NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins watches a video celebrating his 500th WHL win ahead of a 3-2, shootout win over the Calgary Hitmen at Co-op Place on Jan. 18. Desjardins has been named head coach of Team CHL for the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge.
Willie Desjardins will be the bench boss for Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November.
The CHL announced Thursday morning the winningest coach in Medicine Hat Tigers history will serve as head coach of Team CHL in the second rendition of the two-game challenge between the top NHL Draft eligible CHL prospects and the U.S. National Under-18 Team.
“We have a great league. Whenever you get picked to represent your league and your team, it’s a true honour,” Desjardins told the News.
Joining him behind the bench will be Jay McKee, head coach of the Brantford Bulldogs (OHL) and Sylvain Favreau, head coach of the Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL), who will serve as assistant coaches.
He will have two familiar faces on the CHL staff. Tigers’ video coach Jayce Desjardins will serve as the CHL’s video coach and Tigers’ athletic therapist and equipment manger Mikki Lanuk will serve as the CHL’s head athletic therapist.
Desjardins sits 10th all-time in WHL wins with 530. In his 16th WHL season, he has led the Tigers to three league championships, most recently the 2025 Ed Chynoweth Cup, making him one of only three CHL head coaches to capture three or more league titles in the 21st century, just the 13th coach in CHL history to achieve the feat.
The 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge will be hosted Nov. 25 and 26 in Calgary and Lethbridge respectively. Three players identified by NHL Central Scouting have been named to Team CHL, defenceman Ryan Lin (Vancouver Giants, WHL), forward Ryan Roobroeck (Niagara IceDogs, OHL) and defenceman Xavier Villeneuve (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, QMJHL).
See Friday’s News for more on the story.
