The Saugeen Shores Winterhawks announced a change to the coaching staff for the upcoming WOAA Sr. Hockey League season.

Following the conclusion of the 2015/16 season, after four seasons behind the Winterhawks bench, Head Coach Peter Roedger informed the executive he would be stepping down.

Roedger guided the Winterhawks to a 66-23-7 record since taking the reins in 2012, including capturing the fourth championship in franchise history in 2013. “We can’t thank Peter enough for his tremendous dedication and leadership over the past four seasons,” said General Manager Don Matheson. “The time and effort Peter put into coaching the Winterhawks was unparalleled in this league or any other.”

To fill the vacancy, the Winterhawks are pleased to announce the hiring of Jim Grieve as the new head coach. The Burgoyne native is beginning his second stint as the head coach of the Winterhawks, having led the club to the most successful season in franchise history during his lone season as bench boss.

In 2011/12, Grieve coached the Winterhawks to a 23-1-0 regular season, which was capped with a perfect 16-0 run through the playoffs, all en route to the league championship. Grieve stepped down following the 2012 championship but remained close to the team in an advisory role before returning full-time last season as an assistant coach. “Jim was the one-and-only candidate we considered for this job, he’s the natural choice,” said Matheson. “Jim is respected around the league and he knows the players well, which will make for an easy transition.”

The Winterhawks will begin a quest for their fifth championship in 10 seasons when the regular season opens on October 14.