The Princeton Posse will have new leadership behind the bench and in management next season after a memorable year of hockey.
Head coach and general manager Torrin White will be leaving the team after one season, as he has accepted an assistant coaching position with the Western Hockey League's (WHL) Lethbridge Hurricanes. Although his time with the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) team was short, his impact on the players and organization will last for a long time.
"Torrin brought professionalism, leadership and a sharp hockey mind to the Princeton Posse," the organization stated. "We’re proud to have been part of his coaching journey and wish him continued success at the next level.
White guided the Posse to an excellent regular season which saw the team finish atop the Bill Ohlhausen Division and Okanagan/Shuswap Conference with a record of 33-7-3-1 and 70 points, second in the entire league. They finished first in their division in scoring with 192 goals, which was second overall in the KIJHL, and were the only team to allow fewer than 100 goals, allowing a minuscule 99 goals against.
Twenty of the Posse's 33 wins came at home at the Princeton and District Arena, which averaged more than 300 fans per game.
"His impact on our players, staff, and overall program was immediate and lasting," the Posse stated.
Mark McNaughton, head of operations for the Posse, said that one of the biggest storylines heading into the season was the arrival of White.
"Any time there’s a leadership change, there’s an adjustment period, but Torrin wasted no time making an impact," he said. "He set the tone with professionalism and energy from day one, and the team responded."
McNaughton added that despite a fair amount of roster turnover, the Posse quickly established themselves as one of the most consistent teams in the league, especially on the defensive side — a testament to White's impact.
"Night after night, we made it clear we weren't an easy team to play against."
White is returning to the WHL where he was a scout for the Moose Jaw Warriors from 2021 until 2024. He also suited up for 251 regular season games over six seasons with the Warriors, racking up 50 goals and 60 assists, before spending his overage season with the Langley Rivermen of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) and then finishing his playing career with the University of Lethbridge.
Due in large part to the success of the team this past season, the KIJHL has recommended the Posse as one of 11 teams for BC Hockey's Tier 1 Junior A classification for 2026-2027. The Posse will have one more season in the current league, allowing it to fine-tune operations and bring in the next wave of talent before the promotion for the 2026-27 season.
The Posse organization is currently in the process of evaluating potential candidates to lead the team into next season and beyond.
