Panthers set sail with Ansell helping to navigate the way

August 10, 2021
North Saanich, B.C.

A chance meeting in a Sidney Grocery Store between Panthers Head Coach Brad Tippett and an old aquaintance from Saskatchewan, Bill Ansell, has resulted in Ansell boarding the Peninsula Panthers' ship as an Assistant Coach as it sails into the 2021/22 Regular Season.  Ansell is more than a little familiar with boarding and sailing on ships having very recently retired from the Canadian Navy after a 31-year career.

Bill Ansell was born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan and raised in Regina. Bill’s minor hockey highlight was having his team the Regina Pat Canadians as the Saskatchewan representative for the 1978 Wrigley Midget AAA Tournament in Montreal. He graduated to the Regina Pat Blues of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League where he was a 1st Team All-Star and the team MVP. He then moved up to the Regina Pats full time in the Fall of 1979 to play for Head Coach Bryan Murray of Ottawa Senators fame and won the WHL Championship that year over the Victoria Cougars. The Pats hosted the 1980 Memorial Cup but lost to Dale Hawerchuk and the Cornwall Royals in what was a heart-breaking end to the season. Bill captained the Pats the following season in what proved to be one of the Pats most successful teams.  Only one team can win their final game and the Pats were knocked out of the WHL semi-finals by the Calgary Wranglers who were led by stalwart Goaltender Mike Vernon.

Following that season, Bill was invited to the NHL's Edmonton Oilers training camp in what appeared to be a very tough lineup to crack. That led him to being one of the earliest players to participate in the WHL Scholarship Program. He stayed in Edmonton to play for the Nationally renowned Head Coach Clare Drake with the University of Alberta Golden Bears for the next five seasons. Ansell was chosen as the team's Rookie of the Year and participated in four Canadian University Championships eventually hitting paydirt by winning it all in 1986. His most satisfying experience with the Bears was representing Canada at the World University Games in Poprad, Czechoslovakia in 1987.  The Club eventually won Bronze in the tournament losing only to powerful Russian and the Czech squads. While playing for U of A, Bill instructed for three summers at the Cowichan Community Centre and was named Head Instructor in his 3rd and final year.

After completing his Bachelor of Physical Education Degree, Bill moved to Sidney in 1989 and worked at the Panorama Recreation Centre after being named Head Instructor at the Panorama Recreation Centre Hockey School. He went on to coach the Peninsula Eagles AA Bantam team.  With wide eyes and youth still on his side, Ansell decided to see the world and subsequently joined the Royal Canadian Navy in the Spring of 1990.  It was here where he was able to continue to play the game he loved for another 27 years in the Navy and continued his winning ways adding his first Canadian Armed Forces National Championship for the Pacific Region in 1995. He also won several regional championships and played in a number of Fleet Championships where each ship has their own team.  Ansell was amazed at the talent and still describes his experience as perhaps the most competitive hockey he has ever played. Bill retired after 31 years in the Navy just a month ago and now resides with his lovely wife Leslie of 25 years and their family.

"I'm very thankful to the Peninsula Panthers Organization for allowing me to pass on my 52 years of elite hockey experience to another generation.  In speaking with "Tipper" I know he is really positive on where we can go this season and I feel really happy and excited to be a part of it."

Head Coach Brad Tippett is excited to have Ansell on board.  "I've known Bill for a long time.  We played together when we were younger and played against each other in Junior.  He could always score goals and I'm sure he will be able to pass along a few tricks to our young forwards". 

"I met Bill at our Camp two weeks ago," quipped GM Pete Zubersky.  It was Brad who was speaking with him and making arrangements for him to join the team.  I was very impressed with him during our camp.  He is respectful and thinks the world of Brad and I think they will fit together quite nicely.  Jackson Skerratt hooked on with the Victoria Police Department and being a rookie at that Department, just did not have enough time to dedicate as an Assistant Coach in Junior Hockey.  Hopefully at some point in the future he will be able to make his way back into our program but we were really fortunate to be able to fill a need with a quality fellow like Bill.  I think it will take him just a short time to get his feet wet and the camp in July helped him to get that process initiated."

Loren Braun returns as an on-ice Assistant.  Len Dawes also returns as Assistant but has picked up other commitments away from the rink.  He will be around the Club as much as his schedule permits.

The Panthers will open the Home Exhibition season on Thursday, August 26th when they play host to the Westshore Wolves in the friendly confines of the Panorama Recreation Centre.  The puck is set to drop at 7:30 pm.