The hockey club was bought by a Digby group in early June from former owner Steve Clayton. The new owners, Danny Harvieux, Justin Wood and Drew MacLean, said their priority was to find a coach who can work with the young players who make up a Junior C team, most of whom are aged 16 to 20.

The 38-year-old Locke is promising a hard-hitting aggressive brand of hockey when the season starts in early October.

“Our style of hockey will put people in the stands,” he said last week during an interview in the Digby Area Arena.

He is already looking for an offensive-minded defenceman, and says he’ll convert a forward if need be.

Locke said Jason Levings has signed on as trainer and assistant coaches are being sought.

The new coach brings considerable playing experience. He played with the Valley Wildcats triple-A team from 1985-88, before joining the Junior ‘A’ Dartmouth Fuel Kids. He was also on Senior ‘A’ teams in Saint John and Bridgewater, and played with the University of Cape Breton Capers.

He coached hockey schools in Cape Breton and was coach of the Mariners hockey team at Digby Regional High School in 1997.

Team owners are still hoping to hold the league’s all-star game here this year, and will hold a hockey school this October in the Digby rink.

Training camp in Kingston opens Sept. 9 and runs two nights a week for three weeks. The season has a 30-game schedule, evenly split between home and away games.

The Keith’s website is www.valleykeiths.ca