There will be a changing of the guard behind the bench next season as Golden Hawks get new coach

Written By ROBERT BELARDI

Former Head Coach Stan Kondrotas and General Manager Sandy Bell will not be returning to the Caledon Golden Hawks Junior C team this year. 

The tandem, led the Golden Hawks to a 17-22-1 record, including a red-hot 4-1 record in the final five games. 

The Golden Hawks, were ousted in the first round of the playoffs in four straight against the Penetang Kings. 

“I would like to thank Mark and Jake, for bringing me in to be the head coach of the Caledon Golden Hawks four years ago. I enjoyed my time at the helm of this team. I would like to thank the coaching staff, Sandy Bell; who I have worked with since day one, the fans and past and present players. I wish nothing but the best to the past players and the current players in their future endeavours, outside or inside of hockey,” said Kondrotas. 

Following a four-year tenure with the Golden Hawks, Kondrotas leaves the club as a two-time North Carruthers division coach of the year. 

Bell; a 19-year veteran in Junior C hockey, is 19 games shy of 1,000 games in the league. 

As both of their replacements, The Golden Hawks announced on their website Brett McCully is the new general manager and head coach of the club. 

McCully says, his decision was to join Arsenault Hockey Group. 

“They have a great franchise and just how their main goal is to grow hockey players to the next step. I've had the pleasure of coaching against the Jr. A team and just knowing whole organization and what their overall goal is, I know I wanted to be a part of that group.” 

The Mississauga native and now, Caledon resident was the former assistant coach and academic advisor of the Mississauga Chargers Junior A hockey club for three years. He also, made an appearance at the 2019 OJHL All-Star weekend behind the bench. 

Transitioning from the Jr. A level to the Jr. C level is not much of a difference for McCully. Moving into C level hockey, he says, was to develop himself more as a head coach. 

“I was a head coach at Humber College. Trying to learn more under the head coach with the Chargers, Joe Washkurak, I was able to grow as a coach and I thought this was a great opportunity to take a head coaching role and to help grow players and young adults.” 

Aside from the growth of players, McCully is most excited about the day-in and day-out operations of the team. He hopes to get the players out in the community and have the community engaged with the team. 

McCully, won three gold medals, one silver medal and college league titles as head coach at Humber College. 

His most notable coaching achievements came at Humber, winning West Division Coach of the Year and OCAA Coach of the Year.