OJHL’s Brantford 99ers led by coach Dan Fitzgerald
BRANTFORD, Ontario (BVM) — For hockey fans, Brantford, Ontario, is synonymous with one name: Wayne Gretzky.
Born and raised in Brantford, it is safe to say that Gretzky put Brantford on the map. Heck, their hockey team, the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s 99ers, was named after Gretzky’s iconic jersey number. But, the small Ontario town goes beyond Mr. Gretzky and his contributions — although those are very significant.
The aforementioned Brantford 99ers are a team in the OJHL — a league known for being a crucial stomping ground for young players who hope to graduate to the major-junior ranks in Canada or the collegiate ranks in the United States.
At the OJHL level, though, few positions are more important than the head coach. As for the 99ers’ head coach, that distinction belongs to Dan Fitzgerald.
One of the younger coaches in hockey at 29, Fitzgerald enters his second full season with the 99ers.
His playing career only consisted of two seasons — both in the OJHL with the Stouffville Spirit — but Fitzgerald nonetheless brings a great sense of leadership to his role.
Prior to the OJHL’s season being suspended in 2019-20, Fitzgerald led the 99ers to a very respectable 29-24-0-1 record. Before that, Fitzgerald found success in the Greater Ontario Hockey League, leading the St. Catharines Falcons to second overall in 2017-18 with an outstanding 38-8-3 record.
Prior to his arrival in St. Catharines, though, Fitzgerald led another OJHL team to success: the Cambridge Winter Hawks.
In two seasons as Cambridge’s head coach, Fitzgerald led the Winter Hawks to a 35-point improvement in his second year. His efforts even helped him win the GOJHL Midwestern Conference’s Coach of the Year honors.
Fitzgerald was in the Pacific Junior Hockey League before Cambridge. There, he served as the general manager and head coach of the Dundas Blues, leading them to the league final.
Additionally, the Markham, Ont. native won some individual accolades while with the Blues: the Niagara District Hockey League’s Coach of the Year and the Ontario Hockey Association’s Coach of the Year.
The 99ers’ bench boss also owns and operates Fitzgerald Hockey, a company that specializes in on-ice player development and spring showcase tournament teams. Fitzgerald is also an Ontario Certified Teacher and, since 2011, has worked for the Niagara Catholic District School Board. He even recently attended McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. where he successfully obtained an MBA degree from the institution’s DeGroote School of Business.
Overall, Dan Fitzgerald has quite the impressive resume, which he hopes to use to his advantage this season with the Brantford 99ers.
The 99ers, by the way, are off to 5-3-0-1 record in what is still a young OJHL season.
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