Where are they now?
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Coaches
Terry Ruskowski (1991-94; 96-80-20, .541 percent in regular season) lives in McKinney, Texas, about 30 miles north of Dallas. In the spring of 2020, he was named head coach of the McKinney North Stars AA 18U team, part of the Dallas Stars Travel Hockey League that competes in local and out-of-town tournaments. He is a certified USA Hockey coach who also works with the Stars’ youth hockey programs through their Xtreme Team of mainly former NHL players who hosts camps and workshops. The Stars operate eight rinks (16 ice surfaces) in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
When “Rosco” left the Chill, he spent 1 ½ seasons coaching the Houston Aeros expansion team in the IHL. From there he took over the first-year Knoxville Speed of the United Hockey League for two seasons followed by going to his fourth expansion franchise, the Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League, where he was the president, general manager and coach. He won championships there in 2003 and ’05. He was with the Bucks from 2002 through the 2010-11 season before coaching the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (CHL) for one season prior to his Quad City stint. Prior to working with the Stars, his most recent coaching and general manager job with the ECHL’s Quad City Mallards ended in January 2017 after 4 ½ seasons.
Terry Ruskowski reaches 600 wins!
Terry Ruskowski returns to Laredo as Rio Grande coach
Moe Mantha (1994–96; 68-60-10, .529) retired as coach/general manager of the St. Cloud (Minn.) Blizzard at the end of the 2019-20 season. He had been involved with the Tier II junior team in the North American Hockey League since June 2017 when it was based in Brooking, S.D. The Blizzard moved to St. Cloud prior to his last season in charge.
Following his two seasons with the Chill, Mantha moved up to the AHL’s Baltimore Bandits. After the 1996-97 season they became the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks and Mantha coached there three more seasons. Always known as a developer of talent, he coached the USA Hockey National Team Development Program’s Under-17 team in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from 2000–2004 and later became minority owner, general manager, and head coach for the Michigan (Flint) Warriors, of the NAHL from 2010-15. He took the expansion team to the championship game in 2011. He later coached the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League and was GM/coach for the French River Rapids of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League before taking over the Blizzard.
Moe Mantha, Head Coach Michigan Warriors (NAHL)
Brian McCutcheon (1996-97; 44-21-5, .664. North Division title) resides in Ithaca, N.Y., where he first gained fame for Cornell, leading the Big Red in goals in 1969-70 when they became the only undefeated and untied (29-0-0) NCAA Division I hockey champion in history. He was head coach at his alma mater from 1987 to 1995 with a 108-105-24 record. McCutcheon was an assistant for the Los Angeles Ice Dogs (IHL) in 1995-96 before his one season with the Chill that earned him the ECHL Coach of the Year award.
That success led to his promotion to Rochester (AHL), the top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. He spent three seasons with the Americans, reaching the Calder Cup final the final two. He moved up to the Sabres as an assistant coach and later associate head coach from 2001-11. He then coached in Italy and Germany through 2016. His son, Mark, was the fifth-round selection (146th overall) of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He played four seasons at Cornell prior to a pro career in the AHL, ECHL and Europe before retiring in 2015.
Don Granato (1997-99; 72-54-14, .564. Northwest Division title, 1998-99) completed his first season as an assistant coach for Buffalo in 2019-20. In September 2019 he developed a streptococcus bacterium in his blood that led to severe pneumonia and respiratory failure during his hospital stay, and at one point doctors said he had five minutes to live before medical procedures saved his life. He returned to coaching the Sabres two months later.
After Granato’s two seasons in Columbus he became the fourth consecutive Chill coach to reach a higher level, albeit with a stop in-between. Following the Chill’s final season, he coached the Peoria Rivermen to the ECHL title in 1999-2000. That earned him a promotion to head coach of the St. Louis Blues’ AHL affiliate, the Worcester IceCats. Granato was named AHL Coach of the Year during his inaugural campaign of a five-year stint. He was a Blues assistant coach for the 2005–06 season and head coach of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves from 2008-10 before he was named the USA Hockey National Team Development Program’s U-17 head coach in August 2011—the same position once held by Mantha— and later the U-18 and U-20 head coaching positions.
He joined his alma mater, Wisconsin, to become associate head coach to his brother, Tony, for the 2016-17 season then spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks. Don was inducted into the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame in January 2020.
(For more on Granato see his entry in the Player, Post-Chill section that follows)
Don Granato, Clean Sweep for USA in International Tournaments
Don Granato
Don Granato, Head Coach USA Hockey 17 & Under National Team
Players, Post-Chill
Brett Abel (1994-95) is a sales representative at Martignetti Companies in Boston. He was 21-18-4 with a 4.08 goals-against average, .863 save percentage and one shutout in 49 regular season games and made 69 saves in a playoff game for the Chill.
Kevin Alexander (1991-93) is agency owner and operator of Search2Close Real Estate Company where he lives in the Columbus suburb of Powell. He is the head hockey coach at Olentagy Liberty High School. He had 131 points (47 goals, 84 assists) in 128 games with Columbus.
