EVERETT — The Everett Silvertips finally have a new head coach.
Following a four-month wait, the Silvertips announced Tuesday that they’ve hired veteran WHL bench boss Steve Hamilton as the team’s new head coach. Hamilton succeeds Dennis Williams, who stepped down as general manager and head coach at the end of last season to become the head coach of the Bowling Green State University men’s team.
The hiring of Hamilton was the first official act by new Everett general manager Mike Fraser, who was promoted from assistant general manager last week.
“He’s well respected around the league,” Fraser said about Hamilton. “He’s got a great history, great experience, and he’s a very personable guy. … I think the players are really going to like him. One thing that was constant when I was phoning my contacts is that every person said he was a great communicator with the players. That was a big thing for me in this whole process. We had a ton of applicants, a lot of people who were qualified for the position. But I kept coming back and comparing everyone to Steve, and I think that was the answer for me in the end.”
Hamilton has a wealth of experience as a WHL head coach. The 50-year-old native of Edmonton, Alberta, spent the past six seasons as the head coach of the Calgary Hitmen, compiling a 165-152-40 record before the Hitmen chose not to renew his contract following a 2023-24 season in which Calgary didn’t make the playoffs. Hamilton also was the head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings from 2014-18, compiling a 108-152-28 record. He was a key assistant with the Oil Kings during their run from 2012-14 when they reached the WHL championship series three straight years, winning two league titles and one Memorial Cup.
“I’m extremely excited to join the organization,” Hamilton said in a press release. “The Silvertips have a tremendous track record within the league as one of the best places to play with amazing fan support. They’re always right there in the mix to win a WHL championship, and I hope to bring my own spin on things and build off what’s already in place, which is a tremendous foundation and lots of talented players.
“I’ve always wanted our teams to be extremely hard working and hard to play against,” Hamilton added. “I believe in being a team that plays with a lot of pressure on the puck. Everett has done an excellent job of putting together a roster of players that are excellent with and without the puck. Now it’s just a matter of tweaking and building and staying with the foundation.”
Hamilton inherits an Everett team that has never missed the playoffs in the franchise’s 21-year history. Last season the Tips were 45-18-2-3 during the regular season and reached the second round of the playoffs.
Hamilton is also expected to have the services of a generational talent at his disposal. Everett selected defenseman Landon DuPont with the first-overall pick in this year’s WHL prospects draft. DuPont was granted exceptional status by the WHL to play full-time in the league as a 15-year-old. He is just the second player in league history to receive exceptional status. DuPont has yet to sign with Everett, but Fraser was confident it will happen soon.
“We’ve had good dialogue with the family all offseason, and with everything that’s happened with the club this offseason it’s created a bit of a delay,” Fraser said. “There have been some delays on their end as well. But everything is pointing in the right direction and I think everyone will be happy with the outcome in the end.”
Everett’s training camp in advance of the 2024-25 season opens the last week of August. The Tips begin the regular season against the Vancouver Giants on Sept. 21 at Angel of the Winds Arena.
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