Dallas Junior Hockey Association

Hockey Director

DJHA is excited to announce that Eric Silverman will be returning for his fourth season as Hockey Director, Director of Player Development, and Head of Coaches.

The 2010/11 season will be Eric's seventh season coaching in Texas. During this time he has seen his teams and players achieve many great accomplishments. The past two seasons he has had nationally-ranked AAA teams. His Attack U16AAA team recently placed three players in the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) Final 40 Camp which was the second most of any team in the country. He had 13 of his players rated by USHL Central Scouting, a few of which have already received full scholarship offers from some of the top schools in Division I hockey.

In addition to his position with DJHA, Eric is also the regional scout for the USHL.  More info on the USHL and Eric can be found at http://ushl.com/centralscouting/personnel.cfm.  

There is not another coach in Dallas youth hockey that has near the amount of hockey contacts as Eric. He is well-connected with the USNTDP, USHL, NAHL, and many of the top Division I schools in the country.

In addition he works closely with some of the most successful NHL agents, helping them identify the best players in the country. His players are given every opportunity to advance to the next level. 

Eric has an extensive hockey background. He grew up playing AAA hockey in New York and left home while in high school to play Junior A hockey for the Sioux City Musketeers (USHL).  Eric finished his Junior career ranked as the fourth all-time leading scorer in Sioux City history. From there he earned a scholarship to play Division I college hockey at the University of Alaska Anchorage (WCHA) where he was the Seawolves’ leading goal scorer as a sophomore. After college he spent three seasons playing professional hockey in the ECHL and CHL. He then spent one season as an assistant coach at the Division I college level with Iona College (MAAC).

Eric is well-trained in skill development spending five years as a head instructor with Robby Glantz Power Skating. During this time he traveled the country working with NHL, AHL, college, and many youth hockey players on power skating and skill development.

Eric resides in Frisco, Texas with his wife Mikki.

Midget Major AA

Tom Kowal will be our Midget Major AA Head Coach. This will be Tom's fourth season coaching in DJHA.

Tom grew up playing AAA hockey in Anchorage, Alaska.  He went on to play Junior hockey for the Omaha Lancers (USHL) and Division I college hockey at both the University of Alaska-Anchorage (WCHA) and the University of Nebraska-Omaha (CCHA). 

After college Tom broke into coaching.  He spent two seasons as an assistant coach in the USHL with Omaha and Tri-City.  He then moved over to the NAHL where he spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Youngstown Phantoms

Midget Major AA Assistant Coach

Kelly grew up playing hockey right here in Dallas. He started in 1967 before there was an organized association in town. He played for DJHA in its inaugural 1971-72 season. He finished up playing for North Texas State University in 1982.

Kelly believes that Hockey teaches life’s lessons. He works hard to emphasize the intricacies that parallel between this great game and real life. He has a true love of the “FUN’” that is always present in youth Hockey.

Kelly has coached youth hockey for the past 9 season.

Midget Minor U16 AA

David Lee will be our U16AA head coach.  This will be David's 4th year coaching Dallas.  Three seasons ago he was an assistant with the Attack U16AAA team and two years ago was the Attack 96AAA head coach. In addition he coached the Ice Jets 97AA team to the NTXHL Squirt AA Championship two seasons ago. Last year he guided the DJHA 93 AA team to a third place finish in NTXHL, a Labor Day Tournament Championship and a third place finish in the Pelham Silver Stick Finals.

David grew up playing hockey in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.  He went on to play Junior hockey in the USHL for the North Iowa Huskies before returning back home to play college hockey.  David currently works as the Director of Hockey Operations for the North American Hockey League in Frisco, Texas.

Midget Minor A 

Kevin Bakke is a young coach with fresh ideas and a new outlook on coaching. He grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada where he played minor hockey as a goalie. During the off-season Kevin was a part of the Athletes in Action Hockey camps and other various summer hockey camps. He has always had a passion for the game and looks to instill that life long passion in his players.

With his focus on developing young men to reach their potential both on and off the ice, he creates an atmosphere and attitude of success. He puts the responsibility on the players to perform with discipline, sportsmanship and effort. You can never dismiss his desire and determination to win. Every player chosen for his team will get ice time and an opportunity to succeed and fail, and to learn from both.

Kevin is a Level 4 coach in the USA Coaching program. He has been coaching in the Frisco/Plano/McKinney area for the past four years with the Dallas Stars Youth Hockey League and this past year with DJHA as well. His DSYHL team has just won their third straight Metroplex Midget Championship. Kevin has also been invited to coach the East All Stars in the season ending All Star Game.

Kevin will be entering his second season with DJHA. His first year in the organization was very successful. He took his team into six tournaments, including Pittsburgh PA., Colorado Springs, CO., and Chicago Il., as well as two of the local tournaments, including Silver Sticks. In those tournaments he made the finals four times. In the regular season standings Kevin’s team swept the final weekend in Houston to move from fifth place to third. His team then gained seven out of a possible eight points to guarantee their spot in the championship finals. Although losing the finals in very tight games, there was a huge sense of accomplishment.

Kevin is an outgoing coach with a great understanding of what is important to his players. We welcome him back and wish him even more success in the season that approaches.

