This Episode features one of the most successful coaches in UK ice hockey history — Dave Whistle. Over a 16-season UK career, Dave spent seven seasons as a player and nine as a head coach, leading both the Bracknell Bees and the Belfast Giants to SuperLeague League Championships, and guiding the Giants to a Playoff Championship as well.
A graduate of the University of Brandon in Manitoba, Dave arrived in the UK in 1991 to join the Billingham Bombers. Despite finishing as the team's top scorer with 48 goals and 62 assists in just 36 games, he was surprisingly released and went on to ice for Romford, Basingstoke and Telford, gaining valuable experience across both Division 1 and the Premier Division.
Dave's career took a defining turn when he joined the Bracknell Bees. Following the creation of the Ice Hockey SuperLeague, he stepped into coaching and, in 1998–99, became head coach. Just one season later, Dave led the Bees to a remarkable SuperLeague League Championship, finishing above the sport's wealthiest clubs.
In 2000, Dave accepted the challenge of becoming the first-ever head coach of the Belfast Giants — a brand new franchise with no arena, no roster and no fanbase. Against all odds, he built a competitive team and a passionate following, with the Giants selling out their first home game. The following season Belfast captured their first SuperLeague title after a 16-game unbeaten run, and in 2003 Dave added a SuperLeague Playoff Championship to his growing list of honours.
Following the collapse of the SuperLeague, Dave coached in Germany and later returned to the UK with Cardiff Devils and Sheffield Steelers before heading back to Canada. Now coaching with the Okanagan Hockey Academy, Dave remains one of the most influential figures in the modern history of UK ice hockey.
