Total Package Hockey is pleased to announce the addition of Francis Anzalone to its executive team, as the company prepares for its 16th year as a leader in the on and off-ice development of student-athletes.  Anzalone spent the 2016-2017 season as the Associate Head Coach of the Shreveport Mudbugs in the North American Hockey League.  TPH helped oversee the hockey operation of the Mudbugs during Anzalone’s tenure in Shreveport, and will continue to do so moving forward.

“We are excited to have Francis play a much bigger role in the TPH family,” President Nathan Bowen said.  “His organizational, communication and leadership skills, combined with his passion for mentoring players, will assist us in maximizing our ability to positively impact the lives of our student-athletes, while growing our brand at the same time.”

Anzalone will serve as Vice-President for the TPH Way.  In his role, the 29-year-old will develop strategies to strengthen the culture of TPH, by first and foremost, implementing a life skills and leadership program that will eventually reach all TPH teams and programs, starting with the newly founded Center of Excellence Hub.  He will interact with TPH athletes on a daily basis, and help craft new ways to accelerate the development of players who train in TPH programs.  In addition, Anzalone will take on a management and advisory role with the Shreveport Mudbugs, and maintain his connection to an organization that received NAHL Franchise of the Year honors last season.

“I am extremely grateful for this expanded role within TPH,” Anzalone said.  “This is an incredible career and life opportunity that doesn’t come around every day.  I love development.  It’s more than a buzz-word.  It’s an art.  It’s something I have a passion for.  To have the opportunity to work alongside likeminded people who share that passion is an absolute thrill.  To then be able to use that collective passion to make our people and our process better in this new role created by TPH is something I just could not pass up.”

Prior to his time in Shreveport, Anzalone spent three seasons with the NAHL’s Aberdeen Wings.  He was Associate Head Coach in 2013-2014, before being promoted to Head Coach for the 2014-2015 campaign.  Before that, the Sault Ste. Marie, MI native worked for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL for four seasons.  He occupied a variety of positions for the RoughRiders, ranging from Regional Scout to Assistant Coach.  Francis has been coaching at the youth, amateur and junior levels since he was 18.  It was early in Anzalone’s career, when he was introduced to Nathan Bowen, and immediately became involved in the Elite Edge Hockey Showcase, held each June in Nashville.

Bowen adds that the addition of Anzalone to TPH’s executive team is just the beginning of a renewed commitment to a vision that has been growing year after year since the founding of the company in 2001.

“The mission of TPH is to perform at a standard that exceeds expectations, one choice at a time.  The decision to make a greater investment in the growth of our athletes by adding this position and putting a person like Francis in the role is a choice that we know will have a great impact for years to come.”