Chris Bergeron scouts for the Buffalo Sabres

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After 24 seasons as a coach in the NCAA, Chris Bergeron from Wallaceburg has moved to the NHL as a scout for the Buffalo Sabres.

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Bergeron, 53, has been head coach of his alma mater, Miami University, for the past five seasons.

“I am pleased to welcome Chris Bergeron to the Buffalo Sabres as an amateur free agent scout,” general manager Kevyn Adams said in a statement. “Chris’ notable accomplishments at the collegiate level, coupled with his strategic focus on progression and development, make him an ideal candidate for this role.”

Miami fired Bergeron in March after the RedHawks posted an overall record of 35-116-16 during his tenure. They were 7-26-3, including 1-21-2, in the 2023-24 National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

He has been the head coach at Bowling Green for the past nine seasons.

The former Chatham Micmacs student played four seasons in Miami and seven as a professional before returning to Miami for the first time as an assistant coach in 2000. During his 10 seasons there, the RedHawks made six NCAA tournament appearances, played in the Frozen Four twice and reached the national finals in 2009.

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Bowling Green ended its 29-year NCAA Tournament drought under Bergeron, who led the Falcons to at least one playoff series win in all nine seasons from 2010 to 2019.

Copeland signs with St. Thomas

17-year-old Chatham forward Landon Copeland has signed with the St. Thomas Stars of the GOJHL after playing at the Fort Erie International Academy last season.

Copeland was the FEIA U18 Falcons’ leading scorer with totals of 20-22-42 in 43 games.

The former Chatham-Kent AAA Cyclone was selected by the Flint Firebirds in the 14th round of the 2023 OHL Draft. In 33 games with the U16 Cyclones during the 2022/23 season, he scored 13 goals and six assists.

Greenside trains with St. Marys

Former Maroons defender Brandon Greenside has joined St. Marys Lincolns as assistant coach.

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Greenside, 34, played in the OHL with Guelph, Sudbury and London and in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League with Moncton.

After three seasons in Western Ontario, the London native played three more in the Southern Professional Hockey League. He also played in the Netherlands and Australia.

He served as an assistant coach at the University of Lethbridge for four seasons and for Australia at the 2018 IIHF Division III U20 World Championship.

The Ewald brothers are reunited in Fergus

The Blenheim Blades have traded Chatham striker Justin Ewald to the Fergus Whalers, where he will be reunited with his older brother Tyler.

Justin, 18, was the Blades’ top rookie scorer last season with 47 points in 40 games in the Provincial Junior Hockey League.

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Tyler, 20, scored 29 points in 34 games with the Whalers and is an alternate captain.

The Blades have also announced their first two new signings for next season: striker Dominic Goure and defender Cohen Kirkwood.

The Dresden Kings have signed four more new players: goalie Blake Verberne, Daniel Norton, Evan Reeve and Tyler Law. Verberne was the backbone of the Lambton U18 AAA Jr. Sting in the Alliance Playdown Final and Norton was acquired by the Walkerton Capitals.

The Walpole Island Wild have re-signed 10 veterans: Mitch Rawlings, Jackson Sterling, Logan Dobransky, Brayden Burm, Connor Debot, Nelson DeKoning, Garet Vandendool, Evan Derikx, Drew Bunda and Aaron Highfield.

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