Burlington Eagles (NLT) Next Level Training Development Program
The Burlington City Rep Hockey Club believes in the progressive development of our Eagles athletes. We continue to transform and improve our Next Level Training program (NLT), based on feedback from the Eagles Hockey Committee, Eagles Development Team, Eagles Coaches, Eagles Convenors and Eagles parents, guardians, families, and players. Using the most qualified off-ice coaches and the highest level of local on-ice skill coaches, we ensure that every Eagles athlete and team has the opportunity to excel in all aspects of technical, tactical, and team development. The Eagles hockey club has committed to hundreds of hours of positioning specific training for our Eagles athletes, providing more consistency and customized skill development for our Eagles players, coaches, and teams. The Burlington Eagles NLT Development Program includes:
Director of Player and Coach Development
Corey Locke
Since retiring from playing professional hockey after 15 seasons, the City of Burlington has been Corey's home since he turned professional while playing for the Montreal Canadiens American Hockey League (AHL) team, the Hamilton Bulldogs. After a successful playing career, Corey knew it was time for him to give back and help the next generation of Burlington Eagles hockey players and to support the Eagles coaches by helping to create an environment where players will have a life-long "love and passion" for the game of hockey. Corey brings worldwide experience to the club, coaches, players, and parents from his time playing in the highest leagues in North America and Europe as well as being a Certified Hockey Canada High Performance 1 Hockey Coach and a Certified Hockey Canada Skills Coach. Corey played in the OHL for the Ottawa 67’s before getting drafted into the NHL. He played 9 seasons between the AHL and NHL before playing 6 seasons in Europe. He played over 1,000 games as a professional hockey player winning two AHL Calder Cup Championships, a German DEL Championship and was an AHL All-Star six times. Corey is currently in his fifth year as Director of Player and Coach Development. In addition to the role with the Eagles, Corey is in his sixth season as the Skills and Development Coach with the OHL’s Guelph Storm and second season with the OJHL’s Burlington Cougars.
NLT Skills Development Coaches
Scott Mifsud
Scott has born and raised in Burlington where he joined the Eagles club when he was five years old. After playing his minor hockey years with the Eagles, Scott played for his hometown Jr. A Burlington Cougars. His successful Jr. A career earned him a scholarship to attend and play for the University of Vermont and play NCAA division 1 hockey for 4 years. Following his university career, Scott played professionally for 5 years. He played in the ECHL for 3 years and in Europe for 2 years. Scott has been working with the Eagles, as part of the NLT program, for the past 8 seasons from U8 to U18 age levels. As an NLT Skills Coach, Scott loves to focus on puck skills and goal scoring. His hockey experiences have taught him the small details of the game from an offensive perspective. His goal is to help our Eagles players learn skills and strategies that he wasn't taught until a much older age. Not only does Scott teach young Eagle athletes, but he is currently a grade 8 teacher in Burlington, for the Halton District School Board.
Michael Budd
Michael played minor hockey for the Burlington Eagles followed by Jr. A with the Burlington Cougars. While on the Cougars, he was selected for the CJHL Top Prospects Game as well as Team Canada East. He earned a division 1 NCAA scholarship to Umass Lowell. At Umass Lowell, Michael was named assistant captain and made an NCAA national tournament appearance. After college, he played six years professionally in Germany, China, and the USA. After his playing career, he turned to coaching and was an assistant coach for his former Jr. team, the Burlington Cougars. He also scouted for the Sarnia Sting in the OHL. For the past 5 years, Michael has been a development and skills coach, working with the Eagles since 2021. He has a strong passion for hockey and loves teaching young players the details of the game. As the Burlington Eagles are his hometown team, he always enjoys seeing old friends at the rink and getting an opportunity to coach the next generation of players. He enjoys working with the players wearing the same jersey that he wore when he played minor hockey. Michael’s goal is to aid in helping the Eagles become a premier organization in Ontario to develop players, giving them an opportunity to excel at the next level.
James Austin
James played his youth for the Burlington Eagles. After graduating from the Minor Hockey, he went on the play his Junior Hockey career for his hometown Burlington Cougars. He earned himself a scholarship to play University NCAA hockey for Lake Forest College Foresters. After playing for Lake Forest, he played professionally in Europe in the EPL for the Romford Raiders. After he finished his professional playing career, coaching and skills training began in Chicago, Illinois with their AAA, and Elite Spring hockey programs. When returning to Burlington, James began developing Burlington players with the Eagles and at The Burlington Pond facility. James has worked within the Eagles in many roles over the last ten years and he has recently helped revamp our Jr. Eagles and U7 programming. James’ years of experience at all levels and ages of training has helped kick-start many Eagles players pathway through the club.
