By Matt Stefano
A familiar face is coming back to help the T-Birds between the pipes this season.
And this time, he’ll be on the coaching staff!
The Soo Thunderbirds have announced on Thursday that they have hired former goaltender Brian Kment as the club’s goaltender coach for the 2022-2023 season.
“We are really excited to welcome a Soo Thunderbirds alum to our group of committed coaches,” said Soo Thunderbirds assistant coach and general manager Jamie Henderson. “Brian had real enthusiasm and understanding of what our goalies are going through with him having just finished playing hockey a couple years ago.”
“It’s an honour to be part of the Soo Thunderbirds organization once again,” Kment added. “When I first stepped onto the ice with them today (Friday) during the team’s practice, it brought back a lot of good memories from my playing years. It’s been eight years since I played with the Thunderbirds, but I feel like I haven’t missed a beat. I’m looking forward to passing down my knowledge and to educating the next generation.”
Kment, who is now 27-years-old, played in net for the T-Birds from 2012-2015, where he recorded an overall record of 37 wins, 7 losses, 4 overtime losses and 4 shutouts through 50 career regular season games.
In his final season with the Soo Thunderbirds in 2014-2015, Kment also helped the Thunderbirds win a Copeland Cup McNamara Trophy followed by a Dudley Hewitt Cup title.
“I remember winning the league and hoisting the Dudley Hewitt Cup with a bunch of my best friends,” Kment said. “I remember going through the ups and downs and learning how to persevere and battle adversity. I also remember being excited to go to the rink everyday and giving it my all, while working towards my dream of one day playing pro.”
Kment, who has been hired as the Thunderbirds goaltender coach, will be reunited this season with his former Soo Thunderbird teammates Anthony Miller and Joey Miller, who both currently serve as the Thunderbirds assistant coaches.
“It’s a pleasure to be coaching alongside Anthony and Joey,” Kment said. “Anthony was a great leader as a player and people always looked up to him, because he led by example and always kept a positive attitude. Joey was a skilled player and a great teammate, and he always played with his heart on his sleeve.”
NOTE
After his final season with the Soo Thunderbirds in 2014-2015, Kment then ended up playing one season with the Sault College Cougars men’s hockey team in 2018-2019, where he helped the Cougars win the ACHA D3 National Championship.
Then, following his championship season with his hometown Sault College Cougars, the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native then suited up for the Queen’s University Golden Gaels in 2019-2020.
