Building the Foundation
To Our Membership,
Over the past year, we have been working deliberately behind
the scenes not simply planning teams or filling rosters, but building something
deeper and more sustainable. Our focus is belief, structure, and integrity in
development.
We have not rushed announcements because this is not about
optics. It is about foundation. Real work. Real alignment. Real development.
We are not selling elite hockey as a label. We are building
elite standards. Standards built daily through curriculum, mentorship,
progression, and accountability.
This initiative goes beyond individual skill sessions. While
we value high-level instruction and have invested in outstanding instructors,
what we are building extends further.
We are building a coach development structure.
Our development team works directly with coaches running
seminars, supporting practices, collaborating on curriculum, and ensuring
alignment across age groups. Skill sessions matter, but structure matter more.
When coaches grow, players grow.
Over the past season, an experienced group of hockey leaders
has been designing and refining that structure.
Dan Poliziani brings nearly 40 years of coaching experience,
including serving as Head Coach at Yale University and as Head Coach with
Hockey Canada’s U17 National Team. He is a lifetime student of the game who
studies brain development, decision-making, and performance under pressure. His
influence is not about running drills; it is about shaping how we teach the
game across every age group.
Shawn Matthias brings over 500 NHL games of experience and a
deep understanding of long-term player development at the highest level. As a
local resident committed to giving back to this community, he reinforces
professional standards, habits, and mindset within our coaching group.
Paul Ciafrini, a former professional player in the
Pittsburgh Penguins system, 2 time Allen Cup Champ, and a local father of four,
is deeply invested in the foundation years. He works alongside coaches to
ensure development at the youngest levels is competitive, structured, and
age-appropriate.
Mike Schutte brings more than 30 years of experience as a
coach, scout, director, general manager, and former Director of Operations for
Team Ontario U17. He understands the full development pathway from grassroots
to professional hockey and mentors our coaches to ensure alignment with what
truly translates at higher levels.
Andrew Dovey, Associate Head Hockey Coach at University of
Toronto (USPORTS) a former NCAA Division I coach at Canisius College with a
Master’s Degree in Health and Human Performance, blends modern training science
with competitive experience. He works directly with coaches to ensure practices
challenge players appropriately while building detail and decision-making.
Together, this group has built a shared curriculum and
unified approach to development — prioritizing high puck touches, small-area
competition, and decision-making at speed.
We are proud to announce the first wave of returning
coaches, individuals who were part of our early pilot programming and have
fully embraced our unified development model:
U9 MD1 – Dennis Harrington
U10 AA – Jeff Cowan
U11 AA – Jamie Miller
U12 AA – Jackie Marchese
U13 AA – Bob Hall
U14 AA – Steven Langdon
U15 AA – Josh Cassan
U16 AA – Derek Harrison
These coaches have been phenomenal in their commitment to
alignment and growth within our system.
More coach announcements will follow in the coming weeks as
we continue to build thoughtfully and deliberately.