Robert Bentivegna
Robert played his entire minor hockey for the Burlington Eagles, from Senior Mites (U7) all the way to Major Midget (U18). After finishing his minor hockey career, Robert’s passion turned to coaching and skill development. Over the last 15 years of coaching experience and developing local players, Robert has been involved with the Eagles for the last 3 season in the on-ice Next Level Training Program. While helping to develop the players individual skills within Eagles teams, he is also able to provide insight into team tactics and strategy for Eagles coaches. Currently, Robert is an Assistant Coach with the Brock University Men’s Hockey team. He made the jump to Usports hockey in 2022 after coaching U18 and Junior A for 8 seasons from 2014-2022. Robert enjoys working with the Burlington Eagles to help players and coaches develop just as his coaches did for him when he played for the Eagles.
Jordan Henry
Jordan played his youth and minor hockey in Western Canada where he was drafted into the Western Hockey League to the Moose Jaw Warriors. After playing with Moose Jaw and Red Deer, he went on to play 13 years professionally amassing over 700 games. This included stops in the AHL, KHL, SM Liiga, Allsvenskan and ECHL. After retiring, transitioned to coaching and served 1 year as an assistant coach and 3 years as a head coach of the Mississauga Reps Hockey Club U16 AAA in the GTHL before joining the U18 AAA Eagles as an Assistant Coach. In addition to being an Assistant Coach with the club, Jordan works as a development instructor for Shield Performance and is the founder of Henry Hockey Ltd. His passion is working with young defensemen to develop their foundational skills.
Daryl Knowles
Daryl has a strong connection to the Burlington hockey community from playing, coaching, and developing. After his minor hockey, he played in both the OJHL and OHL. Daryl spent parts of seasons with Georgetown Raiders, Hamilton Red Wings, and Oakville Blades in the OJHL and played with Toronto St. Michael’s Majors in the OHL. After his junior hockey career, Daryl went on to play Usports with Dalhousie University in Halifax. Once relocated to Burlington, he coached Eagles teams as well as most recently being a coach with the Burlington Barracudas organization. Over the last 2 years, Daryl has been part of the on-ice Next Level Training Program. He is determined to get players out of their comfort zone. He has high energy, and a passion for coaching hockey. His knowledge and understanding of fundamental skills, situational gameplay, and player development is best in class.
Alex Hutchings
Alex played his entire minor hockey career within the Burlington City Rep Hockey Club starting at the age of seven years. He was drafted in the 2nd round to the Barrie Colts of the OHL when he sixteen years old. Alex went on to play 4 years in the OHL where his skills were identified by the Tampa Bay Lightning who selected Alex in the 4th round of the NHL draft. He was offered an Entry Level Contract which began his professional journey. Alex spent time between the ECHL/AHL teams with the Tampa Bay organization and saw him playing most of the time with the Rochester Americans. One of his highlights of his North American career would be getting the opportunity to play in the Spangler Cup with Rochester. Following that season, Alex made the move to Europe where he spent time in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden capping off a 13-year professional career. Once retiring, he has begun a career in real estate as well as joining the Eagles Development Team. He’s honored to be back in Burlington and being involved in the minor hockey program that helped him live out his dream of playing professional hockey.
Power Skating Development Coaches
Justin DaCosta
Justin started playing hockey at age 6 which helped him have the opportunity to play 4 years in the OHL with the Barrie Colts, Owen Sound Attack and Mississauga IceDogs. After his OHL career, he played 3 seasons at the University of New Brunswick which included winning two National Championships. After graduating, Justin played 7 years of professional hockey both in North America and Europe. Justin has been teaching and developing hockey skills for young athletes for the past 20+ years where. During that time, he developed strong relationships with Burlington Eagles coaches, players, and teams. At a young age, Justin began to learn the importance of skating, edge work and agility training from Russian Olympic figuring skating coach, Dr. Yasha Smuhskin allowing him to teach Eagles athletes to be more comfortable on their skates. Justin is currently in his fourth season with Eagles NLT program. Justin has worked with the Eagles since 2017 when the Next Level Training Development Program was established and helped Eagles players improve their skating ability, edge works, and transitions which has allowed them to become better skaters and more confident hockey players.
Kathryn Smith
Kathryn Smith (Dallimore) started playing hockey at 7 years old on the first-ever girls' house league team in her community. From there, she moved on to rep hockey with the Mississauga Chiefs, where her passion and dedication to the game grew. She was fortunate to train with two hockey legends: Angela James, one of the first women inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and Cassie Campbell, two-time Olympic gold medalist and former captain of Team Canada. Their mentorship instilled the importance of hard work, both on and off the ice. Kathryn career highlights include 3 Provincial Gold Championships, Team Ontario Gold Championship, and receiving offers from 8 NCAA Division 1 Universities, ultimately choosing to play at Quinnipiac University. At Quinnipiac, Kathryn proudly served as captain. Off the ice, she has been a coach since the age of 15 and is certified as a NASM Elite Personal Trainer, Life Coach, and Fitness Coach. Kathryn owns a fitness business, Sweat with Kathryn, where she designs personalized programs and runs daily fitness classes for her community. Through her years of playing, coaching, and mentoring, she has developed a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in hockey and fitness. Kathryn’s goal is to help players build confidence, speed, and strength while fostering a love for the game.
