Lethbridge Hurricanes G.M. Peter Anholt (left) has announced Matt Anholt (right) as the team's new head coach. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko, Jesse Gill

SPORTS

New Lethbridge Hurricanes head coach Anholt joined by trio of Medicine Hat assistants

Jun 26, 2025 | 2:24 PM

The Lethbridge Hurricanes have announced their new coaching team.

Promoted to head coach is Matt Anholt, with the rest of his staff having a Medicine Hat connection.

Assistant coaches Ryan Aasman and Torrin White are both originally from Medicine Hat, while new goaltending coach Matt Weninger originally from Lethbridge has recently lived in Medicine Hat.

Anholt is being heralded as the Hurricanes first, “home-grown’ head coach.

He started with the team in 2018, serving in a variety of roles including skills coach, development coach, assistant coach and assistant general manager.

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“I’ve been here now for seven years. I know how much this community cares about the team, and I couldn’t be more honoured to be standing here today, but especially in that way that I know the players here,” said Matt.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be a big part of helping draft some of the players, trade for some of the players, develop some of the players, if not all of them.”

Matt is the son of Lethbridge Hurricanes General Manager Peter Anholt.

Peter dismissed any concerns about nepotism in hiring his son, saying Matt’s experience and results speak for themselves.

“You see and you watch how guys around our league interact with your staff and, specifically with Matt and how he’s respected throughout the league, and knowing for a fact that, if we didn’t hire him, somebody else was,” says Peter.

“We’ve been fortunate to build a strong culture with our organization over the years and Matt has had a strong part in that while being able to continue with the continuity of our staff with our team at every level,” he added.

“We feel that Matt taking over as the head coach helps with our transition to the next phase of our organization.”

All four members of the Hurricanes’ coaching staff are under the age of 40.

Aasman started with the Hurricanes as a video coach in 2021, before holding the assistant coaching since 2022.

He grew up in Medicine Hat and played hockey in Medicine Hat before starting his junior playing career that included time in the WHL and AJHL, including a single game with the Medicine Hat Tigers during the 2011-12 WHL season.

White, who played some of his minor hockey in Medicine Hat and later lived and coached in the city with the South Alberta Hockey Academy is new Hurricanes staff.

The assistant coach spent last season in the KIJHL as the general manager and head coach of the Princeton Posse.

He was an assistant coach for three season with the SAHA U18 prep team, before becoming the first head coach of the SAHA U17 prep team.

White also spent time as a scout with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, and has been a consultant with the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Weninger had spent the previous seven seasons as the goaltending coach for the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors before joining the Hurricanes under the same position.

He has lived in Medicine Hat and instructed goaltender in the area for a few years and is also the manager of elite hockey and goaltender development with Hockey Alberta.

Left to right: Lethbridge Hurricanes G.M. Peter Anholt, Head Coach Matt Anholt, Assistant Coach Ryan Aasman, Goaltending Coach Matt Weninger, Assistant Coach Torrin White. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)