AB – The Cold Lake Wings of the GMHL West announced August 22nd that former Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick Troy Mick has been named the General Manager and Head Coach of the team.

Coach Mick is originally from Vernon, British Columbia where he began his career in the BCHL playing for the Vernon Lakers and the Merritt Warriors before advancing to the WHL in the 1985-1986 Season. Mick would then play the next three seasons with Portland Winterhawks where he would dominate, posting 353 Points as a defenceman for the team. While with the Winterhawks, Mick was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 7th Round of the 1988 Draft, going #130th Overall. Mick would spend his final season in the WHL with the Regina Pats in 1989-1990, finishing his career in the WHL with 466 Points in 267 Games, and is 13th on the All-Time WHL Scoring Leaders List. Mick would then sign an entry level deal with the Penguins, but was sent to the ECHL for the next three seasons, where he would play 142 Games, scoring 214 Points in his time at the professional level.

In 1993, Mick would hang up the skates and return home to get behind the bench of his hometown team the Vernon Lakers in the BCHL where he would Assistant Coach for three seasons. In 1996-1997, with a new name, the Vernon Vipers named Mick the General Manager and Head Coach of the team. Mick would spend four seasons with the Vipers in the BCHL. In his time with the Vipers, they won the BCHL Championship and RBC Cup twice. With his success with the Vipers, Mick advanced again to the WHL to the Portland Winterhawks as Assistant Coach. Mick’s time with the Winterhawks was shorter this time around, spending only one season with the team before becoming the Assistant General Manager and Head Coach of the Tri-City Americans. Again, Mick’s tenure would only last one season, but he would land as the Head Coach of the Kamloops Blazers. In 2005-2006, Mick would return again to the Vernon Vipers for one season before stepping away from hockey for a couple of seasons. Mick return to hockey in 2009-2010 where he would take over as General Manager and Head Coach of the Revelstoke Grizzlies in the KIJHL. Mick would find success again with the Grizzlies, winning the KIJHL Championship, the Cyclone Taylor Cup (British Columbia Junior B Chamionship), and Keystone Cup (Western Canada Junior B Championship). Mick would then return to the BCHL level in 2012-2013 where he would be named General Manager and Head Coach of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, where he would spend six years with the team. Now he takes over as General Manager and Head Coach of the Cold Lake Wings for the 2019-2020 GMHL Season.
 

“I am excited about the dynamic that Troy Mick can bring that will help provide stability for the Wings entire organization and team success while enabling the players to maximize their potential individually,” said GMHL West CAO Bryan Keller. “His connections at the NCAA, Major Junior, and the Professional level will help move his players on to the next level as they play for the Wings this season.”
 

“We are excited to have Troy join the GMHL West Division,” Keller continued, “He is a quality person and brings with him a wealth of successful Western Hockey League and Junior A GM/Coach experience as well a former standout junior and professional player. He has a great understanding of today’s players and is known for having his teams play with speed and structure. His offensive flair as a player can be seen in his coaching style as well, and that will be exciting for the fans and the outstanding group of players he will have for the upcoming season.”

“I’m very excited to be named the General Manager and Head Coach of the Cold Lake Wings of the GMHL” stated the new boss Mick, “The town of Cold Lake is going to be very proud of these young men not only on the ice but off the ice, as we will be everywhere out in the community too. We have an amazing facility here in Cold Lake and from what I hear the fans are outstanding and I look forward to getting them off their seats this year.”
 

The GMHL is proud to see that its teams continue to hire high caliber staff to help with the development of its players. It is even more exciting to hear this news from the newly formed GMHL West Division, and we hope to continue this incredible growth as a league.

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