Paul Smith will be the defensive coach for the WNGHA Midget “AA” program for the 2019-20 hockey season.
Paul brings several years of experience and success having coached provincial champions at all levels, in both girls and boy’s minor hockey.
Paul started coaching with the Belleville Girls Minor Hockey Association after playing junior hockey for Belleville. Two of his intermediate teams won OWHA Provincial gold medals, with a several of those players moving forward to play hockey at Canadian Universities.
His coaching success continued with Belleville Minor Hockey Association by winning two Eastern Ontario Novice “AA” championships. In both Atom and Peewee “AA” Paul coached his teams to gold and managed to attain BMHA’s first OHF “AA” championship title. Paul then took a small break from coaching and focused on his law enforcement career with Belleville Police Service, eventually earning the rank of Detective Sergeant.
Paul continued coaching and took on the head coach role with the Quinte Red Devils “AAA” Hockey Association at Bantam and Midget. Several of Paul’s players were drafted to the OHL, while others received scholarships across Canada and the United States.
Paul advanced his coaching skills by joining the OHJL-Trenton Sting as an assistant coach and eventually took the reigns as the head coach for two seasons. Several of Paul’s players found opportunity to continue in hockey by playing professionally in the AHL, NHL and the Russian Hockey Federation.
With his two daughters entrenched in girl’s hockey, Paul took the challenge and returned to the Belleville Minor Hockey Association where he coached his Bantam “A” team to a Bronze medal at the Provincial championships.
As Paul’s three children moved forward with their lives, he accepted the challenge of taking a head coach role with the Cold Creek Comets Girls Hockey Association. During his time with Cold Creek Paul coached Midget “A” and “AA” as well as the Intermediate “A” teams. With his guidance, calm demeanor and strong belief in team concepts he and his Midget girls produced both a gold and Bronze at the OWHA Provincial Championships. In addition to these provincial medals, Paul and his girls managed to win five LLFHL Divisional Championships, three consecutive LLFHL Championship Weekend gold medals and one silver.
Paul can be best described as man with exceptional moral values, having a true devotion for family life, he is patient, he is calm. Paul Smith has the ability to make every young hockey player he coaches, both a better person and player. Paul looks forward to coaching the WNGHA Midget girls in the 2019-20 season.