Lethbridge Hurricanes name Matt Anholt head coach

The Lethbridge Hurricanes have announced the team’s new head coach is Matt Anholt. Quinn Keenan reports.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes didn’t have to look far for their next head coach.

The WHL club announced Wednesday that associate head coach Matt Anholt has been named the 16th head coach in team history.

Matt Anholt has spent the last seven years with the canes.

He started out as a skills coach before coming the associate head coach and assistant general manger.

Now he’ll be the bench boss for the first time in his coaching career.

“I’ve been here now for seven years. I know how much this community cares about the team. And I couldn’t be more honored to be here today, but especially in that way that I know the players here. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a big part of helping draft some of the players today, trade for some of the players,” said Anholt.

Anholt is the first Hurricanes head coach to be promoted from an assistant.

He says he’s been able to learn from former head coaches Brent Kisio and Bill Peters.

But he’s ready to put his stamp on the team.

“Not that we didn’t do it before at all before, we did a tonne of this sort of stuff, but I think in the new age, with the NCAA change I think skill development is going to be even more so at the forefront and we need to take a little time to understand how important it is for these kids,” said Anholt.

Matt will now be working directly under his dad, Hurricanes general manager Peter Anholt.

Peter had zeroed in on his son early in the coaching search.

He says the familial connection wasn’t a factor and he’s simply the best person for the job.

“Any hire you make there’s always the naysayers; there’s the optics of this and that. Ultimately, I know the new coach coming in pretty good,” said Peter.

Assistant coach Ryan Aasman will return to Anholt’s staff this season.

Joining the new coach is assistant Torrin White and goaltending coach Matt Weniger.

It will be a younger coaching staff than in years past, which Peter Anholt feels will better position the Hurricanes to deal with the evolving junior hockey landscape.

“There’s lots of good older coaches that would’ve been a fit here too. But ultimately my plan was to go this route.”

The Hurricanes open their season at home September 19 against the Calgary Hitmen.