The Drumheller Dragons have beefed up the front office with the addition of Ryan Hilderman to their coaching staff.
Coach Hilderman will assume the role of assistant coach alongside current assistant coach, Dave Ferrari, and will also join Dave as an assistant director of player development.
“I can’t wait to get to work,” said the Dragons’ newest staff member. “Drumheller’s operating model of player development and community involvement as the foundation for building a tradition of excellence is something I believe very strongly in.”
Mr. Hilderman’s experience and success in the areas of teaching, coaching and player development are impressive. A graduate of the prestigious University of Regina Faculty of Education in 2000, Ryan began his career as a teacher in the Saskatchewan and Alberta public school systems and as a teacher and coach with the National Sport Academy and Calgary Hockey Development.
On the club team front, Hilderman has coached with a sterling record from the grass roots level and up through the elite stream of Minor Hockey. He is a certified “NCCP High Performance I” coach.
Hilderman has held the roles of assistant coach with the Cochrane Midget AA hockey program in 2002-03, assistant coach with the Bantam AAA Calgary Royals Gold team in 2003-04, head coach of the Bantam 1 Westwood Warriors in 2004-05, head coach of the Bantam AAA Calgary Royals Gold team in 2005-06, assistant coach of the Central Thrashers in the 2006 Alberta Cup (Silver Medalists), head coach of the Minor Midget AAA Calgary Royals Gold team in 2006-07 (Sutter Cup Champions) and then as an assistant coach of that same team in 2007-08.
Most recently, he was the head coach of the Midget AAA Calgary Royals in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
He has twice been awarded the South West Calgary Athletic Association Coach of the Year Award, first in 2006-07 and then again in 2008-09.
Hilderman is currently one of the principals of Next Level Sports, a hockey development program which provides its athletes with an all-encompassing development model for growth in the areas of skill development, physical conditioning, sports psychology, team tactics and hockey IQ.
He is excited for the Dragons’ future.
“I look at this roster and it is full of quality guys. Evan Warner, as an example, was an assistant captain on our 2007 Sutter Cup Championship team. The list goes on,” he said. “I’m very excited and thankful for the opportunity to work shoulder to shoulder with such a great group of people.”
“We grew today,” says Dragons’ general manager and head coach, Dan Price. “Our players are really going to enjoy working with Ryan. His knowledge, enthusiasm and work ethic are second to none, and he cares a great deal about his athletes. He fits the definition of a Dragon perfectly.”
