Mike has lived in Milton for the past
44 years and grew up playing AA hockey with the Winterhawks before joining the
Halton Hurricanes when the program was founded. Throughout his teenage years,
he played for the Hurricanes while also competing on elite summer travel teams,
which took him across Canada for tournaments.
He started as a defenseman in his early years but transitioned to forward, where he spent most of his playing career. He has been coaching boys’ and girls’ hockey for over 10 years and truly enjoys the role. While he’s passionate about the game itself, what he loves most is being part of a team and watching players grow when they commit to putting in the work. He takes great pride in mentoring young athletes, knowing that he can have a meaningful impact not just on their development as players but also as people. His coaching philosophy centres around building a strong team culture by reinforcing the behaviours that drive success. He will focus on setting standards, developing positive habits, and approaching each day with the right mindset. He says culture isn’t built overnight—it requires daily commitment. His goal is to unite players to compete for each other, support one another, hold each other accountable, and celebrate each other’s achievements. Above all, he believes leadership is a shared responsibility. True leaders elevate those around them, and his goal is to develop 17 or 18 leaders on a team—not just a select few.