Coach Information

Welcome to PMHA Coaches!

For information and assistance regarding the coaching program contact:

Rod Kenney, Coach Coordinator

rodkenney@hotmail.com

(250) 770-0989

Penticton Minor Hockey Association has a coaching philosophy of creating a positive, safe environment that promotes good sportsmanship and focuses on:

1. Player development (individual skills & teamwork).

2. A positive experience for every player.

With these goals in mind, on behalf of PMHA I am proud to announce the representative and development team head coaching staff of the following teams for the 2017-2018 season:

Midget Tier 3

Bantam Tier 3

Peewee Tier 2

Atom Development

Coach Mentor

Rod Kenney

Coach Coordinator

Penticton Minor Hockey Association

Dan Bates - Midget Tier 3, Head Coach

Dan played for 12 years as a player with Penticton Minor Hockey Association, the last being with the league champion, Midget AAA team.  He has previously coached at the Pee Wee, Bantam, and Midget levels, the most recent being the Midget Tier 3 level.  Dan is a level two hockey referee and he enjoys playing golf and softball during the summer.  He attended the University of British Columbia where he got his bachelor’s degree in Social Work, and now works as a Seniors Mental Health Clinician out of the Penticton Health Centre.

First and foremost, Dan wants players to enjoy showing up to the rink and playing hockey, hopefully leading to a lifelong passion for the game.  He wants to give players the best chance of developing and playing at a higher level in the future.

Ian Fotheringham - Bantam Tier 3, co-Head Coach

Ian grew up playing minor hockey in Penticton and continued playing recreationally as an adult.  He’s had success coaching minor hockey for 12 years at various levels; 8 of those being with PMHA.  Ian’s coaching focus is on the development of individual and team skills in a fun, safe and competitive atmosphere.

Tony Orioli - Bantam Tier 3, co-Head Coach

Tony has lived in Penticton for 20 years.  He has coached for over 25 years in various sports including 7 years with PMHA and 10 years with minor baseball.  Other sports Tony has coached include volleyball, basketball, golf, badminton and track and field.  As a teacher at Skaha Lake Middle School, Tony looks to continue to bring his teaching skills to the ice with a goal of being competitive, developing individual and team skills, while having fun on and off the ice.

Lance Vaillancourt - Peewee Tier 2, Head Coach

Lance Vaillancourt has been involved with Penticton Minor Hockey since 2005 as both a coach and a referee.  As a head or assistant coach, he has won 8 OMAHA banners and represented PMHA at 5 BC Tier 2 Provincial Championships including Peewee, Bantam and Midget; winning Gold in 2013 as the Midget Tier 2 assistant coach.  Lance's passion for the game has provided him an extensive background and experience.  Some of his hockey experiences include: Associate Coach/Assistant General Manager with the Jr. B Princeton Posse of the KIJHL, player/coach of Taloyoak Senior men's team-Nunavut Champions, Arctic Winter Games hockey liaison-Inaugural Team Nunavut, Team official - CIS University Cup silver medalist Acadia University Axemen, BCHL & MJHL linesman, Instructor - Okanagan Hockey School & Stan Smyl's Whistler Hockey School and a long-time minor hockey coach in BC, AB, MB and Nunavut.

In addition to hockey, Vaillancourt loves all sports.  He’s an active softball player, coached his daughter's U17 SOYSA Cup championship soccer team and has a diploma in Recreation Administration from Malaspina University College.

Lance grew up in Oliver, has been in Penticton since 2005, is happily married to a very understanding and supportive wife and has 2 adult children.   

Vaillancourt is excited to be working with the Peewee team this upcoming season.  Peewee is a critical time in a player's development and players can expect him to demand the very best from them.  There will be a strong structure in place so the players can stay focused on doing their best, but at the end of the day, the players are 11 & 12 years old, so learning, growing and developing their love of sport and training will be key.

Steven Byrnell - Atom Development, Head Coach

Steven grew up in Summerland playing competitive hockey throughout his career in both Summerland and Penticton Minor Hockey Associations. After playing competitive hockey in Saskatchewan for a couple of years, he moved to Vancouver where he met his wife Faye and started raising a family.  In 2008, he returned to the Penticton area to raise his family.  Byrnell started his coaching career in the late 2000’s and has coached a variety of sports including hockey, baseball and soccer.  He is excited to be a Head Coach for Atom Development this year.

