Coach Announcements 2026-27 Season

U9B - Rob Cranston  

We’re excited to introduce our U9B Head Coach for the 2026/27 Season, Rob Cranston.

Rob has had a lifelong passion for hockey that shines through in both his playing and coaching careers. A three-time Ontario provincial champion, he also captained the Toronto Young Nationals U18 AAA team, earning MVP honours while leading them to a provincial title and a bronze medal at the U18 National Championship.

Over the past four years, Rob has coached with the Collingwood Lightning in U9 and U11 House League and DS programs. He also brings valuable experience as a skating and skills coach, working with players from learn-to-skate through AAA, and spent several years apprenticing under Olympic medalist and elite skating coach Tracy Wilson with the Don Mills Flyers AAA program.

Rob loves being at the rink, especially coaching and cheering on his daughters, Everly and Reese.

This season, Rob is excited to step into the U9B Head Coach role. His goal is to create a fun, positive, and high-energy environment where players can build skills, grow in confidence, and most importantly, develop a lasting love of the game.

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U11A - Trevor Littlejohns 

We’re excited to introduce our U11A Head Coach for the 2026/27 Season, Trevor Littlejohns.

Trevor has loved the game from a young age, starting hockey at just four years old. He grew up playing minor hockey in Sault Ste. Marie before continuing on to play U21 hockey in Frankford, Ontario.

He brings eight years of coaching experience with both OMHA and OWHA teams, and has seen success at a number of levels along the way. Trevor has coached teams to the semi-finals at OMHA Championships at the U11A, U12A, and U13A levels, and also led a U15B team to two Bronze Medals at OWHA Provincials.

What Trevor is most excited about for next season is the opportunity to challenge and develop the next group of athletes. He is looking forward to helping players grow their skills and build confidence on and off the ice.

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U13A - Kaitlyn MacDonald 

We’re excited to introduce our U13A Head Coach for the 2026/27 Season, Kaitlyn MacDonald.

Kaitlyn brings a strong playing background and a lifelong connection to the game. She began her hockey journey with the Creemore Minor Hockey Association at just four years old, before continuing on to play U18AA with the Brampton Canadettes and U21AA with the Brampton Jr. Thunder. She went on to compete at the university level with the Waterloo Warriors for five seasons, serving as Assistant Captain for four years and earning team MVP honours. Kaitlyn currently plays with the Collingwood Lightning SR B team and helped lead them to a Silver Medal at Provincials in the 2024 - 2025 season.

While attending university, Kaitlyn instructed power skating and hockey schools, and after returning to the area, she began coaching with Creemore Minor Hockey before joining COLGHA. Over the past nine seasons, she has been an important part of our association, including coaching during the inaugural U15 and U18 seasons, as well as being the absolute powerhouse behind our grassroots programming.

As a dedicated non-parent coach, Kaitlyn is especially excited to be part of our association’s first A program year, and looks forward to helping our players continue to grow - both on and off the ice.

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U15A - Paul Crane 

We’re excited to introduce our U15A Head Coach for the 2026/27 Season, Paul Crane.

Paul brings a lifelong passion for hockey and a tremendous amount of experience to the bench. With more than 30 years of coaching at a variety of levels, including girls’ hockey, Junior A, and GTHL AAA, he has helped develop players who have gone on to the NHL, NCAA Division I, USPORTS, Team Ontario final camp, Team Canada U18, and Major Junior, while also supporting 50 players in earning NCAA and USPORTS commitments.

Paul has also been a big part of COLGHA for many years, coaching several of our teams, serving on the board, running our local tournament, and helping grow the association into what it is today. As a longtime sports dad, he spent years at the rink and on the sidelines supporting his own multi-sport kids - something he truly loved and still values today.

This season, Paul is excited to lead the U15A team as COLGHA takes its first step into A-level hockey. As a dedicated non-parent coach, he is looking forward to helping create even more opportunities for girls in the game. His goal is to bring his experience and passion to the group and help the players grow both as athletes and as people, while being part of something special.

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U18BB/A - Jesse Guscott

We’re excited to introduce our U18A/BB Head Coach for the 2026/27 Season, Dr. Jesse Guscott.

Jesse grew up in the Hamilton Bengals minor hockey organization, where his love for the game began. As his competitive playing career progressed, he took on the role of goaltender, adding another level to his understanding of the game. Coaching came naturally to him, and by his late teens, he had discovered a true passion for teaching and mentoring young players. He worked as a counsellor, section head, and Assistant Director, at Hockey Opportunity Camp while attending university and medical school to become a Doctor. Over the past 10 years, Jesse has been a familiar face on more than 15 COLGHA and CMHA benches, serving in roles including Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Goalie Coach, and Trainer at levels ranging from Local League to AA.

Away from the rink, Jesse works as an anesthetist and medical educator. He coaches doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals in high-pressure performance, with a focus on teamwork and decision-making in crisis. He travels across the country teaching and speaking at conferences, helping medical teams improve how they respond in life-threatening emergency situations. Whether coaching experienced physicians on advanced airway techniques or coaching U13 Local League girls on basic breakout principles, Jesse loves the challenge of finding the best way to build relationships and help others improve. He believes that sports should be fun, rewarding and challenging, and should make us all better humans.

Jesse’s favourite place is the rink, and he is excited to be back behind the bench with our U18A/BB team.