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Former Shuswap Totem receives B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame coaching honours

Tim Coghlin recognized for outstanding coaching career
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Tim Coghlin (front row, second from left) was among the first Shuswap Totems’ players to join their ranks for their inaugural 1982-83 season. Coghlin went on to make hockey a central part of his life, coaching university hockey with the St. Norbert College varsity team since 1994. Recently, Coghlin was added to the list of the top 100 coaches in university ice hockey, with the second highest win percentage of all time at .757, and will be presented with an award for his success by the BC Hockey Hall of Fame. (Image contributed)

When the Shuswap Totems entered their first season in the BCHL, the coaching staff had to scour the countryside for players to fill their roster.

Three of those players stand out from the inaugural season in 1982-83: Rick Munro, Mike Leggo and Tim Coghlin.

Munro went on to become a Hollywood actor, Leggo just retired after 21 seasons and more than 1,200 games as an NHL referee, and Coghlin recently became the winningest coach in NCAA Div III hockey history at St Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin.

Each player has their own story of how they managed to achieve success in their chosen career.

Coghlin will receive the Pat Quinn Coaching Award for his outstanding success with the St. Norbert varsity hockey team at the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame banquet on Friday, July 20 in Penticton.

Coghlin led the St. Norbert Green Knights to their first national championship in 2008 and the team finished that season with a 27-1-4 record, the fewest losses ever for an NCAA men’s ice hockey championship team.

In addition to this success, Coghlin holds the second highest win percentage of any Div III men’s ice hockey coach in varsity athletics history with a .757 winning ratio, close to 76 per cent.

The Pat Quinn award is presented annually to an individual at any level of coaching who helps to share excellence by educating players in the sport of hockey.

In the first year that this award was presented (2016-17) Travis Green, who is currently the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, received this distinguished award.

Gord Mackintosh, who was the first general manager of the Shuswap Totems, will attend the event to pass on congratulations.

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Tim Coghlin is now coach of the St. Norbert Green Knights in De Pere, Wisconsin. As coach, Coghlin lead the Green Knights in five national championship victories and holds the second highest win rate of any NCAA Div III ice hockey coach. (St. Norbert College photo)