Angelo Ricci Named Director of Hockey Operations

The Colorado Thunderbirds Hockey Club is proud to announce that Angelo Ricci has accepted the position of Director of Hockey Operations.  While the title may be new, he has been an established icon for many years in the hockey community.  He pioneered the idea of hockey directorship in Colorado as the first director of Arvada Youth Hockey (1997-98).  He then started and served as the director of Arapahoe Youth Hockey from 1998-2006.  He most recently   was the director of Littleton Hockey Association from 2006-present where he helped maintain and build on the strong tradition of excellence that Littleton has established in their 45-year existence.  Ricci has brought leadership and vision to each of these associations and left lasting positive contributions.

His expertise in organization and leadership has led him to a successful coaching career at all levels.  Since 2003, he has consulted and worked with numerous professional and elite players such as Zach Parise, Scott Parker, Gilbert Brule, Brock Bradford, Drayson Bowman, Nick Shore and Drew Shore to name a few.  For the past eight years, Ricci has been a skills consultant for the Assabet Valley Girls program which has won 39 USA Hockey Tier I National Championships.  Ricci was Head Skills Instructor at the NHL Fantasy Skills Camp during the NHL All-Star Games in Denver in 2001 and Los Angeles in 2002.

Ricci has served as head coach of Team Colorado (’99-present) for the Chicago Showcase.  During the 2008 Chicago Showcase Event, he was honored with the “Ted Brill” Coaches Award, voted by his peers.  He has been head coach of various AAA/AA teams (’99-present).  His most recent head coaching position has been at the Midget Minor AAA level with the Colorado Thunderbirds Hockey Club (’05-present).  During his tenure as a head coach, he has compiled a long list of accomplishments with his teams.  In 9 years of coaching at the AAA/AA level, he has guided his teams to 5 state championships, 5 regional championship games and 3 national tournaments appearances.  Ricci’s Team Colorado group (’03-04’) Midget Major AAA team placed 5^th at Nationals.  His Thunderbird Midget Minor

AAA team in ’07-’08 placed 3rd at Nationals and his ’08-’09 Thunderbird team was a National quarter-finalist (5^th place).  His demand for excellence on and off the ice has truly paid off for his players. He has worked with many AAA/AA players to help advance their careers and fulfill their dreams of competing at Juniors, NTDP, College, and Professional ranks. 

Ricci, a native of Chicago, IL., has experienced winning traditions as a player. As a youth player, he was a 3 time National champion with his Pee Wee AAA, Bantam AAA and Midget AAA (Team Illinois and Chicago Young Americans) teams and earned appearances at the USA Hockey Select 15, 16, 17, and 18 Festivals.  He continued his hockey development in the USHL, becoming the all time leading scorer for the Omaha Lancers (’89-’91) and named twice to the USHL All-Star Game.  He also was named a First Team League All-Star in 1990 and Second Team All-Star in 1991.  In 2005, he was inducted into Omaha’s Hockey Hall of Fame.  He earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Denver from 1991-1995.  While at DU, he played under two legendary head coaches, Frank Serratore and George Gwozdecky.  He went on to become the 12^th all time leading scorer at University of Denver (’91-’95) earning All-Academic and All-Conference honors while donning the Pioneer sweater.  He graduated from the University of Denver with a Marketing degree in 1995.   His professional career included stints in the minor leagues and with Val Gardena (Elite Division Italy) as well as professional roller hockey in the RHI for Chicago and Denver.

Lastly, Ricci’s contribution to furthering the popularity and understanding of the sport of ice hockey is demonstrated through the many camps he conducts (Stick With The Edge Hockey School and Ricci Hockey Consulting) and his work as a radio host for “Youth on Ice” (’99-present) on KKFN AM 950 and FM 104.3.