Blair Atcheynum (1993-94) has been the owner of Magpie Outdoor Advertising in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan since 2005 and was a longtime assistant coach for the Battlefords North Stars of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. He played in 192 of his 196 NHL gamers after a short but epic stint in Columbus in which he registered 27 points (15-12) in 16 games.
Blair Atcheynum, Assistant Coach Battlesfords North Stars
John Badduke (1993-94) has been a Canadian sales manager for Colton Energy Services in the Canadian province of Alberta since August 2012 and prior to that was a firefighter in High River, Alberta, for 10 years. He played only seven games for the Chill but “Big Bad John” had 60 penalty minutes and three assists.
Jim Ballantine (1991-93) was a former Michigan player who made a name for himself in Columbus with 128 points (48-80) in 123 games. He made history on Nov. 6, 1992, by becoming the hockey player to wear a three-digit number (for radio station CD-101) on his jersey. He wore it for one game before it was shipped to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. After retirement, he earned his law degree and became an assistant county prosecutor in Grand Rapids, Mich., before passing away from Lou Gehrig’s disease on Jan. 4, 2002, at age 34.
Scott Bell (1995-96) has been a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs since August 2018. Previously he was a scout for the Pittsburgh Penguins when they won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and ’17. He was instrumental in the Penguins drafting the little-known Jake Guentzel in 2013. Bell scored 23 goals with 20 assists in 37 Chill games.
Craig Binns (1994-96) is a firefighter in Midland, Texas. The defenseman had 18 points (7-11) in 51 Chill games.
Scott Blair (1997-98) is an author and journalist and former actor living in Los Angeles. He wrote the books “The Hollywood Chronicles” and “Red Wine Diaries” and is a contributor to The Hockey Writers. He had 18 points (7-11) in 45 games with the Chill.
Scott Blair, Author — The Red Wine Diaries
Aaron Boh (1993-96) is president of ABC2 Consulting Ltd. in Calgary. In August 2019 he was retained by Maple Leaf Green World as its chief grower to spearhead its proposed hemp seeds and marijuana clones and seeds cultivation project at its 52 greenhouses. The defenseman had 88 points (23-65) and 353 penalty minutes in 105 games as a Chill.
Robin Bouchard (1994-95) played 16 seasons and set the modern-era minor league goals scoring record with 687 goals while playing in the ECHL, Colonial Hockey League, United Hockey League, and International Hockey League. He had 63 points (30-33) and 188 penalty minutes in 46 games with the Chill in 1994-95. He was named to the 2020 class for the Muskegon (Mich.) Sports Hall of Fame.
Robin Bouchard, sets all-time minor league goal mark
Robin Bouchard, number retired
Lance Brady (1993–95) was the head hockey coach at Assumption College for 10 seasons before beginning his first season as director of hockey operations for Merrimack College in the fall of 2018. He passed away on Feb. 5, 2019, at age 48 after battling cancer. The Northeast-10 Conference named its men’s hockey coach of the year award after the “Duke” and the players’ lounge at his alma mater (Holy Cross) is named for him as well.
Lance Brady, Head Coach Assumption College
Lance Brady, American Hockey Association Coach-of-the-Year Finalist
Corey Bricknell (1995-97) was named head coach for the Knights of Meaford (Ontario) of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League in March 2020. Before that was head coach and GM for French River of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. He had 23 points (3-20) plus 407 PIMs (penalties in minutes) in 79 games as a Chill defenseman.
Corey Bricknell, Head Coach Port Perry MoJacks, Junior C Hockey
Cam Brown (1991-93) is a mechanical technician at Quality Technological Services in the Atlanta area. Since 2004 he has also taught private lessons for players and coaches at the Duluth (Georgia) Ice Forum. He was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2010. Brown played 46 games for the Chill over two seasons, compiling 48 points (24-24. His lone NHL game was March 3, 1991, when he had seven penalty minutes at the Chicago Blackhawks.
David Bumbry (1996-98) is an associate investment advisor at CIBC Wood Gundy in Victoria, British Columbia. He played 18 games in each of his two seasons in Columbus. He was 9-5-2 with a 4.09 GAA and .884 save percentage the first season and 8-8-1 (2.72, .917, two shutouts the next). In June 2000 he was the first goalie signed by the expansion Minnesota Wild. In November 2000 he served as the Wild backup to Manny Fernandez, but he never played an NHL game.
Darcy Cahill (1997-98), alongtime hockey coach in the Columbus area, finished his third season at St. Francis DeSales High School in February 2020. Prior to that, Cahill led Dublin Coffman High School to a 68-54-8-1 record in four seasons and an appearance in the 2016 state tournament.
