Maine Hockey Journal

St. Dom’s hires new varsity coach

St. Dominic Academy has hired a familiar face to be the next boys’ hockey coach.

Bob Parker, who previously help the school start their Middle School program and served as the junior varsity coach the past three seasons, will replace Steve Ouellette as the varsity head coach.

Ouellette stepped down in June along with Gene Keene who served as the school’s athletic director.

“I’ve always felt that the JV coach should be someone who is willing and able to step up to the varsity level if something were to happen,” St. Dominic Academy athletic director Keith Weatherbie told the Sun Journal who broke the story Monday morning. “After all the applications and interviews, the selection committee felt he was the best one for the job.”

Ouellette had been the Saints’ coach since 2008 and led them to four Class A State Championship appearances – including three of the last four. The Saints, who have 24 Class A State Championships, last won in 2000.

Ouellette told the Sun Journal back in June, one of the reasons why he was stepping away was because of family reasons.

Parker becomes the Saints third coach within the past ten years when longtime coach Bob Boucher stepped down in the summer of 2005 after 25 years behind the bench. John Pleau, who was a longtime assistant of Boucher, took over the reins for the 2005-06 to 2007-2008 seasons before Ouellette took over.

Parker graduated from Edward Little in 1982 and went on to play for the University of Southern Maine Huskies after his high school days were over.

In addition to his junior varsity coaching duties, he also led the Lewiston Gladiators 18U midget team to the USA Hockey’s Tier II National Championship in 2011. His son Alex Parker, who played for St. Dom’s and was a Travis Roy Finalist in 2011, was a member of that National Championship team.

Parker’s has a second son, Casey that also played for Saints, graduating in 2009.

“It’s been a long summer,” Parker told the Sun Journal. “I was originally going to be an assistant coach with Steve (Ouellette) and Mike (Hefty), and I was mentally preparing to join them, and then a lot of situations occurred. I stepped back a bit, more out of disbelief and shock. Steve had been there a while. I get along well with him. He’d coached my boys. Now, I guess it’s my turn.”

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