Knights name new head coach
Will Zafiris to lead male team’s coaching staff for 2024-25
A familiar face behind benches in eastern P.E.I. is continuing to progress up the ranks to the New Brunswick/ P.E.I. Major Under-18 Male Hockey League next season.
Will Zafiris of Stratford has been named head coach of the Charlottetown Bulk Carriers Knights.
“I’m excited to work with this group,” Zafiris told SaltWire in a phone interview. “It’s an age group I’m familiar with from my time at previous spots, either coaching some of these players or coaching against them.
“It’s something I’m looking forward to and obviously we expect to be a competitive group and it’s exciting to get spring camp going in a few weeks.”
The Knights have announced an identification camp will take place May 26-30 at MacLauchlan Arena on the UPEI campus in Charlottetown.
P.E.I. RESUMÉ
Zafiris coached the Eastern Dukes to the P.E.I. under-16 male hockey championship last season. The Dukes lost the final of the Atlantic championship in overtime.
Before joining the Dukes, Zafiris coached the Eastern Express of the P.E.I. Major Under-15 Male Hockey League for six years.
“Will’s record speaks for itself,” said Knights president Glenn Gaudet. “Last year, he coached the Dukes to an Island championship and was within 10 seconds of an Atlantic championship.
“A year before that, he was with the Eastern Express and took them to an Atlantic final (in O’Leary). He’s got a (strong) resumé, is good with the kids and the kids really respect him.”
Zafiris said some priorities as head coach include assembling coaching and support staffs and planning weekly, on- and off-ice, schedules.
“For me, it’s another challenge as a coach,” said Zafiris, 38. “We’ve had success at the last few levels and being familiar with this level of competition and players and wanting to have success for them as a group and individually.”
The Knights and the defending P.E.I. and Atlanticchampion Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild are the two P.E.I. entries in the New Brunswick league. The
Knights and Wild play a regular-season schedule against each other and the New Brunswick teams.
At the end of the regular season, the two Island teams play a best-of-seven provincial championship series to determine the province’s representative at the regional championship.
“This year, it’s even one step further when Kensington is (expected to host) Atlantics,” said Zafiris. “We know we are playing them (in the playoffs) and know we are going to Atlantics (as the P.E.I. representative as Kensington is in as the host team).
“Everything builds to that point to be ready for that (playoff) series and that tournament in March or April.”
FOCUS
A big part of the under-18 league is developing players for the next level. Zafiris noted that may include working with players who are draft eligible or have been drafted and are looking to improve their game to make the next jump.
“The players are at various stages of their development (draft eligible/drafted), with the key being to bring their individual goals together to create a culture of pushing each other to be better to drive team success,” said Zafiris.
Gaudet said the Knights are looking forward to working closely with the Dukes, who are joined in the Nova Scotia Under-16 AAA Hockey League by the Tyne Valleybased Western Rebels.
“It was great when Hockey P.E.I. started the U16 (teams last season) because it gives the 15-year-old a chance to get experience (while) not (having to play against) 18-year-olds,” said Gaudet. “There are only a very few 15-year-olds who can step into the major (U18) league and (put up big numbers).”
VISION
Gaudet said the goal is for the Knights to become a desired place for local players to want to play. With zones now in place for the Charlottetown and Kensington U18 teams, the Knights draw players from the Express and Charlottetown-based Central Attack major U15 teams.
“(With) the program offered here, they get every bit as much exposure as they are going to get anywhere,” said Gaudet. “We are on the ice five to six times a week, we practise three times, play at least twice and are in the two big tournaments, Monctonian (in Moncton, N.B., in November) and Ice Jam (in Bedford, N.S.).”