Soo Greyhounds General Manager Kyle Raftis and Head Coach Drew Bannister announced Monday, July 20th the addition of Steve O’Rourke to the club’s hockey operations as Assistant Coach.

“We’re excited to add Steve to our staff. He brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience that will be a great addition to our group,” started Raftis.

“As a player, coach, and through his work in player development, Steve has worked at both the junior and professional levels. What stood out most throughout the process was his passion for teaching and developing players. He’s a great hockey mind and will be a tremendous resource for our defensemen and our entire team,” he added before concluding with,

“Equally important, he’s someone we feel will fit in really well with the culture we’re continuing to build here in Sault Ste. Marie. We’re excited to welcome Steve to the Greyhounds and are looking forward to getting to work.”

The 51-year old native of Summerland, BC joins the Greyhounds after serving as Head Coach of the Seattle Torrent (Professional Women’s Hockey League) in its inaugural season.

Prior to that O’Rourke more recently spent part of three seasons with the Oshawa Generals as Associate Coach and Head Coach after over 13 years in Western Canada coaching at the Major Junior, Junior A and AHL levels.

Steve is also the founder and operator of Dual Hockey Training – an elite summer development program that integrates skill, sport science and wellness to players from junior, collegiate and pro levels.

“I am excited to join the Soo Greyhounds as an Assistant Coach. The Greyhounds have built an outstanding reputation as one of the OHL’s premier organizations, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of it. I look forward to working alongside Kyle Raftis and Drew Bannister, two people I have tremendous respect for, and contributing to an environment that helps young players develop both on and off the ice,” began O’Rourke.

“The opportunity to work with such a talented group of players is one that I am truly excited about. I can’t wait to get to Sault Ste. Marie, build relationships, and help our players and team improve every day. I would like to thank Kyle, Drew, and the Greyhounds organization for their trust and confidence. I’m looking forward to getting started,” he concluded.

Source: Soo Greyhounds