Wednesday, July 16, 2014 - Submitted by Courtesy of Okanagan Rockets GM David Michaud
The Okanagan Rockets announced Monday afternoon that Simon Ferguson will be the club's new head coach for the 2014-2015 season.
Ferguson had a terrific 5 year Western Hockey League career that culminated in 2004 as he won a Memorial Cup on home ice with the Kelowna Rockets.
In 2005, Ferguson began a professional career that would see him suit up in well over 500 games between the AHL, the ECHL, and Europe. In 2010, Ferguson was a member of the Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears.
After retiring, Ferguson returned to Kelowna and began working in the insurance industry. When the opportunity came up to get back to the game he loved, there wasn't a chance he would pass it up. "I'm really excited" said Ferguson.
"To have the opportunity to get behind the bench and learn a new aspect of the game is fantastic. I just want to come in and hopefully continue the success of last year in the pursuit of bringing home a Telus Cup championship to the Okanagan."
Rockets general manager David Michaud was equally as excited at the prospect of adding Ferguson to the Rockets staff. "When we set out to find a new head coach, the biggest thing for me was to find an individual who could help our guys get to the next level.
I say it a lot, but that is our number 1 job. Simon is a someone who had a terrific career in both junior hockey and professional, and I'm excited about what he can teach our players. Everyone I spoke to about Simon told me what a character person he was, and that's what I wanted in our next head coach."
