X-Men Hockey welcomes Adam Holwell to coaching staff

ANTIGONISH, NS – STFX men's hockey head coach Brad Peddle is pleased to welcome Adam Holwell to the coaching staff as the new full-time assistant coach.

Holwell fills the void left by former assistant coach Daniel Nikandrov who recently accepted an assistant coaching position with the Soo Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League.

"We are very pleased to add Adam to our X-Men Hockey coaching staff," comments Coach Peddle. "He was a valuable member of our program for five years and is certainly very familiar to us. He is an experienced player with significant involvement in our camps and junior programs, and will be a great asset for development."

He continues, "Adam was an intelligent player, understands the game very well with a strong passion for it. He has a bright future in coaching."

Holwell is an X-Men Hockey alumnus, having played defense for four full seasons with the blue and white between 2018-2023. A former alternate captain, he was the 2018-19 X-Men rookie of the year, playing in 90 career games and collecting 59 points as a key member defending the X blueline. He was also extensively involved with the X-Men Hockey summer camp and Junior X-Men youth programs as an instructor during his time with STFX. A native of St. John's, Nfld, Holwell played five seasons in the QMJHL with both the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and Moncton Wildcats prior to competing for STFX.

Upon graduating with his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 2023, Holwell played professionally for two seasons. He played 17 games with the Newfoundland Growlers in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) in 2022-23 after the X-Men season was complete, then had a brief stint playing in eight games for the Fife Flyers in the British Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) in 2023-24, before completing the season with the Brasov Wolves in the Romanian Hockey League. With the Wolves, Holwell saw action in 42 regular season and 16 playoff games, contributing 14 points.

"Hockey has been my passion since I was a kid, says Holwell". "STFX gave me the opportunity to continue playing the game I love while pursuing an education. Now I get to share my passion with the next generation of X-Men hockey players. I am also excited to use this opportunity to foster growth through the minor hockey program here in Antigonish. I look forward to working alongside some familiar faces who will certainly help the transition to this side of the game much easier." 

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