NMHA player nominates coach in 'Why My Coach Rocks' contest
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Rhett Hamilton likes playing hockey.
The 10-year-old Nelson Minor Hockey player realizes a major reason why he likes playing Canada’s national pastime is because of his coach, Greg Andrusak.
So Hamilton decided to tell anyone who would listen of his gratitude by entering his coach into the BC Hockey “Why My Coach Rocks” contest.
“(Greg) has been my coach for the past six years, both during the minor hockey season and also during the spring season,” Hamilton wrote in his contest entry.
“I think he rocks because he pushes our team and I to do our very best. We work hard and have fun . . . we would not be a great team without him.”
Andrusak was one of the weekly contest winners along with Rick Carter of Kamloops and Alexandra Luggi of Fort St. James.
Hamilton believes thanks to Andrusak’s coaching, Nelson has been able to claim West Kootenay titles in Atom Division the past two years.
“(Greg) takes time away from his family to coach us and make us all better hockey players,” Hamilton writes.
“He runs the best drills around town.”
“They are challenging but fun. In our initiation year, we skated and skated and skated some more, but now we are all fantastic skaters because of Coach Andrusak,” Hamilton adds.
“He is funny, kind and is a fantastic hockey player. He used to play in the NHL. I have been very lucky to have him as my coach.”
Both Hamilton and Andrusak are now recipients of a BC Hockey Swag Bag.
The Pittsburgh Penguins selected Andrusak in the fifth round of the 1988 NHL draft after a college career at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
He spent most of his professional career in the International Hockey League and overseas in Europe.
Andrusak played a few games in the NHL with Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh.
