Sens staff welcome Bearcats coaches for first minor clinic of 2026-27

The Belleville Senators welcomed local minor hockey coaches to the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre for the club’s first coaches clinic of the 2026-27 season, continuing its commitment to supporting the development of hockey in the Bay of Quinte Region.

The clinic brought together coaches from the Belleville Bearcats Girls Minor Hockey Association to learn from Senators coaching staff and gain an inside look at the organization’s approach to player development.

The session began with a tour of the Senators’ dressing room and team facilities before moving into a series of presentations led by the club’s coaching staff.

Assistant coach Joe Cirella shared his expertise on defence, focusing on principles and concepts that coaches can incorporate into their work with young players. Assistant coach Stefan Legein followed with a presentation on offence, while head coach Andrew Campbell led a session on practice principles and creating effective, purposeful practices.

Campbell says that while there might be a big gap between youth hockey players and the pros, the basics never change, and those are the important skills to focus on.

“There are things that we work on with our players as far as fundamentals go that people might laugh at, because it’s stuff that kids could be doing at a younger age. But you can never be too good at the fundamentals. So, the earlier they start on those, the better. And it’s stuff that we still reinforce with our athletes here.”

For Campbell and the Senators, the clinic represents an opportunity to give back to the local hockey community while helping coaches continue to develop their own skills.

“It’s great for us to be able to give back and invite them in here to hopefully share some of the knowledge, drills and development tactics that we’ve garnered over the years that they can take back to their kids. Those are the future stars and players of our leagues, so it’s fun for us to do it and give back.”

The coaches clinic is part of the Senators’ continued efforts to support local hockey and contribute to the growth and development of the sport throughout the Bay of Quinte Region.

By opening the doors of the organization and sharing the knowledge and experience of its coaching staff, the Senators hope to help strengthen the hockey community at every level — from the youngest players taking the ice for the first time to those working toward the next stage of their development.