Greyhounds hire OHL alumnus Tyler Ertel as Assistant Coach

Sault Ste. Marie – Soo Greyhounds General Manager Kyle Raftis announced today the hiring of Tyler Ertel to become the newest Assistant Coach with the Program. Ertel, a native of Kitchener Ont., joins Head Coach John Dean and fellow Assistant Coach Brendan Taylor behind the bench for the 2023-24 season.

“We’re really excited to add Tyler to our coaching staff. Tyler’s approach to the game is very progressive and leading-edge. With a focus on relationship building and skill-based learning, he’s going to be a key factor in pushing our group further”, said Raftis.

 “Tyler has extensive experience working with this age group and is  super passionate about developing people both on and off the ice. He has an excellent reputation for propelling players to the next level. We’re excited about the energy he brings and know that it will be infectious throughout our organization.”

Ertel, 52, is the Founder of Holistic Hockey. For over 20 years he has been working with professional and aspiring athletes of all ages and skill through his program that coaches and delivers superior training in a positive, supportive and motivating environment.

As a player, Tyler was part of minor hockey in Kitchener before he made the leap at age 15 to Jr. B. After a successful year, he graduated to the OHL as an underage draft pick and went on to play over 4 years in the OHL between the North Bay Centennials, Windsor Spitfires and Kitchener Rangers. In 268 career games played he recorded 119 goals, 157 assists, and 273 points.

He was recipient of  Scholastic Player of the Year, Playoffs MVP, Most Popular Player among others.

Following his OHL career, Tyler was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1990 NHL Draft (11th round). He would later average close to a point a game in his minor pro career before attending University of Prince Edward Island.

Tyler then obtained his Bachelor of Education at the University of Western Ontario and has been a teacher for over 20 years in the Waterloo Region, while combining his hockey and educational abilities to support others.

“ I am beyond thrilled to join such an elite organization as the Soo Greyhounds. I look forward to working with all of the young men on this team this year and moving towards the goal of winning a championship. I am thrilled to work with head coach, John Dean, and the rest of the staff and I’m very grateful to Kyle Raftis and the ownership for this opportunity” stated Ertel.