Keyano Huskies hire former Oil Barons coach Tom Keca

Posted On Thursday July 04, 2019

Keyano College has hired Tom Keca, former Head Coach and General Manager of the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, as it moves forward to re-establish its Huskies Men’s hockey program and start a new Women’s hockey program.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring a coach of Tom’s calibre into the Keyano Huskies fold,” said Jonathan Lambert, Director of Athletics, Sport and Student Wellness. “His passion for hockey and for the community is a huge benefit, and his hiring represents a giant leap forward in our effort to bring hockey back to Keyano. His connection with the community’s local hockey coaches will add greatly to the already large impact on grass root development of sport that our Keyano coaches have in our region.”

Keca brings an impressive coaching resume to Keyano. He spent more than 13 years behind the Oil Barons bench as General Manager, Coach and Assistant Coach, garnering AJHL Coach of the Year honours in 2016-17. He was also a Head Coach of the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats.

His hiring is directly related to the college’s impending application to the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC). He will be building a program from the ground up, and one of his first priorities will be to assist putting together the ACAC bid.

The College is looking to build men’s and women’s hockey programs with hopes of icing a team for the 2020-21 season.

To do that, Keca will be heavily focused on recruiting. Re-establishing a program will be a challenge, but he feels it is also an exciting opportunity to build and be a part of something special.

As well as enhancing contacts within the college hockey system, Keca will also be actively working to repair community relationships that were affected when the Huskies hockey program was cut as a cost-saving measure in April 2016. This task will include the creation, along with Huskies Athletic Director Lambert, of a community advisory committee which will consist of people in our community who are passionate about Sport and want to help the College guide Huskies Athletics toward a successful and sustainable future.

“I know the College wants to build a sustainable program, but as part of that, we’ll have to convince the community that we’re here for the long haul,” said Keca.

Keca says he is excited and proud to join a college that he is an alumni of and one his father Wally admirably served as an administrator and instructor for many years.

“My father was at Keyano for 27 years and as a result I grew up running in these halls,” he notes. “This is my home, and I believe our community and this college has a lot to offer. I’m looking forward to it.”

 

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