EDMONTON, Alta. – OHA Edmonton General Manager Randall Weber announced today that Serge Lajoie has been named the Head Coach of the OHA Edmonton Midget Prep team.
Lajoie joins OHA Edmonton after spending the 2018-19 season as the Head Coach of the Western Hockey League’s Kamloops Blazers.
“We are very excited about today’s announcement,” said Weber. “Serge brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our team and throughout the interview process, verified his skill, energy and desire to work with up and coming student athletes. Serge also brings with him the extensive experience of working with student athletes at various levels, which will further allow us to help our students develop to their potential, both in education and hockey.”
Prior to his time in Kamloops, Lajoie spent 13 seasons coaching at the collegiate level, including three seasons as Head Coach of the University of Alberta men’s ice hockey team, where he won the 2018 U SPORTS National Championship, and five seasons as Head Coach of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), where he was named the ACAC Coach of the Year twice.
“I am definitely excited to join OHA Edmonton,” said Lajoie. “This is an excellent opportunity to collaborate with a strong staff and motivated young athletes. I’m excited about helping these athletes reach their goals as players and help them grow as people.”
Lajoie served as an Assistant Coach for Team Alberta at the 2011 Canada Winter Games, before guiding Alberta to a gold medal at the 2013 Western Canada Challenge Cup. He has also been part of the Canadian National Team coaching staff on two occasions, serving as an Assistant Coach at the 2015 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge and as an Assistant Coach at the 2016 Under-18 World Championships.
As a player, Lajoie played junior hockey for the Blazers and the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s St. Albert Saints, before attending and playing at the University of Alberta, where he won a National Championship in 1992 and was named the University of Alberta Male Athlete of the Year in 1993. He graduated with a Bachelor of Education in 1993 and obtained his Masters of Arts, Specializing in Coaching in 2010.