CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has named the three Canadian Hockey League (CHL) general managers who will form the Program of Excellence management group for the 2024-2025 season.
Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville, LHJMQ) will debut as a member of the Under-17 Athlete Excellence Program management group at the 2024 U17 World Challenge in Sarnia, Ontario. Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON/Erie, OHL) returned to the Program of Excellence for a second year in a row as head of the under-18 program, helping Canada’s national men’s summer under-18 team win a third medal consecutive gold medals at the 2024 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in Edmonton last August. Peter Anholt (Naicam, SK/Lethbridge, WHL) begins a fourth straight season with the management group, leading the under-20 program again this year. He will advise Canada’s National Junior Team on its journey to and during the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, which will take place in Ottawa.
Additionally, Team Canada alumni Kyle Turris (New Westminster, BC) et Brent Seabrook (Tsawwassen, BC) joined the under-17 and under-20 programs respectively. Turris will team up with Lemay in his first appearance on the management group, while Seabrook joins the under-20 program for the second year in a row and will work jointly with Anholt.
“We thank Yanick, Dave, Peter, Kyle and Brent for their commitment and dedication to the Program of Excellence,” said Scott Salmond (Creston, BC)senior vice-president of high performance and hockey activities. “These three general managers and two illustrious alumni bring a ton of experience and leadership to Hockey Canada’s Under-17, Under-18 and Under-20 programs. The Program of Excellence started the new season off on the right foot, with our under-18 program winning gold on home soil with Dave’s help, and we know Yanick, Kyle, Peter and Brent are eager to continue to add to Canada’s successes on the international stage in the coming months. »
Lemay is currently beginning his second season as general manager of the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the Maritimes Quebec Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Last season, the Voltigeurs had a 102-point season under his leadership, winning the Gilles-Courteau Trophy awarded to the QMJHL champions and qualifying for the Memorial Cup. Before his hiring by Drummondville, he was an amateur scout for the Winnipeg Jets for 12 seasons (2011-2023), head scout for the Montreal Junior in the QMJHL for three seasons (2008-2011) and scout (1998). -2002), then head scout (2002-2008) for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, with whom he spent 10 seasons in total.
Brown led the under-17 program in 2023-24, where he helped Canada White win gold at the 2023 U17 World Challenge. He is in his 10e season (2015-2024) as general manager of the Erie Otters in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after four years as assistant manager (2011-2024), then director (2014-2015) team hockey activities. Brown led Erie to the OHL title in 2017, and helped the team to four straight 50-plus win seasons (2011-15), an CHL record. Before joining the Otters, he spent seven seasons with the Mississauga/Niagara IceDogs, first as assistant general manager (2003-2005), then as general manager (2005-2010).
Anholt led the under-20 program last season, as well as the under-18 program for two seasons (2021-2023). He helped Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team win a gold medal at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He is the general manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League ( WHL) for nine full seasons (2015-2024). He was promoted from his position as assistant general manager of the team in 2014. Anholt was also the head coach of the Hurricanes for part of the 2014-2015 season and he earned the title of administrator of the WHL year twice (2015-2016, 2019-2020). He has an impressive background acquired in the WHL as head coach, assistant coach and scout, including stints with the Prince Albert Raiders (1986-1989, 2002-2007), Seattle Thunderbirds ( 1989-1992, 2012-2014), the Red Deer Rebels (1992-1995, 1998-2000, 2007-2008, 2011-2012) and the Kelowna Rockets (1996-1998).
Turris played 776 NHL games over 14 seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes (2008-2011), Ottawa Senators (2011-2017), Nashville Predators (2017-2020) and Edmonton Oilers (2020- 2022), accumulating a total of 424 points (168 goals, 256 assists). He represented Canada at every age group in the Program of Excellence, winning gold at the 2006 U18 Junior World Cup and the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship. He did the same with Canada West at the 2006 World Junior A Challenge, where he was the tournament’s top scorer, earning him Most Outstanding Player honors. Turris also wore Canada’s colors at three editions of the IIHF World Championship (2014, 2018, 2019), including as captain in 2019, where he won the silver medal.
Seabrook played in 1,114 NHL games over 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks (2005-2020), collecting 464 career points (103 goals, 361 assists). He was notably assistant captain for 11 campaigns and lifted the Stanley Cup on three occasions (2010, 2013, 2015). He won the silver medal at the 2002 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the gold medal at the 2002 Eight Nations Cup at the 2003 IIHF World U18 Championship, as well as the gold and silver respectively at the 2005 and 2004 editions of the IIHF World Junior Championship. Seabrook also represented Canada at the 2006 IIHF World Championship and is a gold medalist at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Prior to his professional career, he played four seasons in the WHL (2001-2005) for Lethbridge , including two as captain of the Hurricanes (2003-2005).
The management group will work alongside Salmond, Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON)director of hockey activities, Al Murray (Regina, SK)chief scout for the U20s, Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB)chief scout for the U17s, Scott Walker (Cambridge, ON)coach assigned to player development, as well as members of the organization’s hockey activities staff. Routine activities of the Program of Excellence management group include participation in the selection of coaches and players, support of the coaching staff as well as ongoing provision of feedback at camps and events during the season.
The Program of Excellence is supervised by Katherine Henderson (Thunder Bay, ON)President and CEO of Hockey Canada, Pat McLaughlin (Saint John, NB)Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice-President of Strategy of Hockey Canada, Salmond, Roy, Dan MacKenzie (Guelph, ON)president of the CHL, Bryan Crawford (Hamilton, ON)commissioner of the OHL, Mario Cecchini (Saint-Lambert, QC)commissioner of the QMJHL, and Dan Near (Markham, ON)commissioner of the WHL.
For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow social media Facebook, XInstagram and TikTok.
