Les Lawton Takes Leave
Stingers Announce Women’s Hockey Head Coach Will Take Medical Leave of Absence
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The Concordia Stingers announced late Friday night that women’s hockey head coach Les Lawton will be taking an immediate and “indefinite medical leave of absence”. Women’s hockey team assistants Julie Chu and Mike McGrath will take over head coaching duties in Lawton’s absence.
“It is difficult to open a season without Les on the bench, but at this point his welfare is the priority,” said Patrick Boivin, Concordia’s Director of Recreation and Athletics, in a statement released on Friday night.
“We are offering our full support to Les and his family and hope to have him back soon,”
This coming season would have been Lawton’s 35th as head coach of the women’s hockey program. During his tenure, he has led the team to two national championships and 15 provincial titles.
In 1994, Lawton coached Team Canada’s women’s team to a gold medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Hockey Championships in Lake Placid, New York.
Last season, Lawton led the Stingers to a third place finish in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec division behind the McGill Martlets and the Université de Montréal Carabins. The Stingers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs against the Carabins.
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