Midget Major 1 – Chris Kiene
Chris brings professional and top-level college playing experience and an unmatched coaching track record to Mid Fairfield. From South Windsor, CT, Chris was selected by the NJ Devils in the 1984 NHL Entry draft. He then played for NCAA Hockey East Merrimack College before joining the Utica Devils of the AHL. He also played professionally for the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL and the Moncton Hawks of the AHL.
Chris has coached for Mid Fairfield for the past five years, and his accomplishments have been second to none. He has coached two different teams to the Tier 1 USA Hockey National Championship. He has also taken three other teams to the Tier 1 National Championships. He is the only coach to have led both a boys and a girls team to this Championship. Chris has also coached many boys who have gone on to play at major Division 1 college programs and in the NHL.
Midget Major 2 – Matt Stack
Matt is the Vice-President of Hockey at BlueStreak Sports Training and brings a vast knowledge of hockey to Mid-Fairfield. Matt has overseen the athlete development and training at BlueStreak for the past five years, working closely with athletes in the Tri-state area at BlueStreak facilities in Stamford, Hauppauge and Chelsea Piers.
Prior to BlueStreak, Matt played professional hockey with the Adirondack Ice Hawks of the United Hockey League, the “AA” affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes. Matt was also a first round selection of the Miami Manatees in the inaugural WHA2 season.
Prior to his professional career Matt graduated from New England College where he received a BA in sports business and management. He helped captain both the hockey and lacrosse teams during his time at NEC and helped lead their hockey and lacrosse team to four NCAA births. Matt was named to both the North-South All-Star team for lacrosse and Division III Senior All-Star team for hockey.
Matt’s passion lies in development of the complete hockey player on and off the ice. Currently 14 of his students have been drafted into the NHL and over 51 one of his students are playing at the NCAA level. Currently Matt scouts for the USNTDP and USA Hockey for New York and Rocky Mountain districts, and in 2008 was asked to coach USA Hockey Select 15 Festival in St. Cloud, MN. He is also a certified USA Hockey coach as well as Athletic Republic Level III trainer.
Midget Minor 1 – Doug Messier
Bio coming soon!
Midget Minor 2 – Tomasz Piatek
Tomasz was a highly skilled defenseman for the Polish National Team and the Sparta– Praha Team in the Czech pro league. Tomasz has 10 years of coaching experience and brings his philosophy of the Red Army system of hockey taught to him by Ludek Bukac to Mid Fairfield.
Bantam Major – Kevin Garvin, Todd Johnson
Kevin Garvin Bio coming soon!
Todd Johnson brings college and professional playing experience as well as over 10 years of coaching success to Mid Fairfield. After being selected by the NY Rangers in the 1978 NHL amateur draft, Todd played for NCAA Division 1 Boston University for four years, winning a National Championship. He was also named team MVP, New England Best Defensive Forward and College All-Star Game MVP in 1981. Todd was a member of the 1982-83 US National Team. He also played five years of professional hockey for the New Haven Nighthawks and Springfield Indians of the AHL and for teams in Finland and Italy. Todd has been heavily involved in youth hockey, leading many camps, clinics and Mid Fairfield teams over the years.
Bantam Minor – Mike Backman
Mike has been the Hockey Director at Stamford Twin Rinks since its inception in 1996. Mike is a former player for the New York Rangers. In Mike’s 35 years of teaching Mite to Midget, he has produced several State and Regional Championships. Mike’s players have gone on to play at the top Prep-School and Division I College Hockey Programs in the United States.
Pee Wee Major – Marvin Minkler
Marvin Minkler is Assistant Hockey Director for Stamford Twin Rinks and brings a distinguished track record as a player, instructor and coach. Marvin was a standout goaltender in high school and in college, where he played at both Worcester State College and the University of Scranton, captaining that team in his senior year.
Marvin also served in the military at the highest level, with the 3rd Infantry Division’s “Old Guard.” The Old Guard is stationed at Ft. Myer in Arlington, VA, where Marvin served on the United States Army Drill team and as an escort to the President of the United States under former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
Along with Mike Backman, Marvin leads Stamford Twin Rinks' extensive hockey development program, including its comprehensive training programs such as Spring Clinics, Summer Camps and private lessons. Through the years Marvin has demonstrated a unique ability to teach and motivate players of all ages and abilities, from beginner to AAA-Elite as well as top prep-school and college level players.
