Feasey’s Vision Taking Shape Early in Maroons Camp

Brennan Feasey isn’t easing into his new role — he’s diving in headfirst.

Now two weeks into training camp as the head coach of the defending Sutherland Cup champion Chatham Maroons, Feasey has already begun shaping the team’s culture and identity. And if you ask him, it all starts with character.

“I tried to recruit the right guys — character guys that are good in the community,” Feasey told Powerplay Sports after the Maroons' commanding 8-3 win in LaSalle Wednesday night.

“We have a good room. I found last year that was maybe why we ended up winning the championship. Our room was really tight.”

That tight-knit, family-style atmosphere is something Feasey saw firsthand as an assistant under Richard Santos last season. As bench boss, he wasted no time building his version of that family — making several early cuts in camp to quickly solidify the group.

“I wanted to get our team together and working as a unit from day one,” he said. “Practice is nice now because I don’t have to use that time to pick through who I want on our team. I can use that to get right into our structure and systems — and hopefully we’re ready to roll next weekend.”

Feasey left three players out of the lineup against the Vipers, continuing to send the message that the Maroons' identity is being shaped right now — not later.

Catching the coaching bug

The coaching bug bit Feasey during his stint as a player-coach in England, shortly after wrapping up a five-year career with the Windsor Lancers. It didn’t take long for him to realize that leading from behind the bench might be his next path in hockey.

The Kevin Hamlin Effect

Like many before him, Feasey is part of a growing coaching tree that traces back to long-time Windsor Lancers coach Kevin Hamlin. Names like Kyle Makaric, Andrew Donaldson, and Todd Warriner have all taken what they learned under “Hammer” into coaching roles of their own — and Feasey is no different.

“I run a couple of the plays we used at school,” said the Strathroy native. “I run some of the defensive structure that Hammer ran there. Over the course of my five years at the U, we had a really good D-zone. I liked the way we played, so I kind of incorporated that with the Maroons here.”

It’s not just his time with Hamlin he’s leaning on. Feasey is blending his own playing experiences with strategies he's picked up from other sources to carve out a coaching identity that seems to be resonating early.

Coming Up

The Maroons are back in action Saturday night in Sarnia before returning home for a rematch against LaSalle on Sunday night. The real tests begin the following weekend, with the season opener set for September 13th in Strathroy — followed by the home opener the next night against St. Thomas.