Stephanie Falconi
With over 34 years of experience, Stephanie is a power skating instructor dedicated to developing athletes’ edges, balance, stability, stride efficiency, and explosiveness. Her passion for teaching proper technical skating mechanics has helped athletes enhance their on-ice performance and unlock their full potential. Stephanie works with hockey players at all levels, from U7MD to the OHL, tailoring her expertise to each athlete's needs. Beyond her work at The Pond, she runs Falcon's Edge, a highly regarded power skating business known for delivering exceptional results. Her extensive background includes 34 years of national-level figure skating and instruction, including time as a competitive Ice Dancer. Stephanie trained under Olympic coaches at the prestigious Mariposa School of International Skating, where she developed the technical foundation that now underpins her power skating methodology. Committed to continuous growth, Stephanie is currently mentoring under Michele Moore, a renowned player development and skating coach who works with NHL players. This mentorship enables Stephanie to refine her craft further and bring cutting-edge techniques to her athletes. Stephanie’s goal is to help every skater achieve technical excellence, translating directly to improved performance and success on the ice.
NLT Goalie Development Coaches
Bryce O’Hagan
As a Burlington native, Bryce has served as the Eagles Head NLT Goalie Coach for the Burlington Eagles since 2018. Growing up, he played for the Eagles AAA program from ages 8 to 15 before continuing his hockey journey in the Ontario Hockey League from 2007-2011 with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and the Peterborough Petes. During his OHL career, Bryce was a U-17 Gold medalist, two-time U-18 team Canada member, and winning a World U-18 Gold medal. Bryce’s career highlights also included being named an All-Canadian during his U Sports hockey career. Since taking over the Eagles’ goalie program, Bryce has been instrumental in developing top-tier talent. His leadership has led to numerous Eagles goalies being drafted into the OHL or advancing to play in the CHL. Drawing from his experience at the highest levels of competition, Bryce continues to inspire and equip young goaltenders with the skills and confidence to succeed on and off the ice. Bryce is currently in his seventh season as the Eagles Head NLT Goalie Coach helping goalies from the U7 to U18 levels become more confident in this specific position.
Taylor MacDonald
Taylor grew up playing in the GTHL for numerous organizations during his minor hockey career. He then went on to play in Junior A hockey for the Georgetown Raiders of the OJHL. Finally, he finished playing his career back in the U21 AAA league in the GTHL where he won a Silver Stick Championship and an OHF Championship. While accomplishing these team achievements, he was voted Most Valuable Player in both tournaments. After his playing career came to end, Taylor got involved with the coaching and developing you players. He was an Assistant Coach with U18 AA Mississauga Warriors in the 2015/2016 season as well as the Goalie Coach for the Pelham Panthers of the GOJHL in the 2023/2024 season. Taylor has been working with the Burlington Eagles Goalie Development program from the start of the 2020 season. Hockey has been the biggest part of his life. He is passionate about the game and watching the kids grow and believes that kids gravitate towards discipline and fun is where the learning happens. Teach the why and they will figure out how.
Brandon Coccimiglio – Shield Athletics
Brandon Coccimiglio
Brandon’s passion for hockey development began 10 years ago when he retired from a successful professional hockey career. Drawing on his experiences as an NCAA Division 1 athlete and professional hockey player, Brandon understands the challenges and milestones hockey players face and is deeply committed to helping them succeed at every level. Over the past 10 years, he has worked tirelessly to enhance off-ice and on-ice hockey development programs in the community, currently operating out of a 50,000 sq. ft. facility that houses one full-size ice rink, a performance center, and therapy clinics. He continuously adapts and improves these programs to meet the needs of the players. His efforts have helped establish one of the top hockey development systems in Ontario.
Brandon is the owner of Shield Athletics + Sports Medicine, a premier Human Performance Company specializing in hockey development both on and off the ice. Located in Burlington, Shield Performance is dedicated to supporting athletes at all levels, from the NHL, PWHL, and Olympians to grassroots programs that impact minor hockey players. In addition to his work in the community, Brandon spent three seasons with the Brantford/Hamilton Bulldogs, where he played a role in their Memorial Cup run as one of their development coaches. He has also been published multiple times in The Athletic for his work in developing elite hockey players. His work at Shield Athletics has supported elite hockey players, including Stanley Cup champions, Olympians, World Junior Gold Medals, and even a first overall NHL draft pick. Brandon continues to bring his expertise, personal accomplishments, and deep ties to the Burlington and surrounding community to help players achieve their hockey goals both on and off the ice.