MONTREAL -- David Urquhart has been appointed as full-time assistant coach of the McGill University men's hockey team. He replaces Dan Jacob, who stepped down a few weeks ago to take a similar post with Blainville-Boisbriand of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

"We are very excited to have Dave join our coaching staff," said Kelly Nobes, entering his fifth season as head coach of the Redmen. "As a former Redmen captain and a pro player, he brings a wealth of experience to our group.  He will be able to relate to the players from both an academic and a playing perspective. 
 
"I would like to thank Dan Jacob for the time and energy he brought to the Redmen over the last four seasons and wish him luck with his new opportunity," added Nobes.

Urquhart, a former all-Canadian defenceman with the Redmen, had pro playing stints in the American Hockey League (Hartford, Hamilton), the East Coast Hockey League (Charlotte, Wheeling) and most recently, Italy, where he guided Ritten-Renon to a league championship last spring after previous seasons in Valpellice and Pontebba.

"It was a tough decision to retire from playing but it's great to be back at McGill and this opportunity to coach is something that I didn't want to pass up," said Urquhart, a 29-year-old native of Thorold, Ont., who also speaks French and Italian in addition to some German.

"The McGill family was a big part of my playing career here and was something that had a major impact on my life, as well as the people that you are surrounded by when you join this program. That's one of the big things that drew me back, along with the fact that the hockey team has been so strong. I think that I can be a part of continuing its success and contribute to getting it to the next level."

A three-time all-star at McGill, where he earned a commerce degree in 2008, Urquhart potted 23 goals and 107 points, along with 330 penalty minutes in 147 career games overall, during his four seasons. He is tied with Mike Babcock as the sixth-highest point-scoring defenceman in McGill history, trailing Gilles Hudon (152 points), Martin Routhier (135), David Bahl (110), Bryan Larkin (109) and Luc Latulippe (109).

Urquhart was also a two-time conference representative for the CIS Randy Gregg trophy, for combining hockey ability with academics and citizenship. He merited Academic All-Canadian honours and received the University's prestigious Gretta Chambers Award for leadership. In his senior year, he captained the Redmen to the Ontario University Athletics conference championship in 2008. It marked McGill's first Queen's Cup league title since 1946.

Urquhart was recruited to McGill in 2004 out of the Welland Cougars, a junior B team, and defied all odds by eventually making his way to the AHL, where the 6-foot, 190-pound rearguard played 130 games, scoring six goals and 23 points to go along with 78 penalty minutes.
 
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
514-398-1956 (Fax)
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