Jr Raiders Coach Announcement
NEW! Jr Raiders Head Coach
St. Albert Minor Hockey is excited to announce that Dustin Johner has been named the head coach of the Jr. Raiders AA U11 Barons.
With a career spanning over two decades in professional hockey, Dustin brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our organization. Dustin's journey has taken him across various leagues, showcasing his dedication, leadership, and passion for the game.
Dustin played minor hockey in Sylvan Lake and U18 AAA with the Red Deer Chiefs. He moved on to start his playing career in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Seatle Thunderbirds and quickly made a name for himself with his exceptional skill and character. In 2001, he was named the captain and held this role for three consecutive seasons. Dustin's career continued through the ranks of professional hockey, including time in the American Hockey League (AHL), the ECHL, and various leagues in Europe. In 2019, he played 58 games with the Belfast Giants in his final professional season.
Now, as Dustin transitions into coaching, he brings with him a deep understanding of the game and a passion for developing the next generation of hockey talent.
"I strongly believe in encouraging young athletes to reach their full potential on and off the ice. While I am passionate about fostering their growth as hockey players, I also recognize the importance of supporting their personal development."
Dustin's experience at the highest levels of the sport and his natural leadership abilities make him an invaluable addition to our program. Welcome Dustin!
We also welcome back Sean Tymkow as the Head Coach of the Jr Raiders AA Lighting.
With an extensive hockey background and a passion for developing young athletes, Sean brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our program. His own experience as a Junior player in the WHL provides him with a unique perspective on the game, which he skillfully translates into his coaching.
Sean's involvement in hockey is connected with the St. Albert hockey community, where he proudly represented the U15 AAA Sabres Provincial winning team and the U18 AAA Raiders for two impactful seasons. After Sean finished playing, he quickly transitioned to coaching and joined the U16 AAA Flyers as an Assistant Coach, where he held this position for six seasons. He later transitioned to become an Assistant Coach with the U18AAA Raiders.
Sean has played and coached in St. Albert Minor Hockey for over 25 years.
Sean’s coaching education includes being Hockey Canada Development 1 Certified and completing courses in Intro to Coach, Coach 1 and 2, Safety, Checking, and Respect in Sport -Activity Leader. This season, Sean will collaborate with members of the Raiders program and the St. Albert Minor Hockey Director of Development, Umberto Fiorillo, to ensure that on- and off-ice development is expanded to fully support individual player development.
We are confident that Sean's expertise, dedication, and passion for developing young athletes will significantly benefit our U11 competitive program. Please join us in welcoming Sean.
Coach appointment for the Jr Raiders A (Tier 1) team will be announced after the Spring ID skate.
St. Albert Minor Hockey is committed to providing a comprehensive development program for players who want to eventually reach elite hockey and stay within their own hockey community. We are confident the leaders selected for this program willallow playersy to advance their skills further.
The Jr Raiders AA program is competitive stream hockey, and players will be evaluated to determine eligibility for the program.