Belfast Giants Head Coach Adam Keefe has been shortlisted for ‘Coach of the Year’ by the Alliance of European Hockey Clubs (EHC), and the Teal Army are being called to vote en masse in order to land one more title for the club in a historic year.
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It follows an incredible season where Keefe led his side to three out of four available domestic trophies in the EIHL, whilst coming to within a single goal of both an IIHF Continental Cup Title and the EIHL Playoff Championship.
That’s good for a tally of four major trophies in only two seasons at the helm, having already clinched the Challenge Cup in his rookie year, before retaining it in Cardiff just a few short months ago.
Keefe has been named alongside peers such as DEL league and playoff winner Pavel Gross of Adler Mannheim, and current Champions Hockey League winner Roger Ronnberg of the SHL’s Frolunda.
The news comes as the Giants boss continues his season in Slovakia with Team Great Britain, making final preparations ahead of the IIHF World Championships.
He- along with GB Head Coach Pete Russell (Glasgow Clan)- led the side to the top flight of international hockey for the first time since 1994, and are set to take on some of the world’s best in Canada, USA, Denmark, Finland, Slovakia and France in just a few days.
And so it seems that older brother Sheldon isn’t the only one in the family with a gift behind the bench- the elder Keefe continues to excel in North America having led the AHL’s Toronto Marlies to a Calder Cup last season (with a team featuring none other than Kyle Baun), and is tipped by many to be NHL-bound.
With that said however, in this part of the world, there’s only one Keefer. And he needs your vote!
Words: Joel Neill
Images: William Cherry / Press Eye
