2026-2027 COACHES
Questions for the coaches or about the upcoming season can be sent to one of the following board members.
Dom Giglietta (President)
Gilles Vanasse (VPHockeyOps)
Andrew Dilworth (Development)
To email, use the email alias in bold followed by @gloucesterrangers.com
Coming Soon...
Coming Soon...
Involved in hockey for over 30 years, I was born and raised in Orleans, Ontario. I grew up playing as a goaltender for the Gloucester Rangers minor hockey system. I played three years of Junior A hockey for the Cumberland Grads, followed by four years of NCAA Division 1 hockey for the Robert Morris Colonials, where I also completed a master's degree. My professional hockey career included playing in Texas (CHL), the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom (British Elite League). I also served as the Ottawa Senators' practice goalie for the following 3 years.
I have spent the last five years coaching my son’s hockey from IP to U9 Rangers.
I’ve learned a great deal over my hockey career, and now I look forward on continuing to share my knowledge and passion for the game with these kids.
Coaching Philosophy
As the head coach of the U10 team, my primary goals for this year are to ensure the kids are having fun all while improving their hockey skill development, learning about sportsmanