Canadian Coaches Named for 2025 Junior A World Challenge

Oct

20

By Hockey Canada

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), has announced the coaching staffs that will lead Canada East and Canada West at the 2025 Junior A World Challenge, set for Dec. 7-13 at Colisée Vidéotron in Trois-Rivières, Québec.

Bruce Richardson (Pincourt, QC/Valleyfield, LHJAAAQ) returns for the second-consecutive year as head coach of Canada East, working with associate coach Billy McGuigan (Summerside, PE/Summerside, MHL), assistant coach Andrew Campoli (Oak Ridges, ON/Collingwood, OJHL) and video coach Mike Stinziani (Terrebonne, QC/Rangers de Montréal, LHJAAAQ). Trevor Blevins (Melfort, SK/Melfort, SJHL) will make his international coaching debut as head coach of Canada West, alongside assistant coaches Éric Labrosse (Wawa, ON/Lloydminster, AJHL) and Josh Gratton (Brantford, ON/Winnipeg Blues, MJHL), and video coach Carter Hansen (Craven, SK/Humboldt, SJHL).

“We are excited to announce two experienced coaching staffs that will lead Canada East and Canada West at the 2025 Junior A World Challenge in December,” said Mitchell Furlotte (Bathurst, NB), manager of hockey operations. “Both coaching staffs bring a wealth of experience across the CJHL and internationally, and we know Bruce and Trevor, along with their respective staffs, will create environments that will allow the teams to perform at their best as they compete for gold in Trois-Rivières.”

Richardson is in his second season as general manager and head coach of the Valleyfield Braves of the Ligue de hockey junior AAA du Québec (LHJAAAQ) after taking over as head coach in 2023-24. Last season, he won the Trophée Jean-Hébert as LHJAAAQ general manager of the year while also earning coach of the year honours. He previously served as head coach of the Victoriaville Tigres (2014-16) and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (2018-23) of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Internationally, he won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship and added a bronze medal in 2023. He was also an assistant coach at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, and served as head coach of Canada White at the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and as an assistant with Canada Black at the tournament in November 2014.

Blevins has served as the head coach of the Melfort Mustangs of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) for 13 seasons (2013-25), adding the title of general manager in 2020. He earned the Darcy Haugan/Mark Cross Memorial Award as CJHL coach of the year in 2024-25 after leading Melfort to a 46-win season and the best record in the SJHL (46-8-0-2). Blevins has led the Mustangs to four SJHL championships (2015, 2016, 2024, 2025) and three appearances at the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons (2015, 2024, 2025), reaching the championship game in 2024 and 2025. 

Hockey Canada and the CJHL have also announced that Justin Blackmore (Miramichi, NB/Miramichi, MHL) will serve as director of operations for Canada East, while Mike McAulay (La Salle, MB/Niverville, MJHL) will serve as director of operations for Canada West.

"We extend our utmost recognition to those who have earned the opportunity to represent Canada on the respective coaching staffs and director of operations roles at this year's Junior A World Challenge in Trois-Rivières," said CJHL president Andy Harkness. "It is a well-deserved honour to have a pivotal part in such a prestigious event." 

Full-event ticket packages are on sale now and can be purchased for as low as $145 (including fees) at HockeyCanada.ca/WJAC. A full-event package includes one ticket to all 10 tournament games, including the medal games.

Prior to the start of the tournament, Canada East and Canada West will face-off in pre-tournament action on Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. ET at Colisée Vidéotron in Trois-Rivières. Canada East will also take on Sweden on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. ET at Colisée Jean-Béliveau in Longueuil, Québec, while Canada West will play the United States on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. ET at Aréna de Montmagny in Montmagny, Québec.

All tournament games will be available via livestream on HNLive.ca, while the gold medal game will also be available on TSN+. 

Of the 17 gold medal games at the Junior A World Challenge, 13 have featured at least one Canadian team. Canada East will look to earn its first gold medal, having won silver eight times (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2023) and bronze once (2008), while Canada West has won gold six times (2006, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2023), silver three times (2008, 2009, 2012) and bronze three times (2013, 2018, 2024).

For more information on Hockey Canada and the 2025 Junior A World Challenge, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on FacebookXInstagram and TikTok.

Back to all News