The Cape Breton Islanders U18 Major Hockey Club is proud to announce the hiring of Keenan Gillis as their new Head Coach.

Keenan is no stranger to our program. Over the past five seasons as an Assistant Coach, he has earned the respect of our players, staff, and community through his work ethic, steady presence behind the bench and his commitment to doing things the right way. He understands what it means to wear the Islanders crest and the responsibility that comes with it.

A student of the game with a passion for development, Keenan holds his High Performance 1 Certification and has been selected as one of only 12 coaches across the country to attend the Hockey Canada Skills Certification Course in Calgary this summer. This is a tremendous accomplishment and a reflection of the regard in which he is held within the hockey community.

Keenan’s roots in our program run deep. As a player he competed for three seasons with the Islanders and was a key member of our 2017 Telus Cup Championship team. He also captured an MJAHL Championship with the Edmundston Blizzard, experiences that have shaped his understanding of what it takes to build and sustain a winning culture.

Since stepping behind the bench, Keenan has brought that same compete level and team-first mindset to his coaching. He values hard work and takes great pride in helping young players grow—both on and off the ice.

A graduate of St. Francis Xavier University with a degree in Kinesiology, Keenan continues to give back to the game in his role as Development Coordinator with Cape Breton West Minor Hockey. He and his family call Judique home, and he remains deeply connected to the local hockey community. We believe strongly in promoting from within when the right person is ready, and in Keenan, we have a coach who knows our standards, our history, and what it takes to move this program forward.

We are excited for the season ahead and confident that under Keenan’s leadership, our players will compete hard, represent this organization with pride and continue to build on the tradition of Islanders hockey.

Regards,
Brian MacInnis, President.
Cape Breton West Islanders
2017 Telus Cup Champions