Jim Aldred


James Aldred is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player. He played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, and was drafted 59th overall in the 1981 National Hockey League entry draft by the Buffalo Sabres. After four seasons combined in the American Hockey League and the International Hockey League, he won an Eredivisie championship in the Netherlands with the Nijmegen Tigers. Retiring due to injuries, Aldred turned to coaching four seasons in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League.
Moving to Portugal in 2017, Aldred became head coach of the Portugal men's national ice hockey team which has competed at every Development Cup organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. After one season coaching in Sweden, he returned to Portugal teaching at hockey camps for children, founded the Luso Lynx recreational hockey club, established a three-on-three hockey league, and founded the professional club HC Porto which began play in the Spanish Liga Nacional de Hockey Hielo in 2023. He was recognized by the IIHF for contributions to developing youth ice hockey, with the Johan Bollue Award in 2025.

Early life and minor ice hockey

James Aldred was born on April 28, 1963, in Toronto, Ontario. He began playing ice hockey as a four-year-old, and had a backyard rink at his house. He played minor ice hockey with the Humber Valley club in the Etobicoke Hockey Association, and later played in the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

Playing career

Junior ice hockey

Aldred began playing junior ice hockey in 1978. He was a left-handed shooter, listed at and. During the 1978–79 season, he played for the Toronto Red Wings in the Metro Junior B Hockey League, and the Aurora Tigers in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. He scored 22 goals and 44 points for Aurora, and was an offensive-minded player ranked 22nd by the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League scouting bureau for the upcoming draft.
Primarily a defenceman at the time, he was drafted 30th overall by the Kingston Canadians in the third round of the OMJHL midget priority draft. Kingston's coach and general manager Jim Morrison chose a defenceman with each of his first three picks, looking to solidify the team's defence. Seeking to earn his way onto the team, Aldred had daily skating sessions during the summer even though he was guaranteed a place on the team as a midget draft pick. At training camp, Morrison felt that Aldred handled the puck well and was a good skater. Battling injuries during the 1979–80 OMJHL season, Aldred missed two months with a broken collarbone, then upon his return in February, missed the remainder of the season and playoffs with a separated shoulder. In 16 games played, Aldred scored one point and had nine penalty minutes.
In his second season with the Canadians, Aldred played 67 Ontario Hockey League games. He led all rookies on the Canadians with 20 goals and 48 points in the 1980–81 OHL season, and scored the sixth-most points on the team. In the divisional playoffs series victory versus the Ottawa 67's, Aldred scored consecutive game-winning goals in the first two games. The Canadians were eliminated in the divisional finals in six games versus the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He was subsequently drafted 59th overall in the 1981 National Hockey League entry draft by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round. He was the first of five Canadians selected in the draft, and the first North American-born player chosen by the Sabres that year.
Aldred scored two goals and six points in the first ten games of the 1981–82 OHL season with the Canadians. Looking to increase goal scoring, the Canadians traded Aldred and Chuck Brimmer to the Greyhounds in November, in exchange for Ron Handy and a fifth-round draft pick. Greyhounds' coach Terry Crisp expected to use Aldred's size as a left winger, and in the corners of the rink. The Sault Star described Aldred as "big, tough, aggressive, and he can score", and as a "mucker", who was best suited to play in the corners and in front of the opposing team's goal. He scored 16 goals and 31 points in the remainder of the regular season for the Greyhounds, and had four goals and 54 penalty minutes in 12 postseason games. In the playoffs, the Greyhounds defeated the Brantford Alexanders in a seven-game series, then lost in five games to the Kitchener Rangers in the division finals.
In the 1982–83 OHL season, Aldred scored 22 goals for his career best in the OHL. He led the Greyhounds with 176 penalty minutes, the tenth highest total in the OHL. The Greyhound placed first in the league during the regular season, received a first-round playoffs bye, defeated the Alexanders in five games in the second round, defeated the Rangers in seven games in the division finals, then lost in the OHL finals versus the Oshawa Generals in four games. In 16 playoffs games, he scored two goals, ten points, and had 46 penalty minutes.

