Ice Hockey



Canada’s national winter sport has been entwined with Shawnigan for decades, from informal scrimmages at the School to the development of an ice hockey program in 1974 to joining the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) in 2014 and the opening of the Charlie Purdey Arena on campus in 2015. 

Shawnigan’s hockey programs now include four competitive teams in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League and several developmental teams that play against other Vancouver Island schools. 

Shawnigan offers young hockey players a chance to play at a high level while obtaining an outstanding education, and our program is geared toward developing skills in the sport and helping student-athletes get to the next level, both on and off the ice.

Head Coaches

Kevin Cooper, Director of Hockey, Head Coach U18 Prep

Kevin Cooper is the Head Coach of the U18 Prep team and Director of Hockey at SLS, where he has been since 2012. A graduate of Middlebury College with a BA, he was a standout player, earning All-American honours three times and being named National Player of the Year in 2004. Kevin also received the NESCAC Player of the Year award three times. His professional hockey career spanned from 2004 to 2013, playing in the AHL, ECHL, CHL, Sweden, and Germany.
Carly Haggard, Head Coach U18 Female Prep 

As the Head of Female Hockey and a PE teacher at Shawnigan, Carly Haggard is committed to developing young female athletes. A 2003 graduate of Dartmouth College with a Graduate Diploma of Teaching, Carly has played at the NCAA Division 1 level, as well as in the Oakville NWHL and HC Lugano in the Swiss Women’s League.

Coaches

List of 9 items.

  • Jeff Compton

    Assistant Director of Hockey
    • Assistant coach for Shawnigan U15 Prep and U18 Prep teams
    • Holds a BSc in Kinesiology and MSc in Exercise Physiology
    • Has coached in the WHL, BCHL and ECHL, and has experience with NHL draft camps
  • James Gaertner

    Head Coach U17 Prep, Director of Goaltending 
    • Goaltending and assistant coach at Shawnigan since 2015; U17 prep head coach since 2024
    • Former head coach of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League’s Kerry Park Islanders and Lake Cowichan Kraken
    • Has also coached with the BC Hockey League’s Victoria Grizzlies, Cowichan Valley Capitals and Alberni Valley Bulldogs, and the University of Victoria
  • Donnie Switzer

    Assistant Coach U17 Prep
    • Coach at Shawnigan since 2019
    • Played junior B hockey for the Peninsula Eagles
    • Coached four years with Peninsula Minor Hockey
    • Certified referee from 1991 to 1994
  • James Pollock

    Head Coach U15 Prep
    • Drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the fourth round of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft
    • Played in the NHL, AHL, KHL (Russia), Swiss Elite League, DEL (Germany), and WHL
    • Represented Canada internationally on multiple occasions, including the Spengler Cup and Deutschland Cup
  • Andrew Ference

    Assistant Coach U15 Prep
    • Drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the eighth round of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft
    • Played in the NHL, AHL, Czech League, and WHL; won the Stanley Cup in 2011; Edmonton Oilers captain from 2013-2015; won the King Clancy Award (leadership on and off the ice) in 2013-14
    • Represented Canada internationally at the 1999 World Junior Championships
    • Current NHL Director of Youth Strategy; former NHL Director of Social Impact, Growth and Legislative Affairs
  • Lexxi Smith

    Assistant Coach U18 Female Prep
    • Coach at Shawnigan since 2019
    • Served on the board of directors for local female minor hockey association
    • Honoured with a U22 women’s tournament named the Smith Cup
  • Megan Price

    Assistant Coach U18 Female Prep
    • Head Coach for the BC Hockey Program of Excellence in 2024-25
    • Played NCAA Div. 1 hockey at Niagara University and U Sport hockey at Mount Royal University
    • Graduated from the University of Victoria with a Master’s in Coaching Studies
  • Eric Seo

    Assistant Coach U17 Prep
  • Paul Morris

    Assistant Coach U18 Prep

List of 4 items.

  • Program Highlights

    • A member of the CSSHL since 2014
    • Four-time U17 Prep national champions
    • 29 NCAA Division I players (male and female)
    • 10+ NCAA Division III players (male and female)
    • 20+ U Sports players (male and female)
    • 5+ professional players (male and female)
    • 5+ players have represented their country in international competition, both male and female
    • Each team has an annual tour – past examples include Finland, Lake Placid, California, and Ontario
  • Program Overview

    Situated within the context of the School's approach to well-rounded young people of character, Shawnigan’s hockey program aims to provide a hockey experience that will join with academic excellence, leadership, and responsibility to create success and opportunity in school and beyond in life.

