May 28, 2007
LAKEHEAD NAMES DON MCKEE AS NEW MEN'S HOCKEY HEAD COACH
THUNDER BAY, Ont.- Lakehead Athletics Director Tom Warden said McKee vast experience and proven success will be a strong addition to Lakehead Hockey. “Don McKee brings proven results at the CIS level, professional level, and junior level to the Thunderwolves. He has very strong national and international experience and he is both a highly skilled coach and educator with many years of quality coaching and administrative work with both Hockey Ontario and Hockey Canada. I believe Don is the right choice for Lakehead Thunderwolves hockey.” The archived May 23rd media conference videowebcast announcing McKee's hiring can be seen at http://mediastreamer1.lakeheadu.ca/ThunderVision/.
Lakehead University President Dr. Fred Gilbert said McKee is a welcome addition to Lakehead. “I believe Lakehead is very fortunate to have someone with Don's experience and skill as our new hockey coach. His reputation in coaching is stellar and his desire to win the CIS National Championship coincides nicely with the community's expecations for the Thunderwolves. I wish him every success in achieving that goal with us!.”
McKee said he is really looking forward to joining the Thunderwolves. “I’m very excited about this opportunity and having had the experience of coaching at a variety of levels; I’ve always been a person who said that coaching at the CIS level is one of the very special opportunities because of the high quality of the student-athletes you get to coach. I’m very excited to return to the CIS and especially to join Lakehead; one of the gems of Canadian university hockey. Lakehead has shown a great commitment to athletics and its hockey program and has built one of the elite and most respected hockey programs in a very short time. The fact that Lakehead will be hosting the national championships in 09 and 10 definitely shows the respect the CIS has for the Thunderwolves hockey program, and, as a coach, it is definitely a bonus to know we’re going to host and gives me incentive to build the troops to that level.”
McKee joins the Thunderwolves after after a very impressive coaching career in the professional, university, and junior ranks. McKee joins the Wolves after six seasons as Head Coach of the Odessa Jackelopes of the Central Hockey League (and WPHL) where he compiled an overall record of 241-159-52 (.600 Winning %). McKee led Odessa to three divisional titles and one Governor’s Cup Regular Season League title in 2002. He was twiced named Coach of the Year with Odessa and also received the CHL Kozuback Award for outstanding contributions to CHL hockey.
The Kitchener native brings a wealth of Canadian university head coaching experience to Lakehead as well. He coached the University of Waterloo for 13 seasons (1985-98) where he compiled a phenomenal record of 201-84-29 (.700 Winning %) and led the Warriors to 13 consecutive playoff experiences. He also twice took the Warriors to the then CIAU National Championships (90-91 and 95-96) with Waterloo taking national silver medals both times. In 1989, McKee became the only Waterloo coach to win the Father Kehoe Memorial Trophy as CIAU coach of the year. For his contributions to Waterloo Athletics; McKee was enshrined in the Waterloo Hall of Fame this past April.
McKee also has very successful international coaching experience. He was the Head Coach of the Sheffield Steelers of the British Superleague in 1998-99 and led the team to the Challenge Cup league championship title. He also served as assistant coach to Team Canada that won gold at the Spengler Cup in 1997.
Before taking over the reins at Waterloo, McKee was Head Coach of the Kitchener Rangers (73-74 to 74-75) and the Guelph Platers (80-81 and 82-83) in the Ontario Major Junior ranks and also coached Junior A, B, and C in Kitchener and Guelph in the 1970s and early 1980s. McKee led three of his Junior A teams to Centennial Cup (now RBC Cup) appearances.
McKee is a Level IV NCCP certified coach and has served on many provincial and national coaching bodies. He is an Instructor for the Hockey Canada National Coaching Certification Program, served as Chairman of the CHA’s Coaching Committee from 1996-98, and was chairperson of Hockey Ontario’s Coaching Committee from 1982-85. In 1998, McKee won the Gordon Juckes Award for Development in Canadian Hockey.
