Tryout Schedule (Bancroft and District Minor Hockey Association)

Jonathan Swift

Hockey has been a lifelong passion for me, both on and off the ice. With 11 years of coaching experience and a strong background in hockey executive roles—including Vice President and Risk Management—I’ve had the privilege of working with players from their first strides all the way up to U18.

Over the years, I’ve coached multiple birth-year groups and had the honor of leading teams to significant achievements, including League A Division Championships, Silver Stick Regional titles, and International Finals appearances. Last season, I stepped into the Rep level with the U11 team in Lakefield, and this year, after a short break, I jumped back in as a consultant for the U13 Rep team, helping on the ice late in the season.

My coaching philosophy is simple: hockey is about more than just the game. It’s about developing strong, confident, and hardworking players—both on and off the ice. I believe in fostering a culture where players put the team first, embrace a growth mindset, and show up every day ready to give their best. My goal is to create an environment where every player feels valued, challenged, and excited to be at the rink. Development doesn’t stop when practice ends—dedication, discipline, and good habits like off-ice training, nutrition, and rest are just as important.

For the 2025-26 season, my focus is on player development, building confidence, and instilling a relentless work ethic. Tryouts are the first step, and my advice to every player is simple: control what you can—your effort and attitude. Never assume anything. Believe in yourself. After all, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”Let’s get to work!"×

Bruce Koehler

I'm excited for a season of hard work, team success, and memorable experiences while enriching each player's experience through a multi-faceted teaching approach.

My focus for the 2025-26 season is to foster a competitive, development-driven environment where players are encouraged to take a degree of ownership over their progress by setting SMART goals and embracing challenges in a measurable way. I will emphasize structure, discipline, and accountability, helping athletes grow both on and off the ice.  I believe in building good habits, reinforcing a growth mindset, and developing players for long-term success—both in hockey and life. Respect, teamwork, and commitment will be at the core of everything we do. Using a Crawl-Walk-Run methodology we, as a team, will continue to develop core fundamental skills while introducing more advanced team strategies as the season progresses. Players will benefit from traditional on-ice training, as well as off-ice programming that will include conditioning, strength & flexibility training, team building and tactical sessions to maximize their growth throughout the season.

See you at tryouts!×