Galati takes over as Red Wings head coach
New bench boss part of several personnel moves by the junior A hockey club
Mark Newman
Published on
Mar 28, 2008
It's what many people around the Hamilton Junior A Red Wings have been expecting.
Mike Galati was named new head coach of the hockey club earlier this week. He takes over from interim head coach Jay Kirk, following a season that saw the Red Wings employ three head coaches.
The 31-year-old former pro hockey player comes to the Red Wings from the Toronto Red Wings organization of the Greater Toronto Hockey League. Both organizations are owned or backed by Toronto businessman Stu Hyman.
"I think the Hamilton Red Wings are a great organization," said Galati, who left his post with the Toronto squad recently after it lost to the Toronto Canadiens in OHL Cup minor midget semi-final action.
Galati said he plans to put together a fast, physical team with the emphasis on defence.
"If we can manage in our own end, offence will fall into place," said Galati, who vows to make the Dave Andreychuk-Mountain Arena a place opposing teams will dread visiting.
Right now, Galati said goaltending is the team's top priority and he and team officials have been scouting four or five prospects.
As many as 14 players from last season are eligible to return. Galati said he'll begin speaking to the players individually next week. He was expected to be introduced at the team awards dinner March 26.
This is Galati's first time coaching junior hockey. He feels his two years with the Toronto Red Wings, where he amassed a 94-28 and 8 record, have helped him grow as a coach. Galati said he would like to move up as high in the coaching ranks as he can, that includes a future shot at the OHL.
Red Wings president and general manager Robert Turnbull said Galati's lack of experience at the junior level will not be a problem.
"He's got a lot of good people around him," said Turnbull, who added he was not ordered by Hyman to bring Galati to Hamilton.
"It was my decision," said Turnbull, who noted Galati comes "highly recommended."
Born in Toronto, Galati was a forward with the OHL Guelph Storm and the Owen Sound Platers in the mid '90s.
While with Owen Sound he was a roommate of Hamilton resident and future NHLer Adam Mair. He missed half of the 1995-96 season and half of the following season after an auto accident on Highway 10 north of Toronto left him with a severe concussion, a separated shoulder, hand and knee injuries and a 50-stitch gash in his chin.
Undrafted by the NHL, he headed to Europe to play pro hockey in 1997 with stops in Germany, Italy, the U.K. and the Netherlands. Galati said having an Italian passport made it a lot easier for him to play in Europe.
His final two years in Europe saw Galati serve as a player and assistant coach with the Leuven Chiefs and the Galeen Smoke Eaters in the Netherlands.
In 2006 he returned to Canada and the Toronto Red Wings organization. He also owns and operates Next Level Fitness, a conditioning centre in Vaughan. Most of his clients are hockey players.
In other moves, the Red Wings have added Lonnie Freeman as the team's vice president of hockey operations. Freeman was GM in Georgetown last season. Bill MacIntyre also comes to Hamilton from Georgetown, where he was head scout, as director of player development. Scott Elliott moves back behind the bench as an assistant coach along side Galati and assistant coach Chris Dunsmuir. Richard Zimmerman takes over as executive vice president of the Red Wings.
Tryouts for the Red Wings, by invitation only, are slated for April 26 and 27 at Chedoke Twin Pad Arena. Red Wings veterans and hopefuls will be on the ice for two hours every Monday night at the Mohawk Four Pad Arena from May to July. The team will take part in some U.S. tournaments in July before opening training camp with a maximum 40 players at the Dave Andreychuk-Mountain Arena Aug. 18.