Frankford Huskies’ Junior C Hockey Coach Pat Shearer is “Coach of the Year.”
When Frankford got junior hockey back in 2021, Shearer said he had a five-year plan to make the team champs.
And Shearer believes the club is “ahead of schedule” on this path.
This year, Shearer was recognized across the entire 61-team league. He was named the Ontario Junior C (PJHL) Coach of the Year, the team announced in a recent release.
“When you think of where this team was in the 2021-22 season it is incredible,” said Shearer.
“We had to play catchup when we first got the club from Ayr (Centennials). It was a struggle at times in year one; however, we made sure the players enjoyed their experience.”
Hailing from Stirling-Rawdon, Shearer’s experience outside Frankford includes stints in the OJHL with the Kingston Voyageurs (now Collingwood Blues), the Pickering Panthers, and the Trenton Golden Hawks, along with several years coaching in the Quinte Red Devils system, reads the release.
“It is humbling to be recognized across the league. Our general manager Ian Green, my associate coaches (Doug Mathew, Jaxon Boyer, Andrew Lewis, and Scoley Dow) are incredible. This is an award by committee.”
But Shearer shared that he feels the most important award to come is a championship for the team – not a personal trophy, or a regular season trophy, but a league championship.
“We feel like we are moving forward in the right direction. The Coach of the Year honour does tell me however that our staff is doing something right, that we are going in the right direction.”
Frank Robinson, director of hockey operations, added that a coach in junior hockey has to be liked by the players – and said the players enjoy the environment and atmosphere that Shearer and his coaches create.
In three seasons, the Frankford Huskies have gone from winning one game in 2021-22, to winning the Tod Division Regular Season crown in 2023-24, noted the team.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
