The North Central Predators (NCP) are ecstatic that Mark McGrath will be
returning to the Head Coach role for the 2023-24 season. The U-15 team will continue to benefit from his excellent leadership abilities and extensive hockey knowledge.
McGrath will be no stranger to this group of NCP players, who have been calling
him Coach for the past two seasons. This time around, he
plans to continue building off of the hard work that he and the team have put
in so far. “My first year was a huge learning curve and the second year was open
borders, causing another rebuild. This year I feel that we will have a core of
players to build around, to climb up the standings,” he said.
Looking forward to
next season, he said he hopes the team will be able to keep their momentum,
noting challenges with injuries and illness last year. “With body contact, injuries
are always a problem. Last year we had some injuries, but our team also got
the "flu" and was basically down for a month. It took another
month to recover. If we stay healthy we should have a good run,” he said.
McGrath’s own
hockey career was cut short due to injury, after playing professional hockey in
Germany and England. Prior to that he played on a D1 scholarship at St.
Lawrence University, and Tier II A for both the Barrie Colts and Muskoka Bears.
In his hometown of Bracebridge, ON, McGrath has been a high school hockey coach
for over 20 years. He is a prominent figure in arenas across Muskoka, having been
a South Muskoka Minor Hockey coach and skill development director. He also founded
the Muskoka Grizzlies girls’ hockey program with his daughter before handing it
over to the Muskoka Women’s Hockey League in 2019.
Leading by example
with enthusiasm and passion for the game, McGrath emphasizes the importance of
high character to his players. He is eager to get back on the ice with what he
describes as "just a phenomenal group of boys off the ice."
Our organization benefits greatly from Coach McGrath's positivity and thirst for continuous improvement. We look forward to seeing what our U-15 club will achieve this season!