KOMOKA, ONT. – The Komoka Kings are pleased to announce that Brett Hope has been named the club’s next head coach.
Hope, 34, brings extensive playing and coaching experience both in the GOHL and beyond to his new role. He spent his minor hockey days in Chatham and also with the Elgin-Middlesex Canucks, based in Komoka. He is a former draft choice of the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL and spent five seasons in the GOHL with the Chatham Maroons and the St. Thomas Stars. He was lauded for his leadership and hard work, being named captain of the Stars in his final season, the conference’s top defensive forward, and won the Western Conference Championship in 2011.
This experience led Brett to SUNY Buffalo State, where he played for four years and served as captain for three of those seasons. He graduated with a degree in Economics and Finance. Brett went on to play professionally in the SPHL and FHL.
Behind the bench, Hope served as an assistant coach with the Chatham Maroons for two seasons before taking the reins as Head Coach of the Blenheim Blades of the PJHL in 2019. Following his time in Blenheim, Hope coached within the Chatham-Kent minor hockey program at the U14 and U15 levels for the past three seasons.
Komoka Kings President and GM Roop Chanderdat is excited to welcome Brett to the organization, saying: “Brett was the right fit for us as a young team with excitement for the future. His leadership, passion and dedication to the game translates behind the bench and we’re excited to have him leading our group.”
Hope echoed the sentiment, sharing his gratitude to join the team: “I’m incredibly excited to join the Komoka Kings organization and truly honoured that Roop has put his trust in me to lead this group. It means a lot to work alongside someone who genuinely cares about his players and builds the right kind of culture. There’s already a strong foundation here, our focus now is finding the right pieces to complement it. I’m looking forward to getting camp underway, putting in the work this summer, and building a team that’s ready to compete for a deep playoff run.”
The Kings get their 2026-27 preparations underway with their Spring Prospect Camp (now full) on May 7th and 14th.
The organization would like to thank its previous coaching staff – Johnny Warren, Rich Brown, Bob White, and Brendan O’Neill – for their efforts last season.