Nick Checco (1997-98) is a spine specialist at Globus Medical in Minneapolis, adept at the medical device industry and sales. He lives in Eden Prairie, Minn. He had 39 points (19-20) in 58 Chill games. Jason Christie (1991-93, 1998-99) finished his third season as head coach of the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL in March 2020. He is the ECHL’s all-time leader in regular season victories with 633 following previous stints with the Peoria Rivermen (2000-2005), Utah Grizzlies (2005-2008), Ontario Reign (2011-2015) and Tulsa Oilers (2015-2017). “Smurf” was voted the 2010-11 Central Hockey League Coach of the Year after guiding Bloomington (Illinois) to a 32-27-7 record. He had 182 points (57-128) in 159 Chill games.
Mark Cipriano (1991-94) had an eventful career with the Chill, racking up 533 penalty minutes in 88 games (6.05 average) but he also had 52 points (23-29). The ninth-round (170th overall) selection of the Vancouver Canucks in the 1990 NHL Draft earned 333 minutes in penalties and had 31 points (17-14) the Chill’s inaugural season. He scored the overtime winner against Roanoke Valley in the team’s first game. He finished his career in the 1996-97 season with Bakersfield of the West Coast Hockey League.
Derek Clancey (1993-97) was inducted with the 2020 class into the ECHL Hall of Fame. He is the Chill career leader in points (313) and assists (218). He also added 95 goals in 221 games. In 1995-96, he had 109 points (32-77) in 67 games. He is in his 13th season in the front office of the Pittsburgh Penguins, helping them win the Stanley Cup three times (2009, ’13, 17). Clancey was the director of pro scouting from 2010 until being promoted to the Penguins’ director of player personnel prior to the 2019-20 season.
Derek Clancey, Director of Pro Scouting Pittsburgh Penguins
Joe Cook (1993-94) is the chief operating officer for Alkali Verbero Hockey, an inline hockey gear manufacturer in Vista, Calif. He’s also coached the U.S. National Inline Team, leading the Americans to the 2013 IIHF Inline Hockey World Championship. The defenseman ran the Chill power play and 89 points (26-63) in 63 games.
Joe Coombs (1996-97) finished his second season in March 2020 as the head coach of the Jamestown (N.Y.) Rebels in the North American Hockey League, a Tier II junior league. He was a head coach in the North American Hockey League for four teams (Rio Grande, Aston, Philadelphia, and Jamestown) from 2013-19. Coombs had 59 points (28-31) in 66 games for the Chill.
Joe Coombs, Associate Head Coach Dubuque Fighting Saints
Jesse Cooper (1993-95) works as an account executive at Smartling Inc., in Boston, a company that provides cloud-based translation management platforms for businesses. A defenseman, Cooper had 50 points (10-40) and was a plus-21 in 67 games in 1993-94 and totaled 66 points (12-54) in his Chill career.
Gary Coupal (1995-97) works for Hydro One electricity utility in central Ontario, Canada. He racked up a slew of penalties and suspensions in less than two full seasons with the Chill, earning 475 penalty minutes in 64 games for an average of 7.42 per game. He scored 12 goals and had 12 assists.
Gary Coupal, Life after the whistle
Dan Cousineau (1998-99) is a coach in the Capital Amateur Hockey Association in central Ohio and has worked with AAA Blue Jackets system as well. He is also a marketing analyst. He came out of Ohio State to play three games (one goal) for the Chill at the end of the Chill’s final season.
Phil Crowe (1991-92) is the co-owner Total Directional, which provides directional drilling services to oil and gas producers. He is based in Windsor, Colorado, about 60 miles north of Denver, where he is the vice president of sales and marketing. He played 32 games for the Chill and had 11 points (4-7) and 145 penalty minutes.
Alain Deeks (1991-93) is an operating technician for Energir in the Quebec province. He had 20 goals and 35 assists for 55 points in 69 games as a Chill defenseman.
Stephane Desjardins (1995-96) had four points (1-3) in 20 games on the Chill blue line. He is a boxing/fitness trainer and coach with the Loa Angeles Jr. Kings.
Barry Dreger (1991-93) is the head coach and general manager of the New Jersey Rockets of the National Collegiate Development Conference, one of two tuition free junior hockey leagues in the U.S. He has been there since March of 2019 after nearly seven years as head coach of the Los Angeles Jr. Kings. Prior to that he was head coach at Kennesaw (Georgia) State University. He had 663 penalty minutes in 94 games with the Chill (7.05 avg.).
Barry Dreger, Head Coach, Kennesaw State College
Paul Dukovac (1992-93), who played 23 games for the Chill (one goal, 11 assists), is a sports chiropractor, acupuncturist and hockey biomechanics specialist in Naperville, Illinois, where he has coached in the Naperville Sabres organization for more than 17 years.
Marc Dupuis (1996-97, 1998-99) is the assistant safety and compliance manager at Walmart Logistics in Cornwall, Ontario, where he been employed since September 2002. Dupuis was inducted into the Cornwall Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. The fifth-round (118th overall) pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1994 spent much of his time in the IHL but the defenseman played a total of 27 games for the Chill with 16 points (2-14).
