For the first time in eight seasons, Greg Vanover will not be coaching the 18U age group.

Vanover, a longtime coach with the Pikes Peak Miners, recently joined the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders staff and will guide the program’s 13U AAA team in 2016-17. He’ll also serve as an assistant on the 18U AAA team under head coach Doug Smail.

“I hope to bring some depth to an already deep and talented hockey staff,” said Vanover. “The RoughRiders coaching staff is one of the best in the Rocky Mountain District and I’m really looking forward to working with all of these guys. I believe I will be able to bring some relationships at the junior levels to help in moving along some of our older players, and am really looking to add some player development knowledge to all of the all of our teams.”

In addition to Smail, other returning head coaches for the RoughRiders include Sergei Krivokrasov (16U), Jamie O’Leary (15U) and Matt Huckins (14U).

“The RoughRiders are on their way to setting the bar for developing high-level athletes and hockey players in the region,” Vanover said. “With our new facility, the Sport Stable at Superior, we will have an all-inclusive facility – a very progressive approach and will put the RoughRiders at the forefront of not just hockey-specific development, but total athlete development. I’m excited about the opportunity to be involved in helping to build the culture here with the RoughRiders.”

Now put in charge of the 2003 birth year group, Vanover sees the new challenge as one of excitement.

“It’s been a little while since I coached this age group, but development is development,” Vanover said. “I’m a player development-style coach and I’m going to enjoy teaching this age group about what it looks like to start the process of becoming a more committed athlete.”

— Matt Mackinder