It takes a keen eye to spot a player capable of playing junior A hockey, and the Chilliwack Chiefs have seven scouts sitting rinkside around Canada and the United States, trying to find the franchise’s next star.
The Chiefs revealed their 2019-20 scouting staff Friday morning, something the team doesn’t usually advertise.
But head coach and general manager Brian Maloney believes they deserve to be recognized.
“The Chiefs are thrilled to have the advantage of having such a deep scouting department,” he said. “All of these individuals are completely invested, and selfless with the time and energy that they sink into helping make our program a success on and off the ice.”
——————————————————————————————————————————
Mike McGinnis – Alberta Scout
Mike is currently the Regional Manager for Edmonton (and surrounding areas) for Hockey Alberta. He played midget AAA and junior hockey from 1993-98 and is a Hockey Canada certified skills instructor. He is the owner of Norcan Hockey Development and enters his second season scouting for the Chiefs.
“Mike’s knowledge of the game as well as the minor hockey landscape in Alberta is a huge asset to our program,” said Brad Rihela, Chilliwack’s associate coach and assistant general manager.
—————————————————————
Erin Thornton – B.C. Scout
Erin has been a member of the Chiefs scouting staff since the 2014-15 season. He’s been instrumental in helping bring quality recruits to spring/main camps and has had a lot of success identifying top talent across the province. Erin is currently a coach and program director at the Yale Hockey Academy. He is also a proud Chiefs alumni who played for the team during the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons.
“We are very lucky to have people like Erin Thornton involved with the Chilliwack Chiefs hockey program,” Rihela said. “He is a great person with a passion for the game and is a huge help in respect to our recruiting and scouting plans.”
—————————————————————
Chris Price – B.C. Scout
Chris Price is one of the newest additions, following a four-year junior career and two seasons coaching at the Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford. Chris works as a skills instructor and strength and conditioning coach for Impact Hockey Development out of Langley and is very well respected across the Lower Mainland. In addition to his new role as a B.C. scout for the Chiefs, Chris was recently named head coach of the U-16 Chiefs Junior Spring Hockey League (JSHL) program.
—————————————————————
Redmond Brow – North East USA Scout
Redmond is another recent addition. He brings a unique perspective to the group with an extensive background in goaltending. Last season, he was the Director of Goaltending for the Philadelphia Hockey Club. This upcoming season he will be working for Salve Regina University as their goalie coach. Redmond has experience working under renowned NHL goalie coaches like Piero Greco and Mitch Korn of the New York Islanders.
—————————————————————
Mike Porter – Michigan Scout
Mike is a coach with the Detroit Catholic Central High School program. He had a solid junior career which earned him a scholarship to Michigan State University. He was a teammate of Maloney with the Spartans, then turned his education into his new role as a successful lawyer. During the 2006 season Porter was an amateur scout for the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning and he currently assists NHL and American Hockey League coaches in the negotiations of their contracts.
—————————————————————
Sean Coffman – Midwest USA Scout
Sean is back for his second season with the Chiefs. He has been coaching for the past five seasons in the prestigious Compuware major midget program. Based out of Metro Detroit, Sean has experience scouting in the NAHL, USHL and OHL.
“Sean has been instrumental in us being able to expand our footprint in the US,” Rihela said. “He represents the Chiefs with class and professionalism and has been a massive help to our hockey department.”
—————————————————————
Matt Kuystermans – Alberta/Saskatchewan Scout
Matt is a young man who aspires to move up in the management/player assessment side of the game. The sports management industry is a huge passion for him. Last season he joined the Chiefs and did a great job of supplying the coaching staff with lists of talented prospects from across Western Canada. Matt spent two seasons scouting as an intern with International Scouting Services (ISS) where he was named the Western Intern of the Year.
