BCHL, Coastal Conference

Eagles sign head coach Cam Keith to a three-year contract extension

Written by Brian Wiebe on

 

The Surrey Eagles have signed head coach Cam Keith to a three-year contract extension that kicks in for the 2021-22 season and concludes at the end of the 2023-24 season.

“Cam is the best thing that’s happened to the Surrey Eagles since the glory days of the 90s. I feel he can bring those same moments back to us here in the present,” said Eagles general manager Blaine Neufeld.

“He is a coach who fully understands today’s game and how it continues to morph with the increased speed and skill. His first thought is development and that’s why year after year his team is one that competes for a championship. He understands how the foundation needs to be set first and all our players will attest that he creates a safe environment to succeed.”

“It’s been fun working here. Great group of people who support what we’re doing. The ownership of Chuck Westgard understands what it takes to build a program, and I see eye to eye with Blaine,” said Keith. “He’s been completely supportive and we both see the same thing with players and what we want to do with our community with local players, along with developing the Surrey Eagles junior programs and I don’t want to walk away from it.”

Since being named as the Eagles head coach in March 2019, Keith has compiled a 44-25-9 record and clinched the playoffs in his first season behind the bench with Surrey. The 40-year-old also led the Eagles to the top spot in the Coquitlam pod this past season and two points behind Penticton for first overall in the BC Hockey League.

Keith’s career before joining the Eagles

Prior to the Eagles, Wilson served as an associate coach and associate general manager for the Chilliwack Chiefs during the 2018-19 season and was on their bench for their 2018 run to the RBC Cup national championship. He was general manager and head coach of the Trail Smoke Eaters from 2016-18 and also an assistant coach with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL from 2014-16.

The former centre and Nelson, BC native played in the BCHL from 1997-2000 with Victoria and Trail before embarking on a four-year NCAA career at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Keith also had a pro playing career that included stops with various teams in the American Hockey League and the ECHL.

Brian's been involved in the BCHL in a variety of capacities for 17 years. From 2002 to 2012, he served in several roles around the Merritt Centennials organization, including as team president, board member, beat writer, colour commentator, webmaster, media and communications coordinator and marketing assistant. He's been writing about the BCHL since 2008 and served as colour commentator on the TSN 1040 broadcasts in 2012-13. BCHLNetwork is one of Brian's many passion projects that he balances around his full-time job as an instructor in the Radio Arts and Entertainment Program at BCIT in Burnaby.