Dennis Williams says growing up, Boxing Day meant shopping and watching the World Junior Hockey Championship.
The Stratford native was recently named the head coach for Team Canada at the annual tournament with the 2023 edition taking place in Halifax and Moncton starting on December 26th.
Williams was an assistant coach on the 2022 team that won gold.
He’s also the head coach and general manager of the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips.
He says the promotion to head coach for the national team is exciting for him and his family with several members still living locally.
Williams says he and his family try to get back to Stratford as much as possible and he calls the city a “special place.”
Since the news of his hiring was announced, Williams says he’s been contacted by friends who he hasn’t spoken with in around 25 years which he says means a lot.
Williams adds he’ll hopefully make Stratford proud at the tournament.
