Provincial Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Juan Strickland named Mariners head coach

CHANNEL-PORT AUX BASQUES, N.L. — PORT AUX BASQUES, N.L. — A former star in the heyday of provincial senior hockey, Juan Strickland is going behind the bench for the Port aux Basques Mariners when they hit the ice for the new West Coast Senior Hockey League season.
General manager Mark Lawrence announced the Mariner legend and Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame inductee is set to coach the team.
In the announcement posted on the team's Facebook page last week, Lawrence said he felt a new voice was needed behind the bench and couldn't be happier to find someone of Strickland’s credentials and calibre.
Strickland was instrumental in the development of the senior Mariners in the former Newfoundland Senior Hockey League in the 1980s and helped bring the Mariners their only Herder championship in 1989.
He was inducted into the provincial Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016 and Lawrence noted Strickland's hockey resume is second to none. Lawrence feels Strickland's experience at the senior level will help the Mariners in what should be a tough three-team league.
The Mariners retired Strickland's No. 9 jersey last season and Lawrence and Strickland have been in constant communication since then. While work commitments may keep Strickland away for some games, he expects to make most of the 12 regular season games and playoffs.
Other members of the coaching staff had yet to be announced as of press time.

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