It is with sadness that we inform the NMHA community of the passing of Glen Parnell. Glen was a dedicated and passionate hockey Coach. He simply loved being a hockey Coach.
Glen first coached in the NMHA in the 2003/2004 season as the Coach of our Minor Bantam AE team, finishing the year as the OMHA Finalists. He went on to Coach various teams with his last team being the Minor Bantam AA team in the 2015/2016 season. He Coached a York Simcoe Championship team for Midget A in 2005/2006. This was a particularly challenging season for the team.
In November of that season the Team was travelling to Windsor for a tournament. Due to weather their team bus had pulled over to the side of Hwy 401 waiting for better visibility. While parked, they were hit by a tractor trailer which resulted in several of the players being seriously injured, Glen’s own son being one of the more seriously injured. In the 2009/2010 season Glen was the Coach for our Bantam AA team. That season they were OMHA Finalists losing in the 3rd overtime of game #6. That year the NMHA were playing hosts for the Bantam AA OHF Championships and Glen’s team defeated the team that had beaten them in the OMHA’s in the Gold Medal game to win the OHF Championship. To-date, this is the last OHF Championship that the NMHA has captured. That’s his record, but to get a truer understanding of the type of Coach and man Glen was, Nick, one of his players in that 2015/2016 season wrote this tribute to Glen.
“During a season hockey players spend a lot of time talking about their Coaches. Some times its complaining about hard practices where they didn’t get to touch the puck or how much ice time they got. Sometimes players talk about who their favourite Coaches were and can always quickly name one of two Coaches. Sometimes they are favourites because the team had a winning season or they got lots of ice time, some times its because the Coach made the game fun or the Coach was a great teacher and got them to improve their game and some players realize that the Coach created an environment that allowed them to succeed.
For me that Coach was Glen Parnell. Before the Minor Bantam AA tryouts started I told him how much I wanted to make his team and play for him and if he gave me a chance I would work hard all season to improve my game. He gave me that chance.
Its been four years since I played for Coach Glen and I realize that what he taught me about hard work, and coming to the rink ready to play and understanding that getting to play Rep hockey is am earned privilege and to enjoy every minute you are still playing and not to forget to show appreciation to your parents giving you the opportunity to play hockey. These are some of the things I picked up that year and they helped me to be a better player and continue to develop my game and a reason why I have been able to play Junior B hockey.
Coach Glen was a great Coach and when my Dad called me to tell me that Coach had passed away I was really sorry I didn’t have the chance to tell him how he helped me be a better player and better teammate .
Thanks Coach”
It is people like Glen that bring to the forefront what it can mean to be a Coach. Thank you Glen for your many years of giving your time to the youth of our Community and to the family our sincerest condolences, thoughts and prayers are with you during these difficult time.