Ex-Vipers players hired as assistants

LaSalle Vipers head coach John Nelson will give a couple of former team players a chance to build their coaching resume. On Tuesday, Nelson hired former Vipers Nathan Savage and Chad Shepley to serve as assistant coaches for the 2018-19 season. “They bring the enthusiasm,” said Nelson, who saw assistant coach Gil Langlois leave to become head coach of the Essex 73’s. “They will have that finger on the pulse on what’s going on behind the scenes. “Communication is a big part for us and, if a player is not comfortable, he can talk to another coach. At the end of the day, I’ll get the message and we can deal with it.” The 21-year-old Savage played parts of five seasons for the Vipers and served as team captain in his final season in 2016-17. He is fifth on the team’s all time points list with 204 and his 231 games are the most played in club history. He was twice named the Western Conference’s defensive player of the year in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. “Nathan came to me and said he was done playing and wanted to try coaching,” Nelson said. “He has a passion for it and he’ll help in a number of areas and gain experience.” The 25-year-old Shepley played for Nelson with the Vipers early in the decade and again as a member of the University of Windsor Lancers hockey team.

“He’s a character person,” Nelson said of Shepley. “He’s got a passion for the game and is a school teacher, so he’s well organized. As a player, he was a team-first guy and went to war.”

Shepley, who will handle LaSalle’s defence, went to two national championships with the Lancers and won a Queen’s Cup title in 2014.