Andrew Fagan (1997-99) is the Director of Services and Community Partnerships for Community Living Central York in Newmarket, Ontario. He piled up 456 penalty minutes in 116 Chill games while collecting 21 points (9-12).
Tim Fingerhut (1997-99) is a physical education teacher and hockey coach at St. Augustine College Prep in Sicklerville, N.J. He had 112 points (53-59) and 315 penalty minutes in 126 games with the Chill.
Jason Fitzsimmons (1992-93) as a pro scout for Washington hoisted the Stanley Cup after the Capitals defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018. The former goalie coached the South Carolina Stingrays from 2002-07 before being hired as a scout for the Capitals. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina. He was 10-9-3, 4.07 GAA and a.851 save percentage for the Chill.
Derek Gauthier (1996-97) since June 2008 has been a forming operations specialist for Nucor Fastener near his home in Avon, Indiana. He had 73 points (33-40) in 60 games as a Chill.
Brian Gendron (1993-94) is a regional manager for Southeast Infusion Systems and lives in Tampa. In 40 games for the Chill he had 18 points (7-11) and 201 penalty minutes.
Matt Golden (1998-99) works at Gandrud Collision Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He is the head hockey coach at Ashwaubenon High School. The defenseman had 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points in 61 games.
Chris Gotziaman (1994-95) is the sales director for Diageo (spirits distributor) in Minneapolis. He put up 54 points (35-19) in 56 games in his one Columbus season.
Don Granato (1991-93) was in his first season as an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres in 2019-20. He’s been an assistant with the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues as well as the head coach of the USA Hockey National Development Team. He was a head coach of the Worcester IceCats (AHL) and won the 2000 ECHL title as coach of the Peoria Rivermen. He had 90 points (26-64) in 103 games for the Chill.
Tim Green (1995-96) lives in High River, Alberta. The former Ohio State defenseman had 13 points (2-1) in 47 games for the Chill.
John Gurskis (1998-99) was hired as an assistant coach by the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL on Oct. 11, 2019, after being the head coach of the South Shore Kings (Tier III junior hockey in the United States Hockey League). He was enshrined in the Saint Michael’s College Hall of Fame in 2005 and his No. 9 was retired on Dec. 7, 2019. Gurskis had five goals and two assists in 23 Chill games.
Alain Harvey (1991-92) was 13-16-5, 4.51GAA, and a .867 save percentage the Chill’s first season. He gained some notoriety on Oct. 30, 1993, playing for the Toledo Storm when he got injured in the second period against the Dayton Bombers. Erin Whitten replaced him, stopped 15 of 19 shots and got the 6-5 victory to become the first female goaltender to win a pro game. Harvey retired after the 1994-95 season with the Storm.
Tim Hogan (1995-97) lives in his hometown of Whitby, Ontario. He had 53 points (13-40) in 136 games on the Chill defense.
Bobby House (1994-95) was a third-round pick (66th overall) by the Chicago Blackhawks and left an indelible mark on the Chill by scoring 11 goals plus six assists for 17 points in nine games over two stints. He set the franchise record on Dec. 10, 1994, by scoring five goals vs. Knoxville. He finished the season with the Albany River Rats and won the AHL title (Calder Cup). He was the first player in Yukon Territories to be drafted and the first from the province to play pro hockey. House completed his career in Germany for the Hamburg Freezers from 2002-05, the final two seasons under Columbus Blue Jackets’ original coach Dave King, and retired to the Denver area. In recent years he’s participated in a fundraising hockey game in Colorado for the DAWG Nation Hockey Foundation (dawgnationhockey.org) charity.
David Hymovitz (1996-97) has been the director of hockey operations for the Boston Junior Eagles, coaching three youth teams. He was a scout for the New York Islanders from August 2007 to July 2016. Hymovitz had 71 points (39-32) in 58 games with the Chill.
Trent Kaese (1991-92) is the general manager at Cottonwood Golf Course in his hometown of Nanaimo, British Columbia. He has worked there since May 1995. He had a prolific stretch for the Chill with 50 points (28-22) in 28 games in the second half of the season. He had a hat trick in three straight games to tie the pro record. Kaese played one NHL game for the Buffalo Sabres on March 25, 1989, at the Quebec Nordiques.
Shaun Kane (1992-93) is a MitraClip Structural Heart account manager at Abbott in Guilford, Connecticut. He lives in Greenwood Lake, N.Y. The All-Star defenseman had seven goals and 25 assists for 32 points in 41 games for the Chill.
Kory Karlander (1995–96) was the last Chill player to hang up his skates. He began his career in Columbus in 1994-95 with 17 games (one goal, seven assists) and played 18 pro seasons before retiring at the age of 41 in 2013 after his third season with the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL). He is the co-hockey director for Fox Motors Hockey Club/Southside Ice Arena in Grand Rapids. Mich., where he coaches youth teams.Kory has a account
Richard Keyes (1997-99) is the programs director at the Keyes Institute of Ice Hockey in Portage, Mich., where his goalie coach is former Ohio State netminder Tom Askey. Keyes had 110 points (61-49) in 121 game while with the Chill.
