ANNING JOINS BRANDON'SCOACHING STAFF

Press Release 

Brandon, MB. – The Brandon Wheat Kings will have a new face on the bench this weekend as they continue their 7-game Western Hockey League road trip.
 
Wheat Kings’ general manager Kelly McCrimmon has announced that the WHL club has hired David Anning as the team’s new assistant coach for the balance of the 2012-13 season.
 
A 27-year old Winnipeg native, Anning was currently serving as an assistant coach and general manager of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Steinbach Pistons. He is scheduled to join the team on Sunday.
 
A former member of the Winnipeg Saints, Anning comes to the Wheat Kings with a wealth of MJHL coaching experience. Before joining Steinbach, he had spent two years with the Saints as their head coach and general manager, leading the team to the playoffs both years. In fact, this past season he led them to the Turnbull Cup Championship, before losing out to the Portage Terriers.
 
“David is a top young coach that will be a good addition to our organization,” says McCrimmon. “He has experience as an assistant coach, head coach  as well as experience with Hockey Canada’s Under 16 and 17 programs.  He will work primarily with our defence and Darren (Ritchie) will return  to a role similar to last season where he worked with our forwards.”
 
In Brandon, he joins head coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk, assistant Ritchie and goaltending coach Brent Zelenewich on a club that is currently 6-4-1-0 on the season. Before joining the Saints, Anning spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Dauphin Kings.

"It's a great honour to join the Wheat Kings organization and I'm excited to get started," says Anning. "I would like to thank Kelly, Dwayne and the Wheat Kings for affording me this opportunity."
 
Anning also was the assistant coach with Team Manitoba at the Western Canadian U-16 Challenge in 2009, an Assistant Coach with Team West at the 2011 IIHF World U-17 Challenge, the Head Coach with Team Manitoba at the U-16 tournament in Moose Jaw last fall and will be the Assistant coach with Team West at this year's 2013 IIHF World U-17 Challenge.
 
As a player, he played four seasons for the Saints, scoring 26 goals and 135 points.

 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)