February 10, 2025
Hockey Northwestern Ontario has announced the coaching staff for the U14 OHL Cup taking place April 17-19 in Kingston, ON and the Cross Border Challenge taking place May 15-18 in Ottawa, ON.
Peter Cava, A Former Toronto Maple Leaf draft pick takes the reins as head coach for the U14 OHL Cup. Peter’s resume speaks for itself with 4 years in the OHL, 3 years of minor pro and 4 years for the L.U. Thunderwolves and has been coaching in Thunder Bay at the AA and AAA level for over 15 years. Peter describes his coaching style as demanding and compassionate at the same time. Although it’s not always easy he tries to ensure that every player on the team feels pretty good about themselves and enjoys coming to the rink every day. Peter will be joined by assistant coaches Eric Donaldson and Michael Simeoni.
Donaldson started coaching at 18, after his final season of U18 was complete, and is currently in his 13th season of coaching. Eric started coaching U18A and spent 7 seasons there with his last season coaching as head coach. Eric has also spent one season coaching U13AA and has been coaching U18AA as an Assistant Coach for the last 6 seasons. Eric coached the HNO Program of Excellence camp in 2017, 2023 and 2024 and was also an assistant coach in last year’s Cross Border Challenge for the U15 Team Ontario. Eric’s coaching philosophy is to have players compete, work hard and come together as a group while teaching skills that will help them succeed in the game and transfer into life skills. A successful season as told by a coaching mentor that he believes is that all players return to play the following year in some capacity and have that love for the game continue. Eric says the most rewarding part of coaching has been having players reach out after they have graduated and ask for a reference for jobs or scholarships.
Simeoni has over 10 years of experience coaching minor hockey at both the AA and AAA levels and is a Certified HP1 Coach with Hockey Canada. He spent 4 years between 2020 – 2024 coaching the Thunder Bay Kings U13, U15 and U16 age groups spending 3 years in the GTHL. Michael currently coaches the U15 AA Neebing Hawks and is an Alumni of the Thunder Bay Kings program, playing on the 1995 Air Canada Cup National Championship team. Michael’s coaching philosophy is built around creating a strong team culture while providing an exceptional player experience focused on overall development, helping players achieve their goals on and off the ice.
Nicholas Nigro steps into the role as coach for The U15 Cross Border Challenge, while Darryl Mousseau will coach the U16 team.
Nigro, brings a wealth of experience to the coaching world, both as a former player and dedicated coach. Nicholas played most of his early hockey career with the AAA Thunder Bay Kings from 2010 to 2013 and was a draft selection by the OHL’s Peterborough Petes in 2012. Nicholas then played his junior career with the Stratford Cullitons in the GOJHL during the 2013-2014 season before joining the Thunder Bay North Stars in the SIJHL from 2014 to 2017. A pivotal moment in his career came in 2014 when he had the opportunity to attend Team Canada tryouts in Calgary, AB. Nicholas played his last two years with the Thunder Bay Northern Hawks in the LJHL during the 2017-2018 season, before concluding his playing career with an impressive year at Sault College, where they helped the team secure an ACHA III Championship. Transitioning into coaching, Nicholas quickly made a mark with various age groups and levels. Nicholas started assistant coaching with the Thunder Bay U15A KC Sabres from 2021-2023. Transitioning into assistant coaching with the U13 AAA Thunder Bay Kings for the 2023-2024 season. In 2024-2025, they took on the role of Head Coach for the U18A KC Sabres, guiding young athletes with a focus on skill development, discipline, and teamwork. Nicholas’ experiences as both a player and coach allow him to connect with athletes on a deeper level, helping them to navigate the challenges of development and competition.
Mousseau, has been a Coach within the Norwossa Hockey League, Northwestern Ontario based, for over 32 years. Darryl has been involved with numerous POE camps in Thunder Bay and was a coaching member of the 2016 HNO Gold Cup team that participated in Kitchener. Darryl has been a Certified High-Performance coach since 2011 and has also been a Coach Facilitator and Coach Evaluator within HNO, conducting various coaching clinics and evaluations. Darryl’s coaching philosophy is player based, always providing knowledge he has gained to assist any player in their hockey development pathway. Darryl has said that he enjoys participating in events like the Cross Border Challenge, and others, as it is a way to see the talent and abilities it takes to be involved in settings like this and then bring back the experience gained and pass it along to any individual who aspires to be involved in these types of events.
The U14 OHL Cup will be held in Kingston ON, from April 17th-19. The Cross Border Challenge, in collaboration with Hockey Eastern Ontario and Hockey Quebec will be held in Ottawa, ON May 15-18, 2025.
