We are only a couple of months away from training camp and the Parkland U18 Rangers have announced who will lead them onto the ice this season.
HEAD COACH:
From Swan River, Josh Tripp will serve as the team's new head coach. A former Ranger himself, Josh played two seasons with Parkland, suiting up in 91 games. He scored 37 goals during this time, including 30 of which in the 2014-15 season when he had 53 points in 44 regular season games and another five points in four playoff games. Josh then advanced to the junior game when he played with his hometown Stampeders in the 2015-16 season.
Deciding to make his way across the border to play in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) with the Corpus Christi Ice Rays, Josh then found his way back to his hometown and ultimately helped Swan Valley advance to the MJHL Final against the Portage Terriers in 2019.
He then went on to play one year of university hockey with the University of Manitoba Bisons before playing one season of senior hockey with the Wawanesa Jets and most recently, he's been a member of the Swan Valley Axemen. Josh served as an assistant coach this past season with Swan Valley under the leadership of Barry Wolff.
ASSISANT COACH #1:
Leading the Parkland U15 Rangers last season, Matt Kustra will now move up an age group. He will also serve as the team's goalie coach in the 2024-25 season. A one-time former Dauphin King, Matt was a championship goalie when he helped the Notre Dame Hounds win the AAA league in Saskatchewan in the 2013-14 season. He was also drafted by the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL) and later signed.
Kustra also represented Team Saskatchewan U16 at the Western Canada Challenge in 2013.
At the junior level, Matt played with the Kings, Yorkton Terriers, Blizzard Junior A Hockey Club, and Hearst Lumberjacks.
ASSISANT COACH #2:
With plenty of experience under his belt and a love for helping players develop and move to the next level, Tom White is back with the Rangers program. Tom led the U15 program from 2018 to 2022 and served as a tryout evaluator for the U18 Rangers in the 2019-20 season.
He was also an assistant coach of the U18 team in the 2017-18 season and head coach at the 2014-15 Director's Cup for Team Parkland.
Stay tuned in the coming days as we will be joined by the team's president Shawn Sarkonak as well as Tripp, Kustra, and White.
