HEAD COACH: David Williams
Dave Williams enters his ninth season as Head Coach of the Stratford Warriors and in his previous season, won the 2022/2023 GOJHL Coach of the Year (Midwest).
Prior to joining the Warriors, Dave was the Head Coach of the Kitchener Dutchmen for the 2013-2014 season. With the help of Assistant Coach Mike McLeod on the bench, the Dutchmen finished the season in first place and tied the league record for most consecutive wins at 25 games.
From 2010-2012, Dave served as both Head Coach and the Director of Hockey Operations for the Listowel Cyclones Hockey Organization. During the 2010-2011 season, Listowel lost in the Cherrey Cup Final to the eventual Sutherland Cup Champions; the Elmira Sugar Kings.
Dave’s coaching resume extends beyond the GOJHL. From 2006-2010, he served as the Associate Head Coach with the Wilfrid Laurier Men’s Varsity Hockey Team. Dave was fortunate to be a part of this very successful University program which saw the team make it to the National Championship before losing in the semi-finals in 2007. Dave got his start coaching in the Midwestern Junior B Hockey League, when he coached in Listowel from 2003-2006 with Assistant Coach Jason Clarke. During the 2004-2005 season, the team captured the organization’s first Cherrey Cup.
In 2019-2020 Dave was named the OHA Coach of the Year.
A native of Stratford himself, Dave was lucky to have grown up playing for many local coaches that served as strong mentors within the Stratford Minor Hockey Association. His own hockey career saw him play for the Listowel Cyclones, the St. Mary’s Lincolns, and concluded in the 1995-1996 season as a member of Stratford Cullitons. Dave is a teacher at Mitchell District High School. Dave, Kerry and their 3 daughters (Dayna, Leah and Shay) reside in Nithburg.
ASSISTANT COACH: Phil Westman
Phil has been coaching hockey for over 30 years.
He started with Milverton Minor Hockey and has coached various levels since, including back-to-back Sutherland Cups with Stratford.
He and his wife Judy reside in Milverton and have two married daughters and a grandson Ryker.
ASSISTANT COACH: Dave Schlitt
Dave Schlitt returns to the Warriors for his seventh season as an Assistant Coach.
Prior to joining the team for the 2017-2018 season, Dave had twenty seasons of minor hockey coaching experience, including thirteen seasons as a Head Coach of various AA and AAA teams in the Waterloo Minor Hockey Association (1996 – 2009) and seven seasons as a Head Coach and Assistant Coach of the Huron-Perth Lakers Minor and Major Midget AAA teams (2009 – 2016).
For the 2016-2017 season, Dave was the Director of Operations for Alliance Hockey’s Under-16 Program of Excellence.
Dave was an Assistant Coach (2010) and Head Coach (2013) with Alliance Hockey’s Under-16 teams and was an Assistant Coach of Team Ontario Under-16 Men’s Hockey Team (2015 Canada Winter Games Gold Medalists).
Dave was also with the University of Waterloo Warriors Men’s Hockey program for eight seasons (2009 -2017) as the team’s Recruiting Coordinator.
Dave is the Director of Finance at Spruce Lodge Home for the Aged and resides in Stratford with his partner Lisa Phillips.
ASSISTANT COACH: Mike Knechtel
Mike has coached with the Stratford Minor Hockey Association at various levels for over 20 years.
His teams have made it to the Alliance finals twice in the past three years. Mike was a part of the U18 coaching staff whose teams earned a spot at the OHFs.
He has been a member of the SMHA Board for several years, the last three as Director of Minor Development. Mike was also a player in the SMHA system for many years.
Mike resides in Stratford with his wife Jen and two teenagers. He works at Industrial Contracting Solutions
GOALIE COACH: Mark Nelson
Mark has been a part of the Warriors team for over 20 years. Mark continues to serve as Goalie Coach and is entering his second year as Assistant General Manager. He has also been on the bench as an Assistant Coach.
Mark played Junior B for New Hamburg Hahns and Senior A for the Stratford Indians. He has also served as an Alliance U17 evaluator.
Mark is currently the Director of Evaluation for the Erie Otters of the OHL. He was also a Canadian University Scout for Rio Grande Valley Killer Bee’s of the Central Professional Hockey League.
Mark has recently retired after 30 years at Canada Post. Mark and his wife Patti live in Stratford and are proud grandparents to Cameron and Callum.
VIDEO COACH: Chase Windsor
Chase is the newly appointed Video Coach for the 2024-2025 season.
A recent graduate of Western University with a Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics, Chase brings a unique analytical perspective to the team. He has also recently completed a Sports Data Science & Analytics Certificate through Sports Management Worldwide, further enhancing his ability to leverage data in improving team performance.
With a background in Stratford Minor Hockey, Chase has a deep understanding of the game and a long-standing admiration for the Warriors organization. His extensive experience within the hockey community has prepared him well for this role. Chase is eager to apply his skills and knowledge to support the team’s strategies and achievements in the upcoming season.
