Canadians name Trevor Litowski as assistant coach

MONTREAL – Canadian Hockey Club general manager Mark Bergiveen announced on Wednesday the appointment of Trevor Letofsky as the team’s assistant coach. Letowski has over 25 years of experience in the hockey world, including ten years off the bench in the Ontario Junior League (OHL) after a nine-season career as an NHL hockey player.

“We are very pleased to have Trevor added to our staff. I developed an excellent relationship with him, especially during our shared experience behind the bench for Team Canada during the 2018 World Junior Championships. Trevor is a versatile coach, a good tactical expert, and an excellent communicator. His extensive experience as a player and breadth of background will be on the All levels in hockey are an invaluable asset to success.Canadians head coach Dominique Ducharme said, “He has a deep knowledge of hockey today and I am delighted to add a candidate of his caliber to our pool of coaches.”

44-years-old Letoskey has ten years of experience coaching at the junior Canadian level. He began his coaching career as an assistant with Sarnia Sting at OHL during the 2010-2011 season where he also served as head coach and assistant coach respectively until 2015. The course then led him behind the Windsor Spitfires bench as co-head coach for two seasons, winning the Memorial Cup in 2017. He took the lead at the Spitfires the following year and held the record 91-83-24 in 198 regular season games as a team driver in three years.

Internationally, Litowski represented Canada three times at the World Junior Hockey Championships in 2014, 2016 and 2018. In the role of assistant coach, he helped win a bronze medal (2014) and a gold medal, in 2018, alongside Dominique Ducharme.

Before rising through the ranks as a coach, the former nine-season NHL forward played 616 career games on the Pittman Tour between 1998 and 2008 with the Phoenix Coyotes, Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Carolina Hurricanes. The center has 84 goals and 117 assists, plus added one goal and three assists in 17 playoffs. Litowski was assistant coach Luke Richardson’s teammate between 2003 and 2006 with the Blue Jackets. His playing career was also marked by stints in the AHL early in his career, as well as in the Swiss Elite League during the 2005 labor dispute. His hockey career ended after two seasons. In the KHL formed Barys Astana.

A native of Thunder Bay, Ont. , was selected in the seventh round (174) by Coyotes in 1996. Letowski jumped to the pro after three seasons of OHL with Sarnia Sting, collecting 248 points (93 goals, 155 assists) in 187 games. His 34-game streak with at least one point, recorded during the 1996-1997 season, remains a franchise record. He also participated in the World Junior Championships as a player in 1997, winning the gold medal. He finished the tournament with three points, including two goals in seven matches.