The Owner and President of the Trenton Golden Hawks has shared a letter with fans frustrated of the early season results of the team to start the 2026-27 season.
As of Tuesday, the Golden Hawks begin the year with a record of 4-9-2.
You can read the full letter from Shawn Hicks below:
To Our Fans,
I want to speak directly to you about our start to the 2026-27 season. At 4-9-2, our results have fallen short of expectations, and I understand your frustration.
Over the past five years, we have built a successful program, with five first-place finishes and three Buckland Cup appearances, including one championship. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together, and we’re committed to building on those results for the future.
That success didn’t happen by accident, and it’s the standard we hold ourselves to. Our start to this season doesn’t change the winning culture we’ve built or expect.
We did not enter this season intending to rebuild. We chose to retool, with a focus on player development, roster stability and building a team capable of competing. Our goal is to give this group the opportunity to grow together, build chemistry and be at its best when it matters most.
We have made targeted additions on defence and up front, and we continue to evaluate our goaltending to find the right combination for our team. We recognize that some areas need improvement, and we are actively working to address them. Ownership, management and coaches are united in our commitment to moving this team forward.
Our team ranks 10th in limiting high-danger scoring chances against, sixth in generating high-danger chances from the slot and eighth in expected goals at even strength. These numbers show that certain areas of our game are where they need to be, while others require improvement.
We are addressing those deficiencies with urgency, using the data to identify where we need to get better and taking action to close the gap. Our approach is based on facts, not opinions, and we remain focused on making the necessary improvements.
Our responsibility extends beyond our record. Players and families choose Trenton to develop their skills, advance their hockey careers and compete in a winning environment.
We remain fully committed to player advancement. In recent seasons, no Golden Hawks have advanced to the OHL and stayed. Only one player earned an NCAA Division I commitment, with several being withdrawn.
We want to continue building a program that helps players reach their potential and move on to higher levels. One of my proudest moments as President and Owner was seeing Dalton Bancroft sign an NHL contract with the Boston Bruins.
As an organization, we are focused on building a team that peaks at the right time of year, when the playoffs arrive, and maintaining roster stability by developing and committing to our players rather than making wholesale changes throughout the season.
Our players need to know we believe in them. We owe them a program that develops players who move on and succeed. That’s what this retool is about.
We will continue to provide our team with the resources it needs, make the necessary adjustments and work every day toward the results our community expects. We believe in this group and remain confident in what we can accomplish together.
We also want to strengthen our connection with you. We will be sending a survey to our season ticket holders to gather feedback and explore more opportunities for interaction between our fans, players and organization. Your support and input are important to us, and we want you to know that you are valued.
Trenton has the best fans in the league. You’ve long supported our players and stood behind this organization, and we have never taken that for granted. I understand that our current record is not what you expected. We know we need to improve, and we are committed to making the right adjustments.
Thank you for your continued support of the Trenton Golden Hawks. We look forward to seeing you at the Duncan McDonald Memorial Gardens.
Sincerely,
Shawn Hicks
President and Owner
Trenton Golden Hawks