Marvin has been with Mid Fairfield for 13 years and has coached Championship teams at every level from Mites to Midgets. Marvin’s teams have won Connecticut State, New England Regional, Silver Stick Regional, Silver Stick National, Atlantic Youth Hockey League titles and many other AAA-Elite tournament and USA Hockey championships. He brings nearly 20 years of coaching experience to Mid Fairfield.
Pee Wee Minor – Tomasz Piatek
Tomasz was a highly skilled defenseman for the Polish National Team and the Sparta– Praha Team in the Czech pro league. Tomasz has 10 years of coaching experience and brings his philosophy of the Red Army system of hockey taught to him by Ludek Bukac to Mid Fairfield.
Squirt Major – Ben Bryce; W. Andrew Billinghurst
Ben Bryce has professional and amateur playing and coaching experience that makes him an outstanding coach and mentor. Ben played for the Ottawa Valley Titans and Selects, progressing from Mite through Bantam. He then played Junior A hockey for the Smiths Fall Bears of the Ontario CJHL before playing at NCAA Div 1 Colgate University. He also played for two professional teams in the German Oberligue. Ben has coached at the Jacque Martin (General Manager of the NHL Florida Panthers franchise) Junior/College Hockey Camp, Carleton Place Minor Hockey Association and Greenwich Skating Club. He has also been a scout for Colgate University.
W. Andrew Billinghurst brings strong playing and coaching experience to Mid Fairfield. He played minor hockey for various teams including the Saskatoon (Saskatchewan), Lac St. Louis (Montreal) and Arvada (Colorado), where he won two state and regional titles as a Bantam and Midget. He then played two years of Junior hockey in British Columbia, earning the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League MVP. After Juniors, he played for NCAA Div 1 Sacred Heart. Coaching experience includes two years as an instructor at the Okanogan Hockey School in Canada, two years at Ferguson’s Micro Hockey Program in Bridgeport and two years as a coach at the Greenwich Skating Club.
Squirt Minor – John Tonelli
John Tonelli played 14 seasons in the NHL, initially joining the New York Islanders in 1977 after three seasons with the Houston Aeros of the WHA, where he played alongside Gordie Howe. John was an Islander for eight years, and was a key member of the teams that won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1979-80 to 1982-83. John also played with the Calgary Flames before joining the LA Kings for three seasons, playing there with Wayne Gretzky. He also had stints with the Chicago Blackhawks and Quebec Nordiques. He retired from professional hockey in 1992 after more than 1,000 NHL games. Throughout his career, John was known as a consistent scoring threat and for his grit and hard work, contributions to the team's success that could never be fully quantified in a statistic. John has been involved in youth hockey since 1994, coaching teams at Mid Fairfield, Connecticut Yankees and Greenwich Blues.
Mite A – Gregg Zegras
Gregg began his hockey career as a Mite in the Westchester Wings program. He progressed to Pee Wee and Bantams with Hickory Hill Youth Hockey before playing for the Rye Rangers Junior B team. he played four years for Rye High School, captaining the team in his senior year. He also played in college at Geneseo State, captaining that team in 1989-90. He has been coaching for over 15 years, starting as an assistant coach for Rye High School. He also coached Mites for the Rye Rangers and has coached Mite and Beginner hockey for the Connecticut Yankees and Mid Fairfield since 2003.
Mite B – Scott Whitney
Scott has been around the game of hockey all of his life. He played youth hockey in central Massachusetts, three years of high school hockey at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, MA and four years at Union College, graduating in 1992. He has coached and developed beginner hockey, Mite C, and mite B players for the Mid Fairfield program over the last four years.
Mite C – Ryan Haggerty
Ryan began his hockey career with Mid Fairfield as a Mite, and continued there through Pee Wee. He then played for the Rye Rangers and Rye High School Varsity in 8th and 9th grade before moving to Westminster Prep, where he played his junior and senior years. Ryan then played for Div. 1 Boston College for four years, captaining the team in 1995. Ryan was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 1991, and played three seasons for their AHL and ECHL affiliates after college. Ryan has coached at Darien Hockey School and in Mid Fairfield's Beginner Hockey program.
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