Sergei Khramtsov (1992-94) came to the Chill out of the Vancouver Canucks training camp in the fall of 1992 when Russian players in North America were still a novelty. Despite the language barrier he became one of the most beloved players. In his first season he was 16-17-1, 3.44 GAA, .881 save percentage and one shutout. He was 13-6-2, 3.53, .879 and one shutout for the 1993-94 season when he split duties with Sergei Tkachenko. Khramtsov has been a longtime goalie coach in various Russian leagues since 1997-98, including nine seasons Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, the country’s top league. He joined the staff of Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Supreme Hockey League) for the start of the 2018-19 season. The SHL is the second highest league in Russia.
Mark Kuntz (1993-95) came to the Chill in a trade with the Richmond Renegades and posted 28 points (9-19) and 346 penalty minutes in 82 games over two seasons. He resides in Fresno, Calif., with his family.
Sasha Lakovic (1992-93) had a notable role in the film Miracle and played a Russian soldier in the 2007 movie Afghan Knights. He was living in West Kelowna, British Columbia, when he passed away at the age of 45 after a seven-month battle with brain cancer. “Pit Bull” played 19 games with the Calgary Flames in 1996-97 and 18 with the New Jersey Devils in 1997-98 and 1998-99. He had four assists and 117 penalty minutes in the NHL. For the Chill in 1992-93 he had 16 points (7-9) and 162 penalty minutes in 27 games, and in 12 pro seasons accumulated 2,631 penalty minutes.
Sasha Lakovic, Miracle (played a Russian hockey player)
Marty LaRoche (1998–99) is a chief technology officer at Customized Girl in Columbus and has been a coach in the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets program for many years. He had 26 points (8-18) with the Chill.
Frank LaScala (1991-93), had two big seasons for the Chill, combining for 83 points (53-30) in 90 games, including 34 goals and 23 assists in 59 games the Chill’s first season. In the 1994-95 season he was playing for the Dallas Freeze when Link Gaetz of the San Antonio Iguanas broke his arm with a slash, leading to a lifetime ban from the Central Hockey League for the “Missing Link.” LaScala recovered to play until hanging up the skates in 2001 with the New Mexico Scorpions of the Western Pro Hockey League.
Mike Legg (1998-99) scored one of the most talked about goals in hockey history when he scored the original lacrosse-style goal for Michigan in a 1996 NCAA tournament game against Minnesota. He had 52 points (19-33) in 49 games for the Chill and today is a firefighter in Burnaby, British Columbia. He is an assistant coach with the Ridge Meadows Flames Junior B team, the Midget A1 team and is with the development team for the Ridge Meadows minor hockey.
Mike Legg — the coolest goal ever scored
Robert “Rob” Lewis (1991-92) has been head coach with the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers since 2013 and in charge of their 16U national team since 2015. He is also self employed as a private lesson instructor for Hst [[[CQ]] Hockey. Lewis, a defenseman, had two goals and 11 assists in 45 Chill games.
Andy MacIntyre (1994-96) has been an HEO at Imperial Oil in Calgary since November 2011. He’s also been a councillor for the municipal district of Sparwood, British Columbia. He coaches youth hockey for the Elk Valley Minor Hockey Association and teaches at summer hockey schools. The former fourth-round (89th overall) pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1992 had 27 points (12-15) in 49 games for the Chill.
Marc Magliarditi (1997–98) in 2013 was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame. In 1997-98 for the Chill he was 13-11-3 in 28 games with a 3.14 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage and two shutouts. He also had three assists.
Eric Manlow (1996-97) joined the Niagara (Canada) Regional Police in 2009. The constable in 2016 helped coach the Niagara Falls novice AA hockey team to the Ontario Minor Hockey Association championship. He had 18 goals and 18 assists in 32 games for the Chill, and in 37 NHL games (11 Boston, 26 New York Islanders) he had two goals and four assists for six points.
Ryan Marsh (1995-96) is an associate head coach for the Saskatoon Blades junior team in the Western Hockey League. He was named to Hockey Canada’s coaching staff for the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. The defenseman had six assists in 63 games with the Chill before playing four seasons at the University of Alberta
Darwin McClelland (1993–95) is an assistant coach to Kevin Alexander at Olentangy Liberty High School and has spent more than a dozen years coaching at Columbus area schools. In 1992-93, he had 62 points (24-38) in 72 games for the Chill.
Jay McNeill (1997-98) is the associate director, coach, and European coordinator at the Ontario Hockey Academy. For his one season in Columbus before playing in Germany he totaled 34 points on 12 goals and 22 assists in 44 games.
Jay McNeill, Ontario Hockey Academy
Martin Mercier (1993-94) has been a pilot for American Airlines in Pompano Beach, Fla., since 1999. He recorded 61 points (33-28) in 66 games for the Chill.
