Jr. B Strathroy Rockets name Stanley Cup champ Jason Williams head coach

The Strathroy Rockets have hired Stanley Cup champion Jason Williams as their new head coach.

Ryan Pyette
Jul 14, 2020  •  July 14, 2020  •  1 minute read
Jason Williams (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press)

The Strathroy Rockets have hired Stanley Cup champion Jason Williams as their new head coach.

The 39-year-old Londoner joined the club after leading the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs minor midget AAA team to an Alliance championship and established them as a contender for the OHL Cup tournament, which was cancelled in March because of COVID-19. He previously served as an assistant coach at the Junior B level with the Komoka Kings and runs PHD Hockey Essentials skills training.

“Jason will provide a lot of valuable experience to our players as we continue our focus on player development within our organization,” Rockets GM Kent Coleman said. “Any time you can add someone with Jason’s resume, work ethic and attention to detail . . . you try to make it happen.”

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Williams replaces Jason Furlong, who will remain as an assistant GM, while assistant coaches Mitch McNeill, Matt Hackett and Brady Vandenberk will also stay on board. The Rockets finished sixth in the GOJHL’s Western Conference and fell in five games to St. Marys in the first round of the playoffs.

Williams spent four seasons with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes before playing 455 NHL games, most notably with Detroit, and won the Cup in 2002 with the Red Wings. He also played 375 American league games and over 150 more in Europe.