CALGARY – Kelly Nobes, head coach of the McGill University men's hockey team, was named by Hockey Canada, Monday, to lead one of three Canadian teams set to play at the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Sarnia, Ont., Nov. 2-8.
 
He is the sixth McGill hockey grad to serve in the capacity as head coach with Hockey Canada, joining a list that includes Mike Babcock, Guy Boucher, George Burnett, Real Paiement and Martin Raymond.

Nobes, appointed in May as an assistant coach with the national squad, was elevated to the role of bench boss and replaces Jean-François Houle, who left to accept a head coaching position with the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors. Joining Nobes as assistant coaches with the "Black" team is Montrealer Bruce Richardson from Victoriaville of the QMJHL and Josh Dixon of Oakville, Ont. Rounding out the staff is video coordinator Mike McKenzie, goaltending coach Michael Rioux and skills coach Domenic Pittis.

In his four seasons at McGill, Nobes, a 40-year-old native of West Hill, Ont., has guided the Redmen to a 121-50-3 record overall (.704), including a stellar 26-7-0 mark in post-season play. He led the team to three OUA East Division banners, a pair of Queen's Cup league titles and a CIS national championship (2012).

The inaugural national under-17 development camp opens Monday at the Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary and will run from July 29 to Aug. 4. The roster brings together 108 players from across Canada born in 1998, including 12 goaltenders, 36 defencemen and 60 forwards.
 
Nobes first earned his coaching stripes as an assistant at McGill, then began his head coaching career with stints at Royal Military College and Wilfrid Laurier University. With the three CIS institutions, he owns a combined 261-218-14 lifetime coaching record in 493 games overall. Voted OUA East coach of the year in 2011, Nobes established single-season school records for coaching victories in each of his three CIS programs.

During his playing days, he skated for four seasons at McGill, where he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education (1997) and master's degree in exercise physiology (2001). A speedy centre, he graduated as the ninth-leading scorer in Redmen history with 181 points, including 64 goals, in 131 career games. His most productive season was in 1995-96, when he tallied 20 goals and 63 points in 37 games overall.
 
FOR MORE DETAILS ON KELLY NOBES SEE ONLINE AT: http://www.mcgillathletics.ca/coaches.aspx?rc=392&path=mhockey
  
This year's World Under-17 tournament, previously known as the Quebec Esso Cup, is the first to feature three national clubs. From 1986 to 2014, Canada was represented by five regional teams: Atlantic, Ontario, Pacific, Quebec and West. The tourney brings together the top players in the world born in 1998 or later. The under-17 program is the first step in Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence. Many players who compete at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge go on to represent Canada with the national men's U-18 Team, the national junior team and the national men's squad.
 
CLICK HERE FOR CANADA'S NATIONAL UNDER-17 DEVELOPMENT CAMP ROSTER

For more information on the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca/wu17, or follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/worldu17 or www.twitter.com/hc_wu17.
 
 
SOURCE:
 
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca

Francis Dupont                                       
Manager, Communications                       
Hockey Canada                                      
(403) 777-4564                                       
fdupont@hockeycanada.ca