Bret Meyers (1998-99) since 2016 has been an insurance/financial advisor for the Co-operators in Stouffville, Ontario. He lives in Uxbridge, Ontario. He scored 33 goals and added 30 assists for 63 points in 53 games as a member of the Chill.
Joey Mittelsteadt (1991-92) is a construction manager at RCI Consultants in Lafayette, Louisiana. In 59 games the Chill’s first season the D-man had 22 points (7-15) and 296 penalty minutes.
Steve Moffat (1998-99) was named head coach at his alma mater, Plattsburgh State, on April 11, 2019. He had spent 16 of his previous 19 years as a Plattsburgh assistant with the other three being the head coach at Castleton University from 2013-16. His 38 points (17-21) in 63 games helped the Chill to the North Division title.
Steve Moffatt, Assistant Coach SUNY Plattsburgh
Keith Morris (1994-97) is a coach at the Nuna Warriors Hockey Academy in Anchorage, Alaska, which opened in January 2020. The former University of Alaska-Anchorage standout has been coaching in the state for nearly two decades. Morris is the Chill career leader in goals (104) and set the single-season mark of 46 in 66 games in 1995-96. In 189 games over three seasons he had 240 points (104-136).
Keith Morris: Head Coach Alaska Avalanche
Colin Muldoon (1997-98) has been the director of player development for the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes since September 2007. He has also operated Colin Muldoon Training in Raleigh, N.C., for nearly 20 years. The defenseman played 20 games for the Chill, collecting one goal and five assists.
Colin Muldoon, Carolina Junior Hurricanes
Al Novakowski (1991-92) owns and operates Abundant Specialty Advertising in Salmon Arms, British Columbia. In his short stint with the Chill before injuries struck, the former Ohio State defenseman had an assist and 61 penalty minutes in nine games.
Matt Oates (1994-99) is managing partner in O2K Worldwide Management Group which oversees sports management for numerous NHL players and other athletes and has offices in Calgary, Chicago, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Pittsburgh. Oates had 247 points (80-167) in 257 games in a long and distinguished Chill career which included being captain.
Matt Oates, OK2 global sports agency
Jay Pecora (1998-99) completed his sixth season as head coach at Boston’s Wentworth Institute of Technology in March 2020. The defenseman from Stoneham, Mass., had 27 points (12-15) in 50 games with the Chill.
Jay Pecora, Assistant Coach Southern Maine University
David Pensa (1993-95) works in sales for Majestic Foods, Inc., in the greater New York City area. He lives in Huntington, N.Y. In 64 Chill games he had 20 goals and 18 assists for 38 points.
David Pensa, Rising Stars Hockey
Matt Peterson (1998-99) was defenseman from the University of Wisconsin who played 70 games in the Chill’s final season and had 12 points (3-9). It was the only pro season for the Anaheim Duck’s seventh-round (160th overall) draftee in 1993.
Ryan Petz (1995-96) is the Plex Indoor Sports and Hi-Wire Hockey Director for the Capital City Youth Hockey Association in Columbia, S.C., as well as a sales manager for KW Beverage. He played 28 games for the Chill and recorded 17 points (7-10).
Ryan Petz, Head Coach, Thunder AAA Hockey
Mark Pivetz (1997-99) is an ortho rep for Zimmer Biomet, a medical device company, in Fargo, N.D. As a Chill defenseman he had 37 points (13-24) in 119 games.
Billy Pye (1995-96) runs the Billy Pye Goaltender Academy in the Dallas area. From 2004-12 he was the goalie coach for the Dallas Ice Jets, a AAA youth organization. Since then he’s been with the Dallas Stars Elite Program and is the goalie coach for the Dallas Jr. Penguins. He was 12-5-1, 4.50 GAA, .855 save percentage and one shutout for the Chill.
Stefan Rivard (1995-96) is the fire captain at Atlantic City (N.J.) International Airport Fire Department and a longtime coach for the Atlantic City Sharks youth hockey program. He had 25 points (11-14) for the Chill in 50 games.
Mike Ross (1993-95) is an account executive at Associated Agencies Inc., in the Columbus suburban of Westerville since Dec. 2013. He had 130 points (58-72) in 131 games for the Chill. In his first season he had 69 points (34-35) in 64 games. He was the ECHL MVP for the 1996-97 season for the South Carolina Stingrays.
Mike Rusk (1995-97) has been an order processor at Volvo Trucks in Milton, Ontario, since February 2018. Prior to that he was a trainer for Advanced Hockey Training for nearly six years and former head coach and general manager of the Milton Ice Hawks of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. The defenseman had 46 points (7-39) in 106 Columbus games.
Mike Rusk, Head Coach & GM, Milton Ice Hawks (OJHL)
Jeff Salajko (1996–99) has been the goaltender coach for the Detroit Red Wings since May 2016. He previously spent three seasons with the Red Wings’ American Hockey League affiliate as the goaltending development coach for the Grand Rapids Griffins. “Sal” was an assistant coach for the Ohio State men’s hockey team from 2008-11 before joining the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets for one season. He was the goalie coach for the Ohio State women’s team for a season prior to his Grand Rapids stint.
