OSHAWA, Ont. – The Ontario Tech Ridgebacks are pleased to announce the appointment of Tom St. James as a full-time assistant coach for the Ridgebacks women's hockey team.

"To be named as a full-time assistant coach is an amazing honor, and I can't wait for this season to begin," said St. James. "I've been working with this program for the past nine seasons, so I'm excited to be able to add even more on and off the ice. I hope to continue using my past experiences to build on strategies and add new philosophies to the team to help the program be successful."

St. James, who joined the Ridgebacks in 2015, brings over two decades of experience to the role. He was previously the head coach of the Clarington Flames U18AA girls' team and coached at the Ontario Winter Games, where he won gold as a head coach in 2014 and as an assistant coach in 2010. Before becoming a coach, St. James played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Sudbury Wolves and Kitchener Rangers before playing 10 years internationally in the International Hockey League and German Hockey League.

"I'm very excited that Tom is continuing to work with our women's hockey program as an assistant coach in a full-time capacity," said Ridgebacks women's hockey head coach, Kassidy Nauboris. "He brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and on-ice creativity that will continue to help build our program."