The Cowichan Valley Capitals have hired Cam Keith as their new head coach and general manager the team has announced.
As head coach and general manager of the Surrey Eagles, Keith led the Eagles to the 2023-24 Fred Page Cup alongside Surrey's new bench boss, two-time Stanley Cup champion and Eagles alumnus Scott Gomez. Following the season, however, Keith said it was time to move on, saying that he wanted to be closer to family and noting that the high cost of living in Surrey was a reason for his desire to move his young family to either the B.C. Interior or Vancouver Island.
After seeing Keith lead the Eagles to their most successful season in a decade, and hearing he was possibly eyeing a move to the Island, the Capitals wasted no time in snatching up the proven winner, announcing his hiring on June 25.
"We're obviously extremely excited," said Capitals' president John Dewar. "It's a great look for the organization and the direction we want to go."
It was actually Keith who reached out to Cowichan, after he left Surrey.
Dewar said it was just within the last seven days that Keith had expressed that he'd parted ways was Surrey and was available for discussions.
"He was talking to us and another team and we've been able to come to terms and put pen to paper and get it done," Dewar said. "We are super excited to have such a high-accoladed coach and somebody who we think can build our team to where we want to be long term."
A former player, Keith spent parts of four seasons playing in the BCHL with Trail, Penticton and Victoria before joining the University of Alaska-Fairbanks for his college career. He played minor pro and in Europe between 2003 and 2014 before trading in the skates for a clipboard.
From 2014 through 2016 Keith was an assistant coach with the ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones and then spent the next four seasons as the Trail Smoke Eaters' bench boss and GM. After a short stop in Chilliwack with the Chiefs, Keith became head coach and GM of the Eagles in 2019.