Jeff Salajko, Ohio State University Women’s Ice Hockey
John Sandell (1993-94) is the global director of Costco and Canadian Retail at Kidde, based in Toronto. The defenseman had a goal and seven assists in 48 games with the Chill.
Rob Sangster (1991–92) finished his eighth season as head coach at St. Charles Preparatory School in Bexley, just outside Columbus, with a 24-10-4 record. He was co-head coach at Olentangy High School for the 2010-11 season when twin sons Trever and Tyler played for him. Sangster played only 15 games because of injury the inaugural season Chill season but had 158 penalty minutes to go along with eight points (5-3).
Rob Sangster, Hockey Training Center (Grandview Heights, OH)
Kevin Sawchuk (1991-92) played one game as an emergency backup as chronicled earlier in the book. He studied at the Gemological Institute of America, is married with a family, and still lives in Columbus.
Rob Schriner (1992-96, 1998–99) is an assistant general manager at the Chiller ice rinks in central Ohio. The former Ohio State forward had 174 points (91-83) in 239 games with the Chill. At age 42, having not stepped on to the ice for a pro game in a dozen years, Schriner played a game for the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones in 2012, a feat covered by The Hockey News.
Rob Schriner, Assistant General Managers Chiller Ice Rinks: http://www.thechiller.com/hockey/blue-jackets-hockey-school/instructors
Kurt Semandel (1991-93) is a vice president of sales for Medtronic in Madison, Wisc., where he played for the Badgers from 1985-89. In his two seasons with the Chill he combined for 117 points (53-64) in 123 games. His son, Alec, completed his sophomore season playing for Lake Superior State, whose director of athletics is David Paitson.
Kurt Semandel, Wisconsin Cup Series
Denis Skapski (1992-93) is a regional manager for Pfizer in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The defenseman had eight points (2-6) in 22 games for the Chill. His son, Mackenzie, made 24 saves in his NHL debut on Feb. 20, 2015, to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1, then blanked the Sabres 2-0 three weeks later in his second game. He has not played in the NHL since.
Gerry Skrypec (1994-95) is the operator of G.N.S Roller Shade, which manufactures, sales and installs window coverings. The defenseman had eight points (1-7) in 48 Chill games. He also youth hockey coach in Kitchener, Ontario.
Jim Slazyk (1993-94) is DevOps senior engineer for BMW Financial Services in the Columbus area. The one-time Ohio State goalie appeared in 16 games for the Chill and was 8-5-1 with 4.16 goals against average, 855 save percentage and one shutout. He was the head coach for the 10U team for the Columbus Chill Youth Hockey Association in the 2019-20 season.
Jason Smart (1993-95) is an officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who resides in Kelowna, British Columbia. He has also scouted for the Saskatoon Blades and Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League. A Chill captain, Smart had 87 points (31-56) in 78 games, including 79 points (29-50) in 63 games for the 1993-94 season.
Jason Smart, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Len Soccio (1991-92) began his second stint as head coach of the Hannover Indians in Germany in 2017 after leaving ECC Preussen Berlin. He played for Hannover from 1996-2005 and coached the Indians from 2013-15. He also played for Germany in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. For the Chill he had 58 points (24-34) and 149 penalty minutes in 38 games.
Jamie Spencer (1995-96) is the executive vice president of business development for the Minnesota Wild. From 2011-14 he was the executive vice president of sales with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Prior to that, he was a founding staff member of the Wild in 1997. He had 23 goals and 23 assists for 46 points in 70 Chill games.
Jamie Spencer, V.P. Ticket Sales, Tampa Bay Lightning
Kevin St. Jacques (1994-95) on June 21, 2019, was named the North American scout for the Columbus (Ga.) River Dragons of the Federal Pro Hockey League. He’s been the head coach of the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes. He put up 52 points (14-38) in 46 games for the Chill.
Kevin St. Jacques, Head Coach Richmond Generals
Steve Strunk (1992-93) is the owner of Planet Hockey, Inc., in the Denver area. The Golden Colo., resident is the company’s European tours head coach and evaluator. He had 60 points (32-28) in 60 games when he was an ECHL All-Star for the Chill.
Steve Strunk, Vice President Planet Hockey
Jason Taylor (1991-92) had been an agent/hockey advisor since 2002 with Newport Sports Management, working with such NHL players as Mark Stone, Evander Kane, Jordan Eberle and Brandon Sutter. He lives in Bellingham, Washington. In his suspension-shorted season, the first Chill captain had 16 points (7-9) and 147 penalty minutes (7.0 average) in 21 games.
