Total Package Hockey is pleased to announce that it will be bringing its hallmark Center of Excellence model to the thriving state of Colorado for the 2019-2020 school year. TPH will launch its seventh CoE in the south suburbs of Denver and will partner alongside Angelo Ricci, a name synonymous with player development and advancement in both the state of Colorado and beyond.

“We are very grateful for the opportunity to partner with Angelo and his entire team,” TPH CEO Nathan Bowen said. “We met several years ago through the Tier I Elite League and his commitment to personal and athletic development with his players is how he has built one of the top programs in the country. He has strategically constructed and grown a performance-oriented club and the results have followed. He is extremely passionate about helping young people grow and consistently raising the standards for all involved in his programs. Colorado is an awesome hockey state and Denver is one of the healthiest metropolitan cities in all of the U.S. While excitement is high to bring a CoE to Denver, we are most looking forward to partnering with Angelo who serves as a positive role model for young aspiring student-athletes. His track record for developing next level hockey players, athletes and people speaks for itself.”

While TPH prides itself on its Study-Train-Play Center of Excellence model and what “it” can do for the aspiring elite student-athlete, Bowen says it is the leader, or “face” of the actual CoE that drives the model. In Ricci, TPH is teaming up with an individual who brings 20-plus years of true player development experience to the Denver area Center of Excellence. Angelo is the founder and head instructor for Ricci Hockey Consulting, a company he formed back in 1996. The Chicago native is also the Director of Hockey Operations for the prestigious Colorado Thunderbirds Hockey Club and has held leadership positions with the Arapahoe and Littleton Youth Hockey Associations.

Ricci is quick to point out that while he is excited about partnering with TPH to bring a Center of Excellence to an area he now calls home, TPH’s commitment to excellence in the areas of on and off-ice training, academic success and mentorship is what sold him on forming a partnership.

“The TPH mission is to exceed expectations of student-athletes, their families and all entities of the hockey world,” Ricci said.  “That’s essentially what I have tried to do throughout my career.  Being involved with this model is a perfect next step for me, and the model is a perfect next step for hockey in the Denver area.  TPH’s methodical approach to the training of The Hockey Athlete, along with their academic partnership with Edmentum puts the needs of students-athletes first. Development is a delicate thing, especially in the classroom. TPH has the plan, and in the Denver area, I believe TPH now has the perfect place.”

While coaching in that “perfect place” Ricci references, the former University of Denver Pioneer has guided teams for 22 seasons, 16 of which have been at the Tier I level. To date, he has posted a Tier I coaching record of 803-192-53. Since 2005-2006, Ricci’s Colorado Thunderbirds 16U AAA squads have won 13 state championships and have made eight appearances in the National Tournament. His teams have finished no lower than 5th place at Nationals, and in 2009-2010, his group achieved a first-place finish.

In addition, Ricci’s leadership has led him to a successful coaching and on-ice instruction career at all levels. Since 2003, the 47-year-old has worked with numerous professional players as a skills coach. He has consulted and worked with big-name players such as Seth Jones, Caleb Jones, Nick Shore, Paul Stastny, Tyler Bozak, Drew Shore, Kyle Quincy, Gilbert Brule, Matt Donovan, Gustav Olofsson, Brandon Carlo, Scott Mayfield, Ben Holmstrom, Troy Terry, Dylan Gambrell, Dominic Turgeon and Jack Skille.  For the past nine years, Ricci has been a skills consultant for the Assabet Valley Girls program, which has won 42 USA Hockey Tier I National Championships. Ricci was also the Head Skills Instructor at the NHL Fantasy Skills Camp during the NHL All-Star Games in Denver in 2001 and Los Angeles in 2002.

Since 2014, Angelo has been a part of the Buffalo Sabres organization, serving as a Skills Development Consultant for the NHL club. In addition, Ricci has worked directly with the Sabres’ prospects in the AHL, where he is a Skills Development Coach for the Rochester Americans.

In conjunction with his coaching, Angelo shares his passion, skill and knowledge as a USA Hockey Coaching Education Program presenter. He served as a USA Hockey District Festival Head Coach from 2004-2009 and has conducted multiple coaching seminars and clinics. In 2003, Ricci attained his certification with USA Hockey as a Master Level 5 Coach.

“History and track record are both proof that a partnership between TPH and Ricci Hockey will be successful,” Ricci added.  “I am extremely proud of the number of players I have been able to work with who have advanced to the highest levels of hockey.  TPH shares that same level of pride and passion. In five years, the CoE model alone has produced four NHL draft picks, 33 NCAA Division I commitments and has helped over 50 players reach the USHL and NAHL. The Denver CoE looks forward to putting our stamp on the growth of those very impressive numbers.”

TPH will be announcing more information in the coming weeks about its Denver Center of Excellence model, including location, open house dates and staffing. In the meantime, TPH invites all interested Denver Center of Excellence candidates to click here and visit the CoE webpage on totalpackagehockey.com, to learn more about the CoE model and the meaning of Study-Train-Play.

If you wish to receive updates on the Denver Center of Excellence, please click here and select “Colorado” for all the latest news and information on the CoE.

About Total Package Hockey: Founded in 2001, it is TPH’s vision to become the world leader in positively impacting the lives of student-athletes through the game of hockey. Through academics, mentorship and athletics, TPH prides itself on operating at a standard that exceeds expectations of student-athletes, families, coaches, advisors and all other entities of the hockey world. With platforms that include association management, elite prospects programs, tournaments and showcases, camps and clinics and its hallmark Center of Excellence academy model, Total Package Hockey has assisted in the academic, athletic and hockey development of over 600 players who have advanced to junior, collegiate and professional hockey. Since inception, 45 #TPHTrained student-athletes have been selected in the NHL Draft, while 280 have committed to the NCAA level – 189 of which are Division I. In addition, 99 players have been selected in the OHL Priority Selection and 353 have signed tenders or been drafted in the USHL and NAHL. While TPH is proud of its student-athletes who have achieved success on-the ice, it is the process of developing young men and women as people, first and foremost, that our world-class team of coaches and mentors take the most amount of pride in. While it is our responsibility to prepare each individual for success on the ice, it is our mission to prepare each and every individual for success in the ultimate game – the game of life! To learn more about TPH, visit www.totalpackagehockey.com.