Steven is the Operations Supervisor for the South Okanagan, Similkameen and Boundary areas for FortisBC.  His hobbies include playing hockey, baseball, and enjoying the outdoors with his family during activities such as boating, camping, fishing and dirt biking. I have a collaborative coaching style and a passion for the sport and watching players develop.

Steven’s goal for the year is to build a positive team environment where players can develop and have fun playing the sport of hockey for many years.  He looks forward to meeting all the players and parents this season and encourages as many young players to come and try out this year!

Ty Koldyk - Atom Development, co-Head Coach

Ty grew up playing hockey and baseball and continues to enjoy both sports as an adult.  His past coaching experience includes stints with PMHA as both head and assistant coach and coaching minor baseball as well.  Ty has lived in Penticton for 10 years, where he has family and has enjoyed raising his children here.

Ty’s goal is for this season is for the kids to have fun, learn to truly love the game of hockey, develop their skills, make them feel the meaning of a team, and help them become better people and hockey players.   

In his first year at the development level, Ty is excited to get the year started.  He wants to learn and develop as a coach, but feels confident in his outlook on the game and is prepared for this new experience.  Ty is always proud to represent Penticton at any level or sport.

Craig Finer - Atom Development, co-Head Coach

Craig grew up playing hockey, football, rugby and racing BMX and motocross bikes in Edmonton.  In 1994, shortly after he was married, him and his wife Rose moved to Portland, Oregon to start a business with a close friend from school. After 8 great years in the Portland area and 8 more in Seattle, his family decided to return home to Canada… partly because his kids liked hockey better than football.  He also decided that Edmonton was just too cold!  They decided that the Okanagan was the spot and fell in love with Penticton.  Craig and Rose have two sons; Joshua, 15, and Isaac, 9.  In their spare time they like to windsurf, ski, race karts and play hockey.  They have enjoyed their first five years in the Okanagan and hope to stay for many more. 

Craig has been coaching athletes and professional people in some capacity for the past 18 years.  His day job at Herolab Inc. gives him the opportunity to coach elite level athletes and business people from many disciplines who are focused on maximizing their mental performance in a challenging or creative environment.  He has worked with racing drivers, hockey players, businesses people and first responders.  Finer strives to help his clients control their mental focus under pressure and teach them to methodically learn and grow and improve each time they face stress and pressure at “Game Time”.

Over the past 13 years, Craig has served as a volunteer coach for Minor Lacrosse (Mt Si Wildcats), Soccer (North Bend, Sounders), and Hockey.  Over the last 5 seasons he has coached PMHA hockey teams including; Head Coach-novice, HC-bantam Tier 2, Assistant Coach- Initiation, AC novice, AC-Pee Wee Tier 3, AC Atom Development.

Craig’s coaching philosophy is to stay positive and focus on the processes involved with success and let the outcomes take care of themselves.  By focusing on improving player skills, understanding the game, always doing their best, working hard as a team and having fun, they will have success, whatever form that takes.  Craig’s experience demonstrates that happy, hard-working, and team-oriented kids have more fun, learn more and ultimately, play better hockey!  Modern brain science explains exactly why too much focus on outcomes (winning, scoring, etc) eventually leads to anxiety, frustration and reduction of the all-important “Mojo”. 

Finer’s goal for the year is that the players are even more excited about hockey when the season is over.  Craig and Ty will make sure they improve their hockey skills, strength, fitness and their understanding of the game.  They will also make sure that the kids recognize the value of hard work and the importance of building strong relationships with teammates and team staff.   Most importantly Craig wants to make sure that all the players have lots of fun and look forward to playing tons more hockey in the future!

Craig greatly appreciates the chance to coach children and considers it a serious responsibility.  Players and parents should free to talk to Coach Craig anytime they feel the need. 

Doug MacMillan - Coach Mentor

Growing up, Doug played hockey up to the Junior B level.  He has coached for over 30 years in 4 different provinces.

Having 3 kids in hockey at a high level, Doug hasn’t had much time for anything else, but he does enjoy anything to do with the outdoors including fishing and camping.

Doug has strong ties to Penticton having spent his earlier years as a participant of the Okanagan Hockey School and then having the opportunity to become the associate dealer of Canadian Tire store in town; he jumped at the opportunity.

MacMillan’s philosophy is not so much about winning, but more about personal development both on and off the ice and a goal of making each player a better person.