The Trenton Golden Hawks have a new coach, making four different bench bosses in just over four years.
Thomas Milne (Head Coach/GM), Colin Birkas (Assistant), and Justin Peca (Assistant) are out behind the bench of the G-Hawks.
Director of Hockey Operations John McDonald tells Quinte News that Birkas is heading to Nanaimo to be Associate Coach with the Clippers.
McDonald says that Justin Peca will become Coach with the Milton Menace, a new team in the OJHL, which relocated from Newmarket (Hurricanes).
He says Milne notified ownership he was leaving for personal reasons. McDonald says management and staff thank Milne, Birkas, and Peca for their hard work and dedication.
We chatted with Thomas Milne, who says he will be taking a year off from coaching hockey. Milne thanked the fans, his coaching staff, arena crew, and owners Sandy Smith and Rod Finney, whom he says are some of the best he has worked with in 25 years in the game. Milne had completed the first year in a two-year contract.
Peter Goulet, who coached the Kingston Voyageurs in 2018-19, is the new General Manager and Head Coach.
Jerome Dupont, who joined Trenton in 2011-12, lead the G-Hawks to back-to-back Buckland Cup (OJHL Championship) appearances, back-to-back Dudley Hewitt Cups (Central Canadian championships) and two RBC Cup appearances. In summer 2017, he and the team parted ways, making way for Marty Abrams, who left the Wellington Dukes to take the position. He was joined by Todd Reid (now Wellington’s GM) and Patrick Shearer.
The Abrams era lasted just one season. The G-Hawks lost in the first round. Then came Thomas Milne. Milne saw the G-Hawks finish 2nd in the division, but also lost in the 1st round.
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Peter Goulet (Photo by Shawn Muir / OJHL Images)
Goulet comes to the table with a long history in Junior A, CHL, and ECHL experience. He has served as Assistant Coach with the Brampton Beast (Belleville Senators farm team), Scout for the Halifax Mooseheads, the GM/Coach of the Nepean Raiders (CCHL), and two separate stints with the Kingston Vees. Kingston was recently sold and moved to Collingwood. Goulet will be naming his assistants at a later date.
Goulet tells Quinte News he is excited to join the organization. He says he truly looks forward to working with ownership and staff. Goulet adds that the team is committed to putting a great product on the ice and making sure they are in the community and getting a good education.
Meantime, Athletic Therapist Sarah Ditmars says she is moving to Ottawa and will begin a new job as well, ending her six years with the team. Ditmars says, “I have been privileged to spend six great seasons with the Trenton Golden Hawks and I would like to thank the owners, staff, players, and the community for the unmatched passion and dedication that is poured into this team. Thank you for all the great memories, Trenton.”
John McDonald says losing Ditmars is like losing a daughter. He says she was an asset to the team for her six years.
