Chris Bergeron scouts for Buffalo Sabres

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After 24 seasons coaching in the NCAA, Chris Bergeron has moved from Wallaceburg to the NHL as a Buffalo Sabers scout.

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Bergeron, 53, spent the past five seasons as head coach at his alma mater, Miami University.

“I am pleased to welcome Chris Bergeron to the Buffalo Sabers organization as an amateur free agent scout,” general manager Kevyn Adams said in a statement. “Chris’s remarkable achievements at university level, combined with his strategic focus on advancement and development, make him an ideal candidate for this role.”

Miami fired Bergeron in March after the RedHawks posted a combined record of 35-116-16 during his tenure. They were 7-26-3, including 1-21-2 in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, in 2023-2024.

He spent the previous nine seasons as head coach at Bowling Green.

The Chatham Micmacs alumnus played four seasons at Miami and seven in the pros before returning to Miami for the first time in 2000 as an assistant coach. The RedHawks went to the NCAA Tournament six times during his 10 seasons there and played in the Frozen Four twice. and were national finalists in 2009.

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Bowling Green ended its 29-year NCAA tournament drought under Bergeron, who led the Falcons to at least one playoff series win in all nine seasons from 2010 to ’19.

Copeland signs with St. Thomas

Chatham forward Landon Copeland, 17, has signed with the St. Thomas Stars in the GOJHL after playing last season at the Fort Erie International Academy.

Copeland was the FEIA U18 Falcons’ top scorer with 20-22-42 totals in 43 matches.

The former Chatham-Kent AAA Cyclone was selected by the Flint Firebirds in the 14th round of the 2023 OHL draft. He had 13 goals and six assists in 33 games with the U16 Cyclones in 2022-2023.

Greenside coaches at St. Marys

Former Maroons defender Brandon Greenside has joined St. Marys Lincolns as an assistant coach.

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Greenside, 34, played in the OHL with Guelph, Sudbury and London and in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League with Moncton.

After three seasons at Western Ontario, the London native played three more seasons in the Southern Professional Hockey League. He also played in the Netherlands and Australia.

He spent four seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Lethbridge and for Australia during the 2018 IIHF Division III Under-20 World Championship.

The Ewald brothers reunited in Fergus

The Blenheim Blades have traded Chatham forward Justin Ewald to the Fergus Whalers, where he will be reunited with his older brother Tyler.

Justin, 18, was the Blades’ leading scorer last season with 47 points in 40 games in the Provincial Junior Hockey League.

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Tyler, 20, had 29 points in 34 games with the Whalers and is an assistant captain.

The Blades have also announced their first two rookie signings – forward Dominic Goure and defenseman Cohen Kirkwood – for next season.

The Dresden Kings have signed four more newcomers: goalkeeper Blake Verberne, Daniel Norton, Evan Reeve and Tyler Law. Verberne backstopped the Lambton U18 AAA Jr. Sting to the Alliance playdown final and Norton was acquired from the Walkerton Capitals.

The Walpole Island Wild have re-signed ten veterans: Mitch Rawlings, Jackson Sterling, Logan Dobransky, Brayden Burm, Connor Debot, Nelson DeKoning, Garet Vandendool, Evan Derikx, Drew Bunda and Aaron Highfield.

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