By Matt Hylen

A season that started with hope, excitement, and full of possibility turned unimaginably tragic for the KP girls hockey season when head coach Ken Assad passed away unexpectedly on December 21, 2025. 

Assad, who had taken over as head coach in 2019, was more than a coach to the King Philip girls hockey team; he was a mentor, confidant, and driving force behind their success. Coach Assad was a crucial aspect of the team’s consistent success, leading the team to the Hockomock League title just last season.

I got the privilege of speaking to one of the team’s senior captains, Camryn O’Shea, who said, “Coach Assad had a huge impact on every player he coached. He was not only dedicated to our game play, but also our lives outside of the rink.”

Assad was truly a players’ coach, doing everything in his power to ensure his players knew he was there for them through the highs and lows. For O’Shea, that mentorship was transformative. “He [Assad] taught me all I needed to know to be the best leader I can possibly be to help the team succeed,” she explains. “He was always there to guide me when I was unsure of what to do and made me the person I am now. Kenny was always someone to encourage you and tell you what you needed to hear in order to be the best athlete you could be.”

Despite this devastating loss, O’Shea has stepped up as a leader in ways she hopes would make her coach proud, truly exemplifying what it means to be a captain. The responsibility, she acknowledges, feels different this year.  “I have had the honor of being the King Philip girls varsity hockey team’s captain for two years. The difference in my duty as captain between both seasons has been drastic, due to the devastating loss we all experienced,” she said. “I strive to be the individual that my teammates feel comfortable confiding in and being seen as a mentor to them all.”

With their coach in their hearts, the King Phillip team has dedicated this season to Assad, playing with a deep fire since he passed. The results speak for themselves:  they’ve found immediate success and are the favorites to repeat as champions.

O’Shea credits the team’s chemistry and unity as their foundation, developing bonds that extend far beyond the rink. “This team is different from others I have been on because a lot of us have grown up playing together,” O’Shea said. “We have gotten to know each other as players and grown a very close bond from a very young age.” That connection has proven essential as they’ve navigated grief while pursuing their goals. 

Though their expectations are high, she emphasized the importance of remaining focused on the task at hand while also staying present on the game ahead. “As a team, we stay focused on our drive to accomplish our initial goal of winning the Hockomock league title,” O’Shea said. “We play each game with the integrity to reach our goals with hard work and perseverance through the struggles of the season we have had.”

With an impressive 14-2 record at Local Town Pages deadline, King Philip is exactly where it needs to be as the playoffs approach. The team returned every player from last season except for one new freshman, giving them continuity that’s paid dividends. “Since we had a full season to familiarize ourselves with each other’s game play, we knew this year would be a season to build upon the solid foundation we had and lead us to a successful season,” O’Shea said. 

The community’s support has been extraordinary. O’Shea explained, “Suffering through the loss of the heart and soul of our team, we have come together with the common mindset of putting our all into the game for Kenny.” She was not shy to emphasize the importance of the community’s support and how instrumental it was to their ability to keep playing. “Many people mourned and rallied with us after the loss of our coach, which pushed us to play for both Kenny and the community,” she explained. 

With a championship on their mind, winning the title in honor of Coach Assad might make an already remarkable season unforgettable. “Winning a state title this year would truly be a dream come true. With all that we have been through this season, that would be the perfect example of our perseverance,” O’Shea said. She notes that at King Philip, only the football team has made it all the way this year. “To have a girls’ team make it to the state championship would have a big impact on the entire community.”

The King Phillip girls hockey team is a prime example of heart, courage and resilience. In the face of unimaginable loss, they found the inner strength to keep playing for each other and their coach. Their journey this season embodies what it means to be part of something bigger than yourself, to find purpose in showing up for your teammates when it matters most. 

In the days after Coach Assad’s death, the team got together to share memories. Through tears and laughter, they realized something important. “Kenny would never want the laughs and joy of the team to end, but to make as many more memories as possible,” O’Shea said. “And that truly brought us all together.”