Professional ice hockey

The Buffalo Sabres assigned Aldred to their farm team, the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League. Playing for coaches Joe Crozier and Yvon Lambert, Aldred "impressed with his aggressive play during camp", and scored a game-winning power play goal in his first exhibition game. Shifting permanently from defenceman to left winger, Aldred completed the 1983–84 AHL season with 10 goals and 19 points in 64 games. In the playoffs, the Americans defeated the St. Catharines Saints in seven games in round one, then defeated the Baltimore Skipjacks in six games in the second round. Not playing since game two of the second round, Aldred scored a first-period goal in a game-four overtime loss during the Calder Cup finals versus the Maine Mariners. The Americans lost the Calder Cup finals in five games, with Aldred scoring two goals in 11 playoff games.
In October 1984, the Buffalo Sabres assigned Aldred to play for the Flint Generals in the International Hockey League. The Generals were the defending Turner Cup champions, and Aldred scored the first goal of the team's home opener in the 1984–85 IHL season. He played right wing for the Generals, but missed two weeks in November with an injured knee. He was called up to Rochester on December 7, then sent back to Flint four days later after appearing in two games for the Americans in the 1984–85 AHL season. On January 11, 1985, Flint's coach and general manager Dennis Desrosiers, traded Aldred and Don Waddell to the Toledo Goaldiggers in exchange for Bill Joyce and Mark Plantery. At the IHL deadline to reduce rosters for the playoffs, Aldred was placed on waivers then released by the Goaldiggers in March. During the 1984–85 IHL season, he played in 52 games, scoring 12 goals and 18 points.
Returning to the Toledo Goaldiggers for the 1985–86 IHL season, Aldred scored 9 goals and 26 points in 51 games played, and accrued 110 penalty minutes. Following a spitting incident with an on-ice official on February 22, Aldred was suspended for the remainder of the IHL season. He was supposed to have been called up to the Americans, but could not play in the AHL until the suspension expired on March 10. He scored one goal and four points in 10 games with the Americans, but did not appear in the 1985–86 AHL season playoffs since he was signed after the December 15 deadline. He became a free agent after the season when not offered a contract.
Aldred tried out with the Flint Spirits of the International Hockey League, but was released during training camp for the 1986–87 IHL season.
After not playing for a season, Aldred joined the Nijmegen Tigers of the Eredivisie in the Netherlands. In the 1987–88 Eredivisie season, he scored 40 goals and 88 points in 41 games. His point total was ninth best in the league, and second best on the Tigers behind Robert Forbes with 122 points. The Tigers placed second in the league cup, placed first in the playoffs round-robin, then defeated the Rotterdam Pandas in five games in the semifinals, and defeated the Heerenveen Flyers in four games to win the playoffs championship. Aldred retired from playing after the season, when battling more frequent injuries.

Playing statistics

Source:

Coaching career

Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League

Coaching in junior ice hockey, Aldred guided the Shelburne Red Wings in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League during the 2010–11 season. The Red Wings were described as "the first foreign junior hockey team in Canada", with a roster of mostly Russian-born players, made possible since the GMHL had no limits on foreign-born players. Aldred felt that the Russian players were tough on each other and needed strict guidance, and that he was privileged to coach them coming to Canada to "better themselves" despite his suspension by Hockey Canada for coaching in an unaffiliated league. His initial game strategy was based on his players' strengths in stickhandling, skating, and goal scoring, then switched to improving defensive zone coverage. The Red Wings earned 25 wins in 42 games, placing fifth in the GMHL with 52 points.
In the 2011–12 GMHL season, Aldred became head coach of the Vaughan Stars, playing home games at Canlan Ice Sports at York University. He led Vaughan to 11 wins in 16 games, until the GMHL revoked their membership on November 28, ending the season. Aldred subsequently worked as a power skating instructor throughout Ontario.
Joining the Alliston Coyotes to develop players during the 2014–15 GMHL season, Aldred's team placed seventh in the South Division with 20 wins in 42 games, and 40 points. Seeking a "positive impact on the players, both personally and professionally", he returned for the 2015–16 GMHL season, he developed a fast-skating, and puck-possession team, using systems-oriented coaching. He focused on defensive zone coverage, and let the players create their own play in the attacking zone. Alliston led the Central Division with 28 wins in 31 games by January, with Aldred and two of his players named to Team World in the league's all-star game. Alliston finished the season second place in the Central Division with 36 wins in 42 games, having led the division for most of the season until surpassed by the Tottenham Steam
Aldred was hired to coach the Tottenham Steam for the 2016–17 GMHL season by the team's new owners, but was replaced by Dennis Maruk before the season began.