Former Vipers Coach Mick Hired As POE Director Of Hockey Operations:

This is posted on the Pursuit Of Excellence Hockey Academy website:

TROY MICK HIRED AS POE DIRECTOR OF HOCKEY OPERATIONS

The Pursuit of Excellence is pleased to announce the hiring of Troy Mick as Director of Hockey Operations and Player Development. Troy has a strong coaching background having head coached in the WHL with Tri City Americans and the Kamloops Blazers. He has been Head Coach/GM for the Vernon Vipers leading that team to their 4th Royal Cup Championship title.

Most recently, in 2009 - 2010 Troy was part of an ownership group who bought the KIJHL's Revelstoke Grizzlies and took over as the team's GM/Head Coach and led the Grizzlies to the KIJHL Championship, Cyclone Taylor Championship (provincial title) & the Keystone Cup Championship (Western Canadians). Over the course of his coaching career Troy has helped send players to the NHL & WHL and has also sent over 100 players on to NCAA or CIS.

Troy played his minor hockey in Vernon. He began his junior career when he was 14 years old. Over his 4 years played in the WHL with the Portland Winter Hawks and Regina Pats, he amassed 466 points in 267 games. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1988 and signed a 4 year contract. Troy played 3 years in the minors and after 8 knee surgeries, decided to start his career in coaching.

Troy is married to Roxanne Mick, and they have one daughter Tiffany (15) and one son Logan (13).

"I'm looking forward to helping the future of these young men and women fulfill their hockey and educational dreams through the Pursuit of Excellence program". My background as a player and most importantly having coached at every Junior level in Canada (Major Junior, Jr A & Jr B) will help me help the players through the path that they should go on” said Troy Mick. The POE program strives to help the kids get to the next level and I'm looking forward to being a part of it".

David Roy, President of the POE Academy, and former Director, stated:

"Troy has unbelievable energy. He has a passion for kids and a passion for excellence. He believes whole heartedly in our philosophy of developing the 360 degree player. He is a humble man who believes in “team", all the way from what happens in our office to what happens on the ice, from staff to coaches to players. I am confident Troy will never rest until he, along with the rest of our POE "Team", see excellence in every aspect of our organization.

Having Troy direct our Hockey Operations and Player Development side, and with Glen Naka, handling the Administrative side, this will free up my time to focus on what I have done for the last 35 years and that is the skating. In my new position, as Director of Skating and Personal Development, I will now be able to get back on the ice with each group at least one or two times a week. I will be able to devote more of my time to ensuring that all of us as coaches in our practices and in off-ice have a much greater focus on skating technique, quickness, speed, and agility. There are so many ideas I have had to improve the way we teach skating, advanced ways, such as 3D analysis, which I have never had time to implement, and I look forward to being able to develop these ideas, so that our players improve even faster."

http://www.pursuitofexcellence.ca/news.php