In July of 1992, while sitting in my office at Shell Oil Refining Company in Wood River, an idea came to me for the construction of a year round ice rink in Southern Illinois. I had been trying to find ice for the upcoming season for Youth Division Teams and as well for the Madison County Hockey Club that I had formed in 1989. The Wilson Park Ice Rink in Granite City and the Cahokia Ice Rink in Cahokia were the only rinks on the east side and they were both seasonal. I formed a team of men and women from the local Riverbend Area and we proceeded forward with the project. With feasibility studies, and a formidable business plan in hand, our group set out to find an east side community that was forward thinking enough to step up to this new idea we were presenting. A new ice rink was truly a "quality of life issue" for Community Father's to consider, and we were very pleased when the Village of East Alton took up that challenge. The group ultimately formed the East Alton Civic Rink Management, Inc., a 501(c)3 Corporation, to manage the facility for the Village of East Alton, asking me to act as the Facility's General Manager... I accepted that position and 22 years later I am proud to say... it worked.

My interest in ice hockey began when the Blues came to town in 1967, and a good friend, Dana Emerick, tweaked my interest in the game. He and I played hockey at the old Winterland Ice Arena in Bridgeton, and then went on to play for our high School, East Alton-Wood River High, in the old East Side High School League in the early 70's. My father, a boilermaker in an east side refinery, was able to afford 1/3 of a season ticket in the "Old Barn"... last row of the Arena and we always took several kids with us when we went to see the Blues play. Standing Room Only Tickets... we "Stood Up For the Blues". We were true rink rats and usually the last to leave the lot, waiting for the Blues players to come out to their cars.

After graduating high school I served four years in the United States Navy, I was attached to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, being billeted to Attack Squadron 35 with the 6th Fleet. When my enlistment was up in 1979 I returned to the area and married my wife of 37 years, Paula, and we had three sons, Zack, Christopher and Jason. In 1988 the boys entered into the world of youth ice hockey as members of the Granite City Steelers Organization and that began my 28 years of re-involvement as a Player, Coach, Administrator and Builder... 

My involvement included:

Youth Division:

Coached teams in every Division from Mite House through Midget AA for the Granite City Steelers Youth Hockey Association from 1988 through 1996.

Served on the Granite City Amateur Hockey Association Board of Directors from 1989 through 1996.

The GCAHA went from 81 players to over 650 players during those years.

Served as Missouri Hockey's Coaching Achievement Program Director from 1996 through 2001.

Trained and registered over 3,000 coaches at the USA Hockey Levels 1, 2, 3 & 4 during that period.

Received my USA Hockey Master Level Coaches Certificate in 2004.

High School:

Mississippi Valley Club High School Hockey Association

        Founding Member of the MVCHA Board of Directors             

        Served from 1995 until September of 2016

Roxana Shell High School

Organized and served on the Roxana Shells Board of Directors from 1995 through 2003

Coached:

Varsity and Jr. Varsity Teams from 1995 through 2006

MVCHA 1A West Division Champions and Class 1A Champions 2002-2003

MVCHA 1A West Division Champions 2003-2004

MVCHA 1A West Division Champions and Class 1A Champions 2004-2005

MVCHA 1A West Division Champions and Class 1A Champions 2005-2006

        Record of 145 wins, 78 losses, 9 ties

        Received Roxana Shells Presidents Award in 2001-2002 Season

Bethalto Eagles High School

Coached:

In 2008 I started the season as Head Coach for the Bethalto Eagles Hockey Club. In July of that year I was diagnosed with a condition that required surgery and in October that surgery took me off the bench for the remainder of the 2008-2009 season.

Alton Redbirds High School

Coached:

Varsity during the 2011-2012, 2012-2013, 2013-2014

        MVCHA 2A North Division Champions 2013-2014 (Undefeated) 

USA Hockey National High School Tournament in Omaha, Nebraska in 2014

Received Alton Telegraph's Coach of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2013 & 2014

College:

Served as Head Coach Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars from 1999 through 2011

        Won Silver Division Championships in 2002-2003

        Won Silver Division Regular Championship Season 2001-2002

        Won Gold Division Championships in 2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2009-2010

        Won Gold Division Regular Season Championships 2003-2004, 2004-2005 & 2006-2007

        Went to ACHA Central Division Regionals in 2005-2006 & 2006-2007

Received SIUe Club Sports Distinguished Service Award in 2002-2003

Received SIUe Club Sports Coach of the Year in 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2007-2008

Served as General Manager from 1999 until present.

Mid American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA)

Organized and served on the Mid American Collegiate Hockey Association Board of Directors from 2002 and I am still presently serving on that Board.

Selected by the MACHA to Coach the Leagues All Star Teams in Philadelphia in 2009, 2011, 2013 and again in 2017 which I was unable to attend.

The MACHA is currently the largest Division within the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

Received the MACHA Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Service in 2009.

Received MACHA Gold Division Coach of the Year 2006-2007, 2009-2010

American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA)

Central District Ranking Committee Chairman 2012-2013 & 2013-2014.