Bantam Major 95AA, Squirt Major 99AA

Lou has been coaching Junior hockey for the past seven years. He is originally from Cleveland, OH where he grew up playing and began coaching. He has coached Youth AAA hockey in Cleveland ranging in ages from squirts to midgets and Junior hockey at the A and B levels. Lou has traveled extensively both to play and coach and has now settled in the Dallas area.

Coach Richard Sleavin enters his 5th year coaching minor hockey in Dallas, 4th with DJHA.  Coach Sleavin believes intensity, work ethic, passion and attention to detail, are important keys of development.  Richard brings a unique perspective having coached both; individual skill development and team preparations.

After playing in Europe for parts of 00-01, 01-02, and for the Dallas Sabre's Richard has been coaching Mites through High School and Div. III Club College. Currently teaches classes and private lessons at Dr. Pepper Star Centers

Coaching Experience:

07-08 DJHA PW A 1st place finish, NTXHL Champions

           Allen HS, JV Gold, Playoff Qualifier

           DJHA 8U Mite Development

06-07 Alliance PW AA, Finalist
           Allen HS, JV Gold, 1st place finish, League Champions

05-06 DJHA PW A, Playoff Qualifier

           Allen HS, JV Silver

04-05 DJHA Squirt A, NTXHL Champions

           UNT Div. III Club, CHSW Champions

03-04 UNT Div. III Club, CHSW Champions

01-Present Dr. Pepper StarCenter, Instructor, Skill Development

97-01 Instructor, Puck Power Hockey

97-01 Instructor, Ice Bound

94-96 Instructor, Hockey Training Institute, Ont. CA

Bantam A

Mark is a native of Phoenix, Arizona and comes to DJHA with a wealth of coaching and leadership experience. Mark is a successful entrepreneur and investor as well as the CEO of PFSweb Inc, a Plano, TX based public company that provides outsourcing services and web commerce capabilities to the world’s leading brand names.

Mark holds a level 4 USA Hockey coaching certification and has over 9 years of youth travel hockey and select baseball coaching experience. After his multi sport playing years during high school, Mark has remained active in youth hockey as not only a student of the game, but as a successful coach and mentor for his teams. Mark’s goal is to teach youth not only about the game they love, but also about important life skills they can gain through the game.

Mark has experience coaching youth from High School (Midgets & Bantams) age to mini-mites and his teams have continuously recorded winning season records and tournament championships. In addition to coaching at DJHA, Mark is the Junior Varsity coach for Plano East High School and is the founder and head coach of the Texas Longhorns, a summer tournament team hockey association. Mark has previously coached with the Texas Aces and Dallas Metro Titans associations

PeeWee Minor 98 AA

Kevin was born in Ottawa, Canada and grew up playing AAA youth hockey in Toronto and Ottawa, being a part of many successful championship teams.  He went on to play Tier 2 CJHL and Tier 1 Major Junior in the OHL.  During his Major Junior time he had the pleasure of being coached by Jacques Martin and being part of the Memorial Cup Champion Guelph Platers.  Kevin got back into Hockey when his sons showed an interest to learn and play the game.

Kevin brings a unique perspective having played and been coached at the top levels in Canada.  He understands the foundation of successful competitive hockey is based on skill development, team concept, and keeping it fun while increasing the breadth and depth of the game.

Mite Development Premier

Mike was born and raised in Sarnia, Ontario where he played all of his minor hockey.  A personal highlight of his youth hockey was being a captain of the Bantam AA International Silver Stick championship team in 1990.  Mike played many sports growing up including football, basketball and swimming. 

Mike moved to the Metroplex in 1998 for school and almost immediately began to coach hockey at the High School level, serving as Irving’s Varsity Head Coach for 3 seasons.  He moved to Frisco in 2000 and became part of the coaching staff for the Frisco Ice Hockey Association where he has now coached for 7 consecutive years at both the Varsity and JV levels.  He has been their JV Head Coach for the past 3 seasons.  This past season, he also helped to lead the Mini-Mite program at the Frisco DPSC.  Mike has obtained his level 4 USA Hockey Coaching certification.

After 10 years of coaching hockey, Mike knows that a commitment to basic skills is critical at any level of hockey.  Knowing that the on-ice systems are dependent on the skills of the players makes it obvious that the focus of coaching youth should be on skills.  Add fun to the mix and success will follow.

Dryland – Fitness Training

Chance Williams has been involved in strength and conditioning for the past 14 years. He began his interest in sports performance when he was a collegiate football player for Texas Tech University.  Through his college years he has earned a degree in Sports & Exercise Sciences.

From this point on, he has done sports specific training with numerous athletes in preparation for there sport.  He designs strength and conditioning programs for each sport and each athlete.  

Chance has worked hard to keep up his education in the Fitness industry and his credentials.  Along with his years of experience in sports training, he also has 20 years of Martial Arts experience.

Among his numerous athletes he has already had the opportunity to train, he has worked with NFL players, World Fitness athletes, Soccer leagues, MMA and Tennis Academy's to develop speed, strength, endurance, agility and team building.

Chance Williams has and will continue to help drive the Dallas Penguins to more and more championships and hopefully one day he can add an NHL player to his resume!