Rob Brown

Skills Instructor

A native of Michigan, Rob grew up in the backyard of Michigan State University and started playing hockey at age 4 under the tutelage of all Canadian, former MSU players. He played his youth hockey in Lansing, MI, progressing up to AAA in Detroit, MI as a Bantam, played on Team Michigan in the USA Junior Olympics and won the National Championship as a Midget with Compuware AAA. Following one year of Junior at St. Michael's College School in Toronto, Rob played four years at the University of Michigan under Red Berenson, earning Rookie of the Year in his Freshman season and was the team's leading scorer in his second year. Playing in all 164 games in his four years, Rob set a record of consecutive games played that survived over 20 years. Rob played six years professionally in Sweden, leading two teams to championships. He was taught skating, stickhandling and all hockey skills from some of the best instructors in the game and has international experience to draw from. Rob has coached at all levels from High School in Ann Arbor, MI to U8 in Kansas City and has over 20 years of summer skills camps instruction experience. With an expertise in stickhandling and skating, Rob's passion to give back to the game through coaching youth hockey is unmatched.

We are very fortunate to have such an instrumental and influential coach for both the players as well the coaches. He is an amazing role model for all.

JOHN SCOTT DICKSON

Development Coordinator

Originally from NorthYork, Ontario, John-Scott has been involved in hockey for 21 years. With a 5 year OHL career, 4 year college career, and 6 years playing professionally, John-Scott has an elite hockey mind.

Known around Kansas City as the head coach of the Mavericks for 4 years, John-Scott has given his time to the youth in the area throughout his KC coaching career. Coach Dickson is a huge asset to the hockey community being a youth instructor in all of his stops with hockey. With 3 of his young kids making him run around, he understands the importance of balancing structure and fun into young ones lives and brings a lot of insight to the players!

JARED BRANDT

Skills Instructor

Jared Brandt is a current Professional Hockey defenseman for the Kansas City Mavericks in the ECHL. Growing up in St. Louis and now living in Kansas City, he's worked with youth hockey players for 5 years growing the game. His youth experiences consist of 4 years of skills development for the Minot youth program, and also two years developing players in the Niagara Jr. Purple Eagles organization. Jared's knowledge and expertise on skill development, defensive techniques, and hockey habits allows him to teach the youth at an elite level.

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Jared played for 3 years in the NAHL for the Minot Minotauros, captaining the team his last year. Following his junior career, he has played for Miami University for two seasons and is now in his senior campaign for Niagara University, both Division 1 hockey schools. Kansas City is very fortunate to have Jared and is a massive asset to grow the game the correct way!

MATT STEPHENSON

Skills Instructor 

Originally from Midland, Ontario, Matt has made Kansas City home for the last 10 years. He started off playing youth and junior hockey in Canada before eventually playing Division 1 hockey at St. Cloud State. In his four years as a defenseman, he played 141 games and served as the team Captain his senior year. After college, Matt moved on to play 7 years professionally with the Iowa Stars (AHL), Texas Stars (AHL), Sheffield Steelers (EIHL), and the Kansas City Mavericks (ECHL). With a squirt growing up in Kansas City, we're very lucky to have a coach with his caliber of expertise and care level for the youth in the Kansas City. 

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Quote from Matt, "After making stops at so many levels of hockey from Junior C to the AHL, I'm truly blessed and fortunate to have been given the opportunity to be involved with such an outstanding coaching staff. The level and attention to detail each coach brings compliments each other making the academy one of the best development programs I have come across in the country:"

Nate Widman

Skills Instructor

Nate Widman is originally from Naperville, Illinois. He played AAA growing up and finished his AAA experience winning a National Championship with the Chicago Mission. Following midgets he was drafted by the Omaha Lancers of the USHL and played one full season before being traded to the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders the following year. His collegiate hockey experience includes playing one year at Brown University and three years for the Saint Cloud State Huskies where he served as a team Captain his second and third year. Widman then went on play two years of professional hockey with the Kansas City lavericks. Widman's coaching experience includes being a skill coach with the Northern Edge Elite Hockey Schools, a skill instructor with Read React Hockey out of Stillwater, Minnesota and coaching Bantam Elite League teams in Minnesota.