Idaho’s Sheen, South Carolina’s Kotyk named coaches for 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic

SHREWSBURY, N.J. – The ECHL announced on Thursday that Everett Sheen of the Idaho Steelheads and Brenden Kotyk of the South Carolina Stingrays have earned the right serve as the coaches for the 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Optima Health and Sentara Healthcare. The game takes place on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023 at Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia and will air LIVE exclusively on NHL Network and will stream on FloHockey.

The 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Optima Health and Sentara Healthcare will consist of a tournament featuring the ECHL All-Stars and the Norfolk Admirals, with an integrated skills competition with points counting towards each team’s score. In partnership with the Premier Hockey Federation and Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, two members from each organization will participate in the All-Star Classic with one player being assigned to each of the four teams. 

Sheen and Kotyk receive the coaching honors by virtue of their teams having the top winning percentage in their respective conference through games of Dec. 23.

In his third season as the Steelheads’ head coach, Sheen has led Idaho to an ECHL-best 23-3-1 record this season. Prior to taking over as head coach, he spent three seasons as the club’s assistant coach. Sheen had a five-year professional playing career, which included time in the ECHL in each season. He played 319 career ECHL games with Reading, Ontario, and Colorado, scoring 137 points (48g-89a). He also spent time with the American Hockey League’s Providence Bruins during the 2011-12 season. Sheen played four seasons of college hockey at College of the Holy Cross, serving as captain in his junior and senior seasons.

Kotyk has led South Carolina to a 16-5-3 record and is in first full season as the Stingrays’ head coach after serving as the club’s interim head coach for the final 18 games of the 2021-22 season. The 30-year-old joined the Stingrays’ staff as an assistant coach prior to the 2020-21 season, helping lead the team to the 2021 Kelly Cup Finals. Prior to joining the Stingrays staff, Kotyk had a three-year professional playing career, spending the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons with the Toledo Walleye, appearing in 50 games during each campaign and reaching the 2019 Kelly Cup Finals. Kotyk began his pro career in 2017-18 with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack and spent time in the ECHL with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. Before turning pro, he played four seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth following one season at The College of St. Scholastica. Kotyk helped UMD to NCAA Tournament appearances in three seasons with the Bulldogs and as an alternate captain his senior season was a part of the 2017 Frozen Four and National Championship appearances.

The 15th class of the ECHL Hall of Fame will be officially inducted at a luncheon, presented by BFL CANADA and Sutton Special Risk, on Monday, January 16 at 12:00 p.m. at the Hilton Norfolk The Main, the Official Host Hotel of the 2023 ECHL All-Star Classic.

Tickets for the 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Optima Health and Sentara Healthcare are now available. CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets today! For more information on the 2023 ECHL All-Star Classic, visit. ECHL.com/allstar.