Saturday, August 24, 2019

Wings Name Vernon Lakers/Vipers Alumni Mick New Head Coach/GM:

The Greater Metro Jr. A Hockey League Cold Lake Wings have named former Vernon Lakers-Vernon Vipers forward, Assistant Coach & Head Coach-GM Troy Mick new Head Coach/GM.

The Greater Metro Hockey League (GMHL) was originally founded as the Greater Metro Junior Hockey League (GMHL) by Bob Russell and Hockeyworks International Ltd., in 2006. The Cold Lake Wings are one of six expansion teams for the 2019-20 season.

Mick has been out of the hockey business, and was recently selling real estate In Vernon with Royal LePage.

Mick was recently named the new president of the USA Central Hockey League and a USA Central Hockey League advisor July 23 2018. 

The USA CHL started out as a six-team league with all the teams owned by the same group. Franchises in Rio Grande Valley and Laredo have already been publicized.

Mick recently parted ways with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks June 8th 2018. Mick had spent the past six seasons with the Silverbacks.

Mick played two seasons with the Vernon Lakers (1984-1986) before leaving the Lakers for the Merritt Warriors. Mick was also an Assistant Coach and in charge of marketing with the Vernon Lakers for two seasons (1993-1995) & spent one season as an Assistant Coach with the Vernon Vipers (1995-1996) before being named the Vipers Head Coach-GM the following season. Mick was Head Coach-GM of the Vipers for four years (1996-2000) before leaving for the Western Hockey League Portland Winterhawks. Mick returned to the Vipers as GM for two seasons (2005-07) before leaving in 2007 to sell real estate in Mexico. Mick was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in round 7 #130 overall at the 1988 NHL Entry Draft.

Troy Mick's Player-Coach Profile:

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=94293

This is posted on the GMHL website:

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

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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