Sergei Tkachenko (1993-94) is on the staff of the Palm Beach (Fla.) Breakers youth hockey program after having been a coach in the Kontinental Hockey League, among various stops. “Big Sergei” (6-foot-1) was 18-7-4 with a 4.11 goals-against average, a .861 save percentage and four assists while sharing the net with “Little Sergei” Khramtsov (5-7).
Lorne Toews (1995-98) earned a Bachelor of Science in secondary education and has been a teacher at Prairie Rose School Division #8 in Redcliff, Alberta, since September 2008. He’s an instructor at the South Alberta Hockey Academy as well as Find Your Stride Hockey School, Medicine Hat College Summer Hockey Camp, Medicine Hat Tigers Hockey School and Fire on Ice. In 153 Chill games he amassed 111 points (57-54) and 511 penalty minutes.
Brad Treliving (1991-93, 1994-95) has been the general manager of the Calgary Flames since April 28, 2014. He signed a multi-year contract extension on Oct. 3, 2019. He had 404 penalty minutes in 105 games plus 46 points (7-39) his first tenure over two seasons with the Chill. In his return he had 17 points (3-14) and 234 penalty minutes in 56 games in his last season of his playing career.
Brad Treliving, VP Hockey Operations/Assistant GM Phoenix Coyotes
Mark Turner (1996-98) spent two seasons as the Chill’s player/assistant coach, compiling 128 points (45-83) in 120 games. Since retiring from the Toledo Storm in 205-06, he’s spent been assistant coaching for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League from 2006-08, the Belle River Canadiens (Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League) in 2011-12, and the LaSalle Vipers (Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League in 2016-17. For the 2019-20 season he was head coach of the Sun County (Essex, Ontario) Minor Midget Panthers in the Alliance Hockey Minor Midget Pavilion League.
Mark Turner, Assistant Coach Belle River Canadiens (Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League
Peter Vandermeer (1996-98) is the president of Vandermeer Ventures in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, since July 2015. The company offers firewood sales to the public, private and commercial sectors. In March 2020 he was selected as the recipient of the annual Professional Hockey Player’s Association Curt Leichner Distinguished Member Award, presented to a “member of the hockey community who has made significant contributions towards the advancement of professional minor league hockey and has continued to diligently serve the sport.” He was a PHPA representative for 12 of his 15 pro seasons. He also works with the Eckville Minor Hockey Association. Vandermeer had 28 points (10-18) and 273 penalty minutes in 50 Chill games.
John Varga (1995-96) is the 10U head coach of the Chicago Fury youth hockey organization in Chicago and a former head coach of the Chicago Mission. He played 33 games for the Chill, scoring 19 times and adding 17 assists for 36 points.
John Varga, Chicago Mission Hockey
Kevin Vaughan (1996-97) had two points in 53 games as a Chill defenseman. The Waterloo, Ontario, native would a total of 33 games the next season for three teams in two leagues before retiring.
Marty Wilford (1997-98) spent his second season as an assistant coach for the Anaheim Ducks in 2019-20, his ninth year with the organization. He was an assistant coach with Anaheim’s AHL affiliate in San Diego (2015-18), Norfolk (2012-15) and Syracuse (2011-12). The defenseman had 35 points (8-27) in 46 games with Columbus.
Vince Williams (1998–99) is a scout for the Vegas Golden Knights.
He was previously an ECHL head coach for the Orlando Solar Bears (2013-15) and the Trenton Titans (2011-13). He contributed five goals and eight assists in 43 games from the blue line for the Chill.
Vince Williams, Head Coach Trenton Titans
Randy Wong (1992-93) is the head coach of the Medicine Hat Hounds midget AA hockey team in the South Central Alberta Hockey League. He had 23 points (7-16) in 50 games as a Chill defenseman.
Randy Wong, Owner Puckmasters Medicine Hat
Derek Wood (1996-98) had 69 points (32-37) in 89 Chill games, including 57 points (27-30) in 66 games in 1996-97 in his first season out of Medicine Hat in the Western Hockey League. He retired after the 2002-03 season after 33 games with Port Huron on the United Hockey League and one with the Cleveland Barons (AHL).
Rob Woodward (1998–99) completed his 13th season as the radio analyst for his alma mater, Michigan State University, March 2020. In his one season as a Chill he had 27 points (11-16) in 50 games.
Rob Woodward, Radio Analyst Michigan State University
Mark Woolf (1992-94) is a construction/HDD supervisor/inspector at 1782995 AB LTD in Medicine Hat, Alberta. He had 71 points (42-29) in 51 games in 1993-94 and for his Chill career totaled 89 points (50-39) in 77 games.
Mark Yanetti (1997–98) is the director of amateur scouting for the Los Angeles Kings. He began with the organization in 2006 as a scout. The defenseman scored four times and had two assists in 46 Chill games.
Clayton Young (1993-94) is a senior account manager at Prudential Energy Services Ltd. in Calgary. He posted 78 points (33-45) in 39 games for the Chill despite call-ups to Houston and Chicago of the IHL. He finished his playing career in 2004-05 in Germany with the Hamburg Freezers.
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