Ottawa, ON – The Central Canada Hockey League has announced that OJS Head Coach Kyle Makaric has been named the 2022-23 Coach of the Year.
“I am incredibly proud and humbled to win this award,” said Makaric. To be in the same company as the great coaches who have won this in years past is an honour in itself.
This league has many great coaches and it pushes our staff every game to be sharp and detailed.
I have to give a major shout-out to Marty and Jamie for hiring me and trusting me with the Head Coach position with OJS. My assistant coaches Stuart Battrick and Ryan Hand as well as goalie coach Stephane Levere commit their time and effort to help this program succeed. As well as our assistant GM Lino Dixon who has been a great resource on staff this year.
Have to also thank our players who are a pleasure to work with every day. Our leadership group sets the standard and every guy shows up ready to work every day. As a coach that’s all you can ask and I thank them for their dedication to the process of another successful regular season.
From Day 1 everyone within the organization from the volunteers to our off-ice staff with Carm, Laura, and Kyle has been so welcoming and supportive. OJS is truly a family and I am grateful for the opportunity every day.”
Makaric, 33, who hails from LaSalle, ON is in his second season as the Head Coach of the Junior Senators after joining the team prior to last season.
This season, Makaric has helped lead the Junior Senators to a league-leading 40-8-3-2 record. The Junior Sens place first in Goals Against (121) and Goal Differential (+88), while sitting second in Goals For (212). In the Special Teams Department, OJS is tops in PP% (25.8%) and PP Goals For (55), while sitting second in PK% (87.3%).
“We were thrilled to hear that Kyle Makaric had won the CCHL Coach of the Year award,” outlined OJS President and Director of Player Personel Martin Dagenais. “He absolutely deserves it. He is one of the most hard-working coaches I know. Kyle is always well-prepared for games and practices. He always has a plan. He and his staff have done a tremendous job with our team again this year, and we hope for continued success come playoff time.”
Through two seasons, Makaric has coached Ottawa to a regular-season record of 83-16-5-4. During the 2022 playoffs, OJS went 12-1 to clinch its third-straight Bogart Cup and berth in the Centennial Cup.
Makaric becomes the first OJS bench boss to take home the award since 2012-2013.
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Photos and Graphic credit: Davide Disipio & Nathan Pavao
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