Aspen Junior Hockey has made impressive additions to its staff of coaches heading into the 2017-18 season, including the appointment of Kirk Golden as the new AJH Coaching Coordinator.  Golden joins the Leafs after helping  coach the Aspen High School team last season.  He brings a wealth of knowledge with an impressive playing career that culminated in six years of professional hockey in the US and Europe.  A Vail native, Golden won a Midget AAA national championship in 2003 as a member of Shattuck St. Mary's.  After midget hockey, he advanced to play Junior Hockey in the North American Hockey League, leading his his team in scoring in 2004.  Following Juniors, he played his collegiate career at Hobart College, an NCAA Division-3 school in Geneva, NY.  While at Hobart, he made two Final-Four National Championship appearances in 2006 and 2009.  After graduating from Hobart, Golden embarked on a six year professional career in the US and Europe.    

While playing over seas, Golden worked as a coach with youth programs in Sweden, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong coaching players ages 8 to 17.  In 2016, he returned to the Colorado mountains to assist with the Skiers Varsity and Junior Varsity teams.  Golden understands the importance of quality coaching, and with his experience, he will help raise the level of player development for all Aspen Leafs teams.  "Players can have all the right tools, but if they do not have proper coaching, it can all waste away.  With my new position with AJH, I am confident that I will not only raise the level of play, but will positively help our kids by building strong character and teaching life skills."  As the Coaching Coordinator Golden with work with all teams to help implement  the AJH curriculum both on and off the ice.

Along with Coach Golden, AJH has organized an impressive staff this season.  Throughout the month of October, aspenjuniorhockey.com will introduce and feature details about our coaches and the teams they will lead.  The impressive list (with other additions still to be announced) includes:

Goaltending: Jennifer Neary (Coordinator), Anthony Todaro, Ed Zane, Jason Flynn

Bantams: Geoff Lubin (HC), Kyle Oberkeotter, Luke Ocallahan, Andrew Joy, Mike Sherer, Steve Sherer, Andrew Burlingame

Peewees: Mike Minieri (HC), Jon Eichel (HC), Matt Abrahamson, Jim Johnson (12U Coordinator), Ed Zane, Scott Kenner

Squirts: Alexi Salonen (HC/Coordinator), Elias Vock (HC), Yale Lewis, Kenny Smith, Chris Shepherd

19U Girls: Beth Madsen (HC), Elizabeth Severy, Keith Howie

14U Girls: Pete Sebenaler (HC), Coley Cassidy, Hannah Burns, Samantha Philips

12U Girls: Coley Cassidy (HC), Pete Sebenaler, Hannah Burns, Samantha Philips, Fritz Grueter

10U-14U House: Ryan Doremus (coordinator), Tom Lester, Mike Jahn, and others TBA

8U and 6U Mites: Shaun Hathaway (coordinator), Blake Hull, and numerous others TBA