A lifelong educator and coach; McKee has a Master’s degree in Physical Education from California State University – Long Beach, a BA from Wilfrid Laurier University, and is a graduate of the Stratford Teacher’s College.
McKee is married to wife Shirley who is a retired teacher. The couple have two children; daughter Margo who is a teacher and son Phillip who is the Executive Director of the Ontario Hockey Federation.
(Source: Mike Aylward, Lakehead Thunderwolves, Sports Information)
Lakehead University President Dr. Fred Gilbert said McKee is a welcome addition to Lakehead. “I believe Lakehead is very fortunate to have someone with Don's experience and skill as our new hockey coach. His reputation in coaching is stellar and his desire to win the CIS National Championship coincides nicely with the community's expecations for the Thunderwolves. I wish him every success in achieving that goal with us!.”
McKee said he is really looking forward to joining the Thunderwolves. “I’m very excited about this opportunity and having had the experience of coaching at a variety of levels; I’ve always been a person who said that coaching at the CIS level is one of the very special opportunities because of the high quality of the student-athletes you get to coach. I’m very excited to return to the CIS and especially to join Lakehead; one of the gems of Canadian university hockey. Lakehead has shown a great commitment to athletics and its hockey program and has built one of the elite and most respected hockey programs in a very short time. The fact that Lakehead will be hosting the national championships in 09 and 10 definitely shows the respect the CIS has for the Thunderwolves hockey program, and, as a coach, it is definitely a bonus to know we’re going to host and gives me incentive to build the troops to that level.”
McKee joins the Thunderwolves after after a very impressive coaching career in the professional, university, and junior ranks. McKee joins the Wolves after six seasons as Head Coach of the Odessa Jackelopes of the Central Hockey League (and WPHL) where he compiled an overall record of 241-159-52 (.600 Winning %). McKee led Odessa to three divisional titles and one Governor’s Cup Regular Season League title in 2002. He was twiced named Coach of the Year with Odessa and also received the CHL Kozuback Award for outstanding contributions to CHL hockey.
The Kitchener native brings a wealth of Canadian university head coaching experience to Lakehead as well. He coached the University of Waterloo for 13 seasons (1985-98) where he compiled a phenomenal record of 201-84-29 (.700 Winning %) and led the Warriors to 13 consecutive playoff experiences. He also twice took the Warriors to the then CIAU National Championships (90-91 and 95-96) with Waterloo taking national silver medals both times. In 1989, McKee became the only Waterloo coach to win the Father Kehoe Memorial Trophy as CIAU coach of the year. For his contributions to Waterloo Athletics; McKee was enshrined in the Waterloo Hall of Fame this past April.
McKee also has very successful international coaching experience. He was the Head Coach of the Sheffield Steelers of the British Superleague in 1998-99 and led the team to the Challenge Cup league championship title. He also served as assistant coach to Team Canada that won gold at the Spengler Cup in 1997.
Before taking over the reins at Waterloo, McKee was Head Coach of the Kitchener Rangers (73-74 to 74-75) and the Guelph Platers (80-81 and 82-83) in the Ontario Major Junior ranks and also coached Junior A, B, and C in Kitchener and Guelph in the 1970s and early 1980s. McKee led three of his Junior A teams to Centennial Cup (now RBC Cup) appearances.
McKee is a Level IV NCCP certified coach and has served on many provincial and national coaching bodies. He is an Instructor for the Hockey Canada National Coaching Certification Program, served as Chairman of the CHA’s Coaching Committee from 1996-98, and was chairperson of Hockey Ontario’s Coaching Committee from 1982-85. In 1998, McKee won the Gordon Juckes Award for Development in Canadian Hockey.
A lifelong educator and coach; McKee has a Master’s degree in Physical Education from California State University – Long Beach, a BA from Wilfrid Laurier University, and is a graduate of the Stratford Teacher’s College.
McKee is married to wife Shirley who is a retired teacher. The couple have two children; daughter Margo who is a teacher and son Phillip who is the Executive Director of the Ontario Hockey Federation.
(Source: Mike Aylward, Lakehead Thunderwolves, Sports Information)
