Entering his 10th season with the Oswego State men’s ice hockey program, Jon Whitelaw continues to play an integral role behind the bench as the team’s full-time assistant coach, a position he has held since 2019. Prior to his current role, Whitelaw spent three seasons serving the Lakers as both a volunteer assistant coach and as the Fred Festa Graduate Assistant Coach, gaining valuable experience in player development, recruiting, and program operations.
Before returning to Oswego, Whitelaw broadened his coaching background with a season at SUNY Cortland as a graduate assistant coach. He also returned to his roots in Huntsville, Ontario, working with the Huntsville Otters, his former junior club, to mentor young players at the junior level. His diverse coaching experiences have allowed him to develop a strong foundation in skill development, systems play, and team culture, which he now brings to the Lakers’ program.
As a player, Whitelaw enjoyed an accomplished career both at Oswego and abroad. Following graduation, he spent the 2013–14 season competing professionally in France’s Ligue Magnus with the Morzine-Avoriaz Penguins. At Oswego, he was a four-year standout (2009–13) and key contributor during one of the most successful eras in program history. He appeared in four NCAA Division III Frozen Fours, including two national championship games, while helping the Lakers capture SUNYAC titles in 2010 and 2013.
Individually, Whitelaw’s career was decorated with numerous accolades. As a freshman in 2009–10, he was named SUNYAC Rookie of the Year. He went on to serve as an assistant captain in 2011–12, when he was recognized as an East Region Second-Team All-American by the American Hockey Coaches Association, a First-Team All-SUNYAC selection, and the SUNY Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In his senior season, Whitelaw captained the Lakers and earned both the 2013 Oswego State Male Student-Athlete of the Year and the prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence.
Statistically, Whitelaw ranks among the program’s all-time scoring leaders. In 110 career games, he recorded 53 goals and 86 assists for 139 points, placing him tied for 28th in the Lakers’ history books.
An Oswego alum, Whitelaw earned a Bachelor of Science in Adolescence Education (2013) and Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction (2018). Residing in Liverpool, NY, Whitelaw is the proud father of his son Gio and husband to fellow Oswego alum Brittany.
