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KVHA News – Steve Mertel Named Head Coach of Kent Valley 14U Selects

By KVHA, 04/26/18, 1:45AM PDT

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Kent Valley Ice Centre, Kent, WA., Thursday, April 26, 2018 -

Kent Valley Hockey Association is pleased to name Steve Mertel to the head coaching position with the Kent Valley 14U Selects.  Mertel has served as a coach with Kent Valley teams for the past eleven seasons, serving four seasons as head coach of representative teams.  He served the past two seasons as assistant coach for the 14U and 16U Selects.  He holds a USA Hockey Level 4 coaching card.  

Mertel has been employed 25 years at Anheuser-Busch.  He has held numerous Leadership/Management positions during those 25 years.

Steve Mertel has played hockey for 20 plus years in men’s rec leagues including the RHL, Cascade and GSHL leagues as well as numerous tournaments throughout the Pacific Northwest and Nevada.  He has coached Kent Valley teams to numerous tournament championships as well as the PeeWee rec team championship in the Metropolitan Hockey League during the 2016/17 season.  Mertel also served as an assistant coach of a PeeWee A1 team in the Canadian PCAHA Flight 3 Division.

Mertel was asked why he dedicates so much time coaching the game of hockey as well as coaching teams in which his two sons were not involved.  Mertel responded, “First, it is for the love of 


one of hardest games in the world to play and respect for the game of hockey!  Secondly, I feel a real connection with kids and I think all of us that coach any sport have a responsibility to help shape these young athletes into respectable young adults and teach them some of the life lessons that this great game can provide and help make them understand little comes easy in life without effort. I hope at the end of season they understand when you get knocked down you get back up, never give in and NEVER QUIT!! When it is all said and done our goal is to HAVE FUN!!!!”