For over 20
years, many of the young hockey players in our area have had the good fortune
of being coached by Dave McWhirter.
Coach Dave
is one of our longest standing minor hockey Volunteers. He began as a coach with the Cobourg Cougars,
then stayed on board as the Cobourg Cougars and the Port Hope Phantoms
amalgamated to become the Northumberland Nighthawks. He has been a Coach Mentor to many new
coaches, and has shared his passion and invaluable skills with them. This year he is lending his talents to the
Atom AA team, coaching alongside Ryan Mullins.
His coaching career has been been impressive; behind the bench for close to 1500 games, with almost 1000 wins! He has coached 2 Silver Stick, 2 OHF and 4 OMHA Championship teams!
Coach Dave is the type of volunteer that great organizations likes ours are built upon. He is dedicated, skilled and expects great things from his players and coaches around him. He is a true “team” player and welcomes input, and involves the people around him in decision making. Those who have coached with him would describe him as fair, organized, and they commend him for his ability to adapt to the changes of the game - his hockey knowledge is unparalleled! They all also fondly recall his love for the “cycle”.
“Dave is the Scotty Bowman of minor hockey. He has a unique way in dealing with his players. One cannot describe his approach, you just have to be a part of it to understand its importance. Dave greets every player as they arrive at the arena and brings a welcoming presence to his teams. This builds his players self worth and creates a strong team atmosphere from day 1. His knowledge for the game and approach to coaching makes for quick and easy learning for his teams. Dave's players form a trust that propel them to new levels and striving to become better. Wanting to share his knowledge and passion with others has left our association in good hands for many years to come.” – Ryan Mullins
Dave is married to his lovely wife Judy, father to Lindsey and Grandfather to Landon and Blakely. Despite having his own busy home life, Dave has always generously donated his time to our youth hockey and our players are much better for it.
He is a very humble and generous man, and will not be thrilled with the attention that this Spotlight brings him, however – volunteers like Coach Dave need to be recognized and applauded for their outstanding contributions.
Kudos Coach Dave!
