Dennis Williams has already assisted Canada to one World Junior Hockey Championships gold medal. Now he’s being tasked with leading Canada to another one.
The Everett Silvertips general manager and head coach was named the head coach of Canada’s team for the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championships, Hockey Canada announced Wednesday. World Juniors, which is the top international tournament for players 19 and younger, take place Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Moncton, New Brunswick.
Williams, who’s in his sixth season as Everett’s head coach and second as the Tips’ general manager, served as an assistant coach for Canada’s team that claimed gold at the coronavirus pandemic-delayed 2022 World Juniors, which took place in August in Edmonton, Alberta. Williams was in charge of Canada’s defense. Williams has been involved in coaching with Hockey Canada at various age levels since 2018.
“We are thrilled to welcome back Dennis … following a gold medal at the 2022 World Juniors to help bring momentum and consistency from our success in the summer,” Hockey Canada director of player personnel Alan Millar said in a press release.
Williams coaching at World Juniors means Everett will be without its head coach for about a month, as Canada’s selection camp takes place Dec. 9-12 in Moncton. Associate coach David Struch will take charge for the approximately 11 games Williams will miss.
Williams will no doubt bring Everett defenseman Olen Zellweger back as a member of Canada’s team. The 19-year-old Zellweger was one of the stars of the tournament in August when he had two goals and nine assists in seven games.
Ex-Tip Anderson joins Giants
Former Everett defenseman Dylan Anderson, who was a victim of the overager numbers game, has signed with the Vancouver Giants.
The 20-year-old Anderson appeared in 143 games with Everett over the course of six seasons, tallying five goals and 26 assists. However, the Langley, B.C., native was waived by the Tips at the overager cutdown deadline, as Everett elected to go with forwards Jackson Berezowski and Ryan Hofer and defenseman Aidan Sutter as its three 20-year-olds.
Anderson played in four games with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks before joining Vancouver. The Giants waived defenseman Tom Cadieux to make room for Anderson.
Tips sign prospect d-man
Everett received a commitment from another member of its 2022 draft class, signing 15-year-old defenseman Kaeson Fisher to a WHL standard player agreement.
Fisher, who hails from Brandon, Manitoba, was a sixth-round pick in the 2022 WHL prospects draft. The 5-foot-10, 140-pound Fisher is playing this season for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League, with whom he has one goal and five assists in 12 games.
Fisher’s signing means the Tips have secured the futures of their top four picks from 2022 as Fisher joins forward Julien Maze (first round), goaltender Corbin Sanderman (fourth round) and defenseman Ethan Makokis (fifth round).
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