    Teams: 
    • Competitive Program: Canadian Sport School League (CSSHL)
      • Boys’ U15 Prep
      • Boys’ U17 Prep
      • Boys’ U18 Prep
      • Girls’ U18 Prep
    • Non-competitive Program
      • Boys’ Junior Varsity (development)
      • Girls’ Junior Varsity (development) 
  • Seasonal Structure (Competitive)

    • From September to March, teams practice three to five times a week, along with one or two skill sessions and three or four physical development sessions. Teams play between 45 and 55 games each season.
    • From April to June, teams focus on skill development, with 3-on-3 games once a week; players are expected to participate in another school sport at this time. 
  • High Performance

    • Fitness and conditioning class (curricular) delivered by Jeff Compton and Andrew Ference
      • During the competitive season, this class is used for physical and on-ice skill development
      • Supplemental to team practice time
      • 2-3 sessions per week
      • Full access to the School’s home arena for on-ice sessions and to the athletic fields and fitness centre for dry-land training
    • Goaltending development delivered by James Gaertner
      • Once per week on-ice goaltending sessions throughout the school year, during either curricular fitness and conditioning classes or a spare block
      • Small group sizes (1-3 athletes maximum) which allows for specific individual needs to be addressed
      • Weekly video review of game footage
    • Video analysis and review for competitive teams
      • Access to The Prospects Exchange (TPE) for statistical analysis and review

Ice Hockey Facilities, Amenities & Support

  • Charlie Purdey Arena (on campus) – opened in 2016, and used by community minor hockey programs in addition to the School
  • Dedicated dry-land training facility
  • World-class, professional-standard broadcasting facilities
  • High-performance weight room
  • Spin room
  • Health & Well-Being Centre offering on-campus massage, acupuncture, and more
  • Athletic Therapists on staff
  • Athletics-specific university guidance support
  • Staff advisors for each student to ensure academic, athletic, and personal success

Alumni Success Stories

List of 8 items.

  • Ben Berard ’17

    • Played three years in the BC Hockey League with the Powell River Kings, serving as captain in 2018-19
    • Played four years of NCAA Div. 1 hockey with Cornell University
    • Signed with the American Hockey League’s Texas Stars in 2023
    • Signed with the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks in 2024, named an ECHL mid-season all-star in 2024-25
  • Reid Irwin ’17

    • Played three years in the Alberta Junior Hockey League with the Lloydminster Bobcats and Sherwood Park Crusaders
    • Attended Denver University from 2020-2022 on an athletic scholarship, winning a national championship in 2022
    • Transferred to Colgate University where he is currently in his senior year and serving as team captain
  • Morgan Jackson ’24

    • Morgan represented Canada twice at the U18 World Championships while at Shawnigan, winning a gold medal in 2023 and bronze in 2024
    • Now attending Northeastern University on a hockey scholarship
  • Georgia McLellan ’19

    • Played four years of NCAA hockey at Anna Maria College and Plymouth State University on scholarships
    • Currently playing for the Perth Inferno of the Australian Women’s Hockey League and the Australian national team
  • Maddie Nicholson ’20

    • Played three years of U Sports hockey at Brock University
    • Played one season of professional hockey for Uppsala in the Swedish National Women’s Hockey League
    • Now serving as the executive director of Hockey Yukon
  • Sarah Rourke ’19

    • Sarah is in her fifth year at Long Island University, and her second season as team captain 
  • Jojo Tanaka-Campbell ’19

    • Attended Shawnigan for five years
    • Played three years in the BC Hockey League with the Vernon Vipers
    • Named the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s Academic Player of the Year for 2019-20
    • Currently in his third year of NCAA Div. 1 hockey with Yale University
  • Seiya Tanaka-Campbell ’21

    • Attended Shawnigan for five years
    • Played two years in the BC Hockey League with the Vernon Vipers
    • Currently in his second year of NCAA Div. 1 hockey with Yale University

Ice Hockey Partnerships

The Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) was established in 2009 to give elite student-athletes an opportunity to increase their skills on and off the ice and provide them with a high level of competition as well as exposure. The CSSHL now features 38 schools in nine Canadian provinces and two US states. More than 900 graduates of the league have gone on to play at US and Canadian universities and colleges, and more than 60 have played in either the NHL or PWHL.

Our Athletes are attending

We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.