Surrey, B.C. – The Surrey Eagles are proud to announce head coach Cam Keith has signed a contract extension with the team for the next 3 seasons. The Eagles are coming off a 17-2-1 record in the 2021 Pod Season which was the 2nd best record in the BCHL last year. Keith has guided the club to a 44-25-9 record in the past 2 seasons, to go along with winning his only playoff series against the Chilliwack Chiefs in 2020 before the season was prematurely shut down due to the global pandemic.
The extension for Keith is a signal of times to come for an Eagles organization on the upswing. General Manager Blaine Neufeld believes the Eagles are on their way to something special with Keith at the helm. “Cam is the best thing that’s happened to the Surrey Eagles since the glory days of the 90’s. I feel he can bring those same moments back to us here in the present.”
Neufeld continued, “[Cam] is a coach who fully understands today’s game and how it continues to morph with the increased speed and skill. His first thought is development and that’s why year after year his team is one that competes for a championship. He understands how the foundation needs to be set first and all our players will attest that he creates a safe environment to succeed. I would also say Cam is one of the best skill developers the lower mainland has to offer. He’s already made an impact on local players aspiring to play Junior A hockey and I can’t wait to see how far his reach becomes through the summer months. We’re so fortunate to have Cam as our coach for the next 3 years. We have an amazing future ahead of us.”
The sentiments continued to come in from Eagles players who have, and will continue to play for him moving forward in their junior careers. Eagles captain Kieran O’Hearn credited Cam with giving him his start, which has now prospered into a commitment to Yale University next season. “Cam gave me my start in the BCHL and once he traded for me he instilled his confidence in me to become the player I am today. I wouldn’t be in the place I’m at right now without Cam’s help throughout the past 4 years since we first met.”
Eagles defenseman Jimmy Darby, who’s offensive game flourished this past season under Cam’s tutelage echoed his captain’s thoughts. “It’s a huge blessing. Not every team has a coach with Cam’s background and knowledge. In the two seasons I’ve played with Cam he’s created our culture as a championship team and has helped us adjust to different scenarios. It’s great news for our organization.”
Shifting down the age ranges, young defenseman Tait Ross is ready to roll with Cam as his coach as he gets set for his sophomore season in the BCHL. “It means a lot, Cam is one of the best coaches around and I know he will give everyone the opportunities to succeed for upcoming years. Cam brought me along and I’m forever thankful for the chance that he gave me and I can’t wait for the next few years.”
Finally, when asked about his extension Cam made it clear he didn’t want to leave this team which is on the cusp of greatness. “It’s been fun working here. Great group of people who support what we’re doing. The ownership of Chuck Westgard understands what it takes to build a program, and I see eye to eye with general manager Blaine Neufeld. He’s been completely supportive and we both see the same thing with players and what we want to do with our community with local players, along with developing the Surrey Eagles junior programs and I don’t want to walk away from it.”
When asked about the expectations for the Eagles moving forward, Keith made sure to state the championship expectations which have been set. “We wanna win a championship. We want to build the best team possible with all the local players who are available. This is an organization which historically has won in the past and Chuck, Blaine and I believe we’ll be able to achieve our goal while continuing to develop players who are ready to make the jump to the next level.”
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