The Oakville Blades President and General Manager Carlo Coccimiglio announced a coaching change behind the bench for the 2009-2010 season, naming Jason Nobili as the new head coach.
While Carlo will increase his involvement with the hockey operations and GM role, Jason will handle the day-to-day on ice product.
Jason Nobili is entering his 12th season of his coaching career and first as the head coach of the Blades. Last season, the 35 year-old coached within the Toronto Maple Leafs system as Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the Reading Royals in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). Prior to joining the Royals as head coach he spent four seasons coaching within the Carolina Hurricanes system as the Associate Head Coach for the Florida Everblades in the ECHL (also affiliated with the NHL's Florida Panthers). He also served as the teams' interim-head coach during parts of the 2006 and 2007 seasons. During his time with the Royals and Everblades, he has helped them achieve an overall regular season record of 182-110-24, good for a winning percentage of .613%.
In 2004-05, as Associate Coach of the Florida Everblades he helped lead them to an appearance in the Kelly Cup Finals as the American Conference Champions.
In 2005-06, he once again helped lead the Florida Everblades to another appearance in the Kelly Cup playoffs after a successful regular season which saw the team reach the 100-point plateau for just the second time in franchise history.
In 2006-07, the Everblades completed the regular season first overall in the American Conference, appeared in the Kelly Cup playoffs and reached the Kelly Cup Conference finals losing out in a decisive seventh game. In 2007-08, the Everblades set a new franchise record for most wins at home in a season as they once again qualified for the Kelly Cup playoffs to make it their tenth consecutive appearance in the post-season - the longest active streak in the ECHL.
Jason began his coaching career as the Head Coach & Assistant GM of the Ajax Axemen of the OHA Provincial Junior ‘A' Hockey League (OPJHL) for two years, from 1998-2000. Prior to joining the Florida Everblades, Jason spent four seasons, from 2000-200, as the Assistant Coach of the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
In 2002, Nobili was named Assistant Coach for Under-17 Team Ontario. In 2003, the team competed at Canada Winter Games; he helped guide them to bronze medal. In 2004, the team competed at the World Under-17 Championships, where he helped them capture Ontario's first gold medal in ten years.
Jason is a graduate of York University in Toronto, he is a certified Hockey Canada - Advanced Level 4 Coach and is currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Education program at Niagara University.
Jason and his wife, Marianne, along with their two son's Tyler, 3 years old and Dylan, 3 months old reside in Toronto, Ontario.
The Blades are extremely excited to have Jason as their new coach as he looks to continue Carlo's winning ways - 2008 Dudley Hewitt Cup champions and 2009 Buckland Cup finalists.