River Dragons Name Kevin St. Jacques Associate Head Coach

COLUMBUS, GA – The Columbus River Dragons are pleased to announce the hiring of Kevin St. Jacques as Associate Head Coach, adding nearly two decades of professional playing experience and more than a decade of coaching experience to Head Coach Jerome Bechard’s staff.

St. Jacques is no stranger to the River Dragons organization or the Columbus hockey community. He has previously served the organization in a scouting capacity and has made appearances behind the River Dragons’ bench during postseason play. Now, he will join the coaching staff from the beginning of the season as Columbus pursues its first Commissioner’s Cup.

“Jocko brings a plethora of hockey knowledge and will help us grow both on the ice and as a team,” said River Dragons Head Coach Jerome Bechard. “He has been with us in short stints in the past during the playoffs, and I think having him here from the start will be advantageous. I look forward to working with him.”

An Edmonton, Alberta native, St. Jacques brings an extensive playing résumé to Columbus. He spent five seasons in the Western Hockey League with the Spokane Chiefs and Lethbridge Hurricanes, culminating in a historic 1991-92 season with Lethbridge.

That season, St. Jacques led the WHL in scoring after recording 65 goals and 75 assists for 140 points in 71 games, while also registering 140 penalty minutes. His 65 goals remain tied for the Lethbridge franchise record for goals in a single season.

His dominant final junior season earned St. Jacques a selection in the sixth round, 112th overall, by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft.

While he never appeared in an NHL regular-season game, St. Jacques went on to build an extensive professional career spanning 18 years, competing throughout North America and Europe. His playing résumé included stops in the IHL, ECHL, WCHL, UHL, CHL and CoHL, as well as professional hockey overseas.

Following his playing career, St. Jacques transitioned into coaching and quickly established himself as a respected developer of young talent. He has spent more than a decade coaching in the USPHL, including stops with the Atlanta Knights/Kings organization, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes and Mercer Chiefs, among others.

During his time with the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, St. Jacques helped lead the program to Nationals and captured the organization’s first national championship. He later joined the Mercer Chiefs as head coach of their USPHL Premier team while also serving as an assistant coach with their NCDC program.

Now, St. Jacques is ready to bring that experience to the professional level in a full-time coaching capacity.

“It’s a great place to play hockey in the Fed,” said St. Jacques. “Boom and I see the game in a similar way. He was obviously a hard-nosed, hard-working player who did everything right, and that’s what he does as a coach here in Columbus. I can bring some help to the offensive side and power play. It’s a good match.”

St. Jacques’ experience also gives him a unique perspective on player development. Having played professionally for nearly two decades and coached junior hockey for more than 10 years, he has worked with players at virtually every stage of the hockey development pathway.

As the River Dragons prepare for the upcoming season, St. Jacques believes establishing the right culture from the opening day of training camp will be critical.

“We have to have the buy-in factor for the entire year,” said St. Jacques. “You’re not going to win the Cup in October. There are going to be ups and downs, but we have to foster a culture that we will win and carry that commitment to each other every day, on and off the ice.”

For St. Jacques, the opportunity represents a natural progression from his previous work with Columbus. After contributing to the River Dragons during postseason runs in the past, he is eager to become a consistent presence behind the bench from Day 1.

With his combination of professional playing experience, junior coaching success, player-development expertise and familiarity with the River Dragons organization, St. Jacques adds another experienced voice to Columbus’ coaching staff.

The River Dragons welcome Kevin St. Jacques to his new role and look forward to his contributions as the organization continues its pursuit of a Commissioner’s Cup.