Winnipeg Freeze Head Coach and General Manager Jay Pylypuik confirmed today the 2022-23 Winnipeg Freeze Coaching and Player Development Staff.
Nick Trudel returns as Assistant Coach for his second season with the Winnipeg Freeze. He played Junior A hockey for the Winnipeg Blues as well as the Winnipeg Freeze before transitioning into a coaching role with the Freeze following his graduating year. Nick has coached skating mechanics as an instructor for Laura Stamm Power Skating for three years. In addition, this year he has been assisting the coaching staff of the U16 Team Manitoba Program of Excellence as Video Coordinator.
Joining Trudel as Assistant Coach is Ryan Carlson. His playing career includes 3 years in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a year and a half at Wisconsin- Superior, three and a half years at the University of Manitoba, and following the conclusion of his university career, a stint in the ECHL with the Norfolk Admirals and Reading Royals.
Tyler Brown returns as Goalie Coach for his third season with the Freeze. Brown played over 200 games in the WHL and CIS before pursuing his coaching career.
Joining the Freeze as Skills Coach is Dave Cameron. As a Hockey Canada Skills Consultant, Dave brings over 20 years of experience in coaching where he has worked with all levels of players including Pro (NHL, AHL, ECHL), College, Junior, all the way to young players learning to play the game. Dave has experience coaching teams and working with coaches to implement skills into their practice plans. Dave has helped players go on and achieve their goals including players getting selected in the WHL Bantam Draft, players making the jump to the NCAA, players getting selected in the NHL Entry Draft, all the way to players winning the Stanley Cup. Dave specializes in Individual Skill Development including, Power Skating, Shooting, Stick Handling, Passing, and Position-Specific skills. He believes that confidence is built from practice and players can continue to get better through detailed work in specific areas.
Devin Himpe will also serve as Skills Coach for the upcoming season. Devin was a part-time coach with JHD for three years prior to joining full time in the summer of 2019. He worked with Hockey Manitoba from 2015 to 2019 focusing his time on their grassroots development programs. Devin currently holds his High Performance 1 Coaching Certification and has currently completed his Hockey Canada Skills Certification.
AJ Zeglen will join the Freeze as Strength and Conditioning Coach. AJ has worked extensively with professional, collegiate, and amateur athletes from around the world. He is the manager and head strength coach at Focus Fitness where he brings over 10 years of experience and his unique brand of training techniques to professional athletes, fitness enthusiasts and community members alike. AJ has trained athletes in a variety of sports ranging from racquetball to football, he has worked with Hockey Canada, the Winnipeg Jets and many other hockey and football players from development ages through to professional in a number of leagues including the NHL, AHL, KHL, ECHL, and CFL.
Mel Davidson joins the Freeze player development staff overseeing Culture and Leadership. Mel was a member and a coach of Team Alberta at the Canada Winter Games in 1991, 1995 and 1999. She spent three seasons as the head coach of the women’s hockey team at Connecticut College from 1997-2000. She was also the head coach of the Cornell University women’s hockey team from 2002-2005. From 2006-2009 Mel served as the assistant coach of the Calgary Canucks in the AJHL. Internationally, Mel has represented Canada at five Winter Olympics, three in a coaching capacity and two as a General Manager, bringing home four Olympic gold medals and one silver medal. Mel also serves as Team Consultant with the Winnipeg ICE.
Lindsay Berard returns as Mental Skills Coach. As a C. Psych Candidate and Mental Performance Consultant, Lindsay has worked to raise individuals, teams, and organizations in all areas of business, sport, performance, and life. Lindsay loves to break boundaries and draws techniques and strategies from a variety of areas to demand more in the mental health and performance arenas.
Justine Fredette also joins as a Mental Skills Coach for the Freeze. She comes from a background of elite athletics. From her experience and understanding of what it takes to be in high performing spaces, she dedicates her career to finding the human behind the performance. Whether it’s working with individuals in high pressure careers, elite athletes, or teams, Justine takes a holistic approach to elevating one’s performance and humanity.
Hockey Operations Staff Confirmed For 2022-2023 Season
Tommy Howell – Director, Athlete Performance
Sammy Kufley – Athletic Therapist