ESTEVAN - The Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears Hockey Club has announced the hiring of Ryan Pilon as the new head coach, effective immediately.
“We are excited to welcome Ryan to the community and to have him help shape the future of our program,” said Bears governor Blake Jamieson. “Ryan brings with him an impressive resumé, and we as a board are confident he is the right person to lead our team to success, both on and off the ice.”
Pilon brings a wide range of experience to the Bears organization, including playing three seasons in the Western Hockey League. He was drafted by the New York Islanders 147th overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft
He won a gold medal for Canada at the 2013-14 U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and a bronze medal for Canada at the 2014 U18 World Hockey Championships.
After retiring from playing, Pilon coached two seasons with the now-defunct U18 AAA Beardy’s Blackhawks as an assistant coach and three seasons with the Delisle Chiefs of the Prairie Junior Hockey League as an assistant coach, where he also assisted in a recruiting role.
“I’m excited to move into this role and to begin working on building a strong team for our 2022-23 season,” said Pilon. “I’m looking forward to working with the board of directors to continue building this team and to develop our players on the ice, at school and in the community, so when they leave our program, they are better hockey players and better young men.”
“Ryan’s coaching philosophy is based on a passion for the game, and a team-first mentality that consists of integrity and good people,” the Bears said in a news release.
