Ontario Winter Games NOHA Team Staff

NORTH BAY, ON – November 2nd, 2023 – The Northern Ontario Hockey Association (NOHA) is proud to announce the U14 Ontario Winter Games Team NOHA Staff for the 23-24 season.

Head Coach – Tim McWhirter, North Bay

Assistant Coach – Anthony Miller, Sault Ste. Marie

Assistant Coach – Rick Barron, New Liskeard

Director of Operations – Jacob Brown, North Bay

Trainer – David Losier, Kapuskasing

Trainer – Lacey Rigg, Timmins

Tim McWhirter has been involved in coaching hockey in Parry Sound since 1995 at all levels. Most recently, Tim was awarded the 2021-2022 Ontario Hockey Federations Bill Richmond award recognizing outstanding achievement and involvement in the area of hockey development. Tim is a National Coaching Certification Program facilitator as well as a Hockey Canada Instructional Stream Development instructor. Tim has been a fantastic contributor to NOHA Development in addition to his work with the OMHA. McWhirter lists his family as his greatest joy and his biggest supporters.

Anthony Miller has been involved in youth sports in Sault Ste. Marie for nearly ten years, holding various coaching positions at the AA and AAA levels. Miller has previously served as an Assistant Coach with the Thunderbirds (NOJHL) from 2021-2023. He has also worked with the Soo Greyhounds (OHL) as the Teams video Coach during the 2018-2019 season. Additionally, Miller served as a Coach for Team NOHA at the 2022 OHL Cup. Anthony is also a registered NOHA and Hockey Canada on-ice official.

Rick Barron brings a wealth of knowledge with him aboard this Staff, as an individual who has been involved in Coaching within the NOHA for the Last forty plus years and counting. Barron currently sits on the NOHA Board as the district four Council Director. A constant contributor of his time and knowledge, “Bear” is a key individual that the NOHA leans on for Hockey Canada Course facilitation. Rick truly is an ambassador of all good things in our game, an individual who has extensive experience Coaching at the highest levels in the NOHA, Rick has since reverted to the grass roots levels and is currently giving back through the initiation program in New Liskeard.

Jacob Brown currently serves as the Technical Director of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Brown has a passion for player development, which lends itself well to the parameters of his duties with the NOHA. Brown started his hockey journey, like most do, at a very young age. Jacob has yearly involvement with Team NOHA that represents the North at the OHL Cup. He thoroughly enjoys the planning and execution of the annual U14 NOHA Development weekend. Giving back to the community is a huge part of his life and he hopes to pass those values along to his son.

Dave Losier is the Head Trainer for the Kapuskasing Flyers of the Great North U18 League, a role he has held since the 1998 season. He is an HTCP Level III Trainer and prior served as an ambulance attendant. He has been a trainer at some capacity for over 38 years, collecting a 3M Award for Safety in 1994. Five seasons ago, he was the recipient of the Tom Pashby Trainer of the Year Award for the NOHA.

Lacey Rigg was born and raised in Timmins, Ontario. She completed her post-secondary education predominantly in St. Catharine’s, Ontario but returned to her hometown and has continued to call it home ever since. Lacey embodies everything Northern Ontario is known for – a warm heart, friendly smile, strong sense of community, the glass-half-full attitude, and of course, a love for hockey. Lacey was introduced to hockey at a young age, coached by her dad, Dean. She continued to play in women’s leagues and joined the Timmins Rock Junior A Team as a board member and eventually took on the role of Head Trainer and Equipment Manager for four seasons. As she stepped away from her role of Head Trainer and Equipment Manager of the Timmins Rock, she has maintained her position on the board and continues to work closely with the organization. Off the ice, Lacey juggles her family, her position as an auxiliary officer with the Timmins Police Service, her full-time job with the City of Timmins as the Coordinator of Meetings, Conventions, & Sports Tourism, and still always makes time for her team. Through her community partnerships, Lacey encourages the Rock players to participate in various events, meetings, and giving back to the community who supports the team so strongly. Lacey was the recipient of the NOHA Trainer of the Year Award for the 2021-2022 season. Rigg is the current Trainer of the U15 AAA Timmins Majors.

This Staff will be responsible for evaluating players, and eventually creating a U14 Team NOHA roster that will compete in the Ontario Winter Games. The event will take place February 22-25 in Thunder Bay.

If you have any questions, please contact NOHA Technical Director Jacob Brown at jbrown@noha-hockey.ca