Prince Albert, Saskatchewan - Donn Clark, Director of Hockey Operations of the Prince Albert Raiders is pleased to announce that former player Peter Anholt will return to be the Head Coach of the Western Hockey League team, effective immediately. Anholt will take over as Head Coach, with Neil Brady, who is currently the Interim Head Coach remaining as Assistant Coach. The Raiders also anticipate that Dave Manson, who joined the team as an Assistant Coach last week, will remain behind the bench. Anholt has signed a multi-year contract with the Raiders.
"We are very pleased to get a coach with Peter's experience to take over the team," said Clark. "He has experience working with many different styles of teams over the years and we are happy that he is re-joining the Raider Family."
Anholt started his WHL coaching career with the Raiders in 1988-89 and has coached a total of 647 games and won 314 in the league, tenth all-time on both lists. He has been a Head Coach in the WHL for 9 seasons and an Assistant Coach for 4 other campaigns. During his 9 years as a Head Coach, Anholt's team only missed the playoffs once.
Anholt was a player with the Raiders from 1979-81 when they toiled in the Saskatchewan Junior League. During his playing days, Anholt had 21 goals, 61 assists and 452 minutes in penalties.
After attending the University of Saskatchewan, Anholt returned to become an Assistant coach with Raiders under Rick Wilson from 1986-88. When Wilson left to join the New York Islanders as an Assistant Coach in 1988, Anholt took over as Raider Head Coach for the 1988-89 season. He led them to a record of 37-33-4 and fourth place in the WHL East, losing in the first round of the playoffs.
That summer Terry Simpson returned as Raider Head Coach with Anholt as his Assistant. Before the season began, Anholt accepted the Head Coaching position with the Seattle Thunderbirds staying in Seattle from 1989-92. Anholt then became the Head Coach with the expansion Red Deer Rebels, a position he would hold through the 1994-95 season.
In the 1995-96 season, Anholt went overseas and coached in the German Elite league with SC Riessersee. He returned to the Western Hockey League as Head Coach with the Kelowna Rockets from 1996-98. From 1998-2000 Anholt returned to Red Deer as an Assistant coach under Terry Simpson (1998-99) and Brent Sutter (1999-2000). He has been out of hockey the past two seasons.
"I am so excited to return to Prince Albert to work with the Raiders, Donn Clark, Neil Brady and Dave Manson," Anholt commented from Red Deer. "Prince Albert has always had a soft spot in my heart after playing and coaching there and this is a great opportunity for myself and my family."
42 year-old Anholt, who is a native of Naicam, Saskatchewan is expected to be at practise Tuesday afternoon. He will be behind the bench this weekend when the Raiders take on the Warriors in Moose Jaw Friday, host the Regina Pats Saturday at 7:30 at the Comuniplex, then venture to Regina Sunday.
Anholt's wife Sharon and 8 year-old son Mathew will join him in Prince Albert at the end of season.
Here is Peter Anholt's record as a Head Coach in the WHL
Year | Team | W | L | T | Place |
88-89 | Prince Albert | 37 | 33 | 2 | 4th in East |
89-90 | Seattle | 52 | 17 | 3 | 2nd in West |
90-91 | Seattle | 42 | 26 | 4 | 3rd in West |
91-92 | Seattle | 33 | 34 | 5 | 4th in West |
92-93 | Red Deer | 31 | 39 | 2 | 6th in East |
93-94 | Red Deer | 35 | 36 | 1 | 6th in East |
94-95 | Red Deer | 17 | 51 | 4 | 9th in East |
96-97 | Kelowna | 35 | 35 | 2 | 4th in West |
97-98 | Kelowna | 33 | 35 | 4 | 5th in West |
TOTALS | | 314* | 306 | 27 |
* - 314 is 10th on the all time coaching victories list in the WHL
** - 647 total games coached is 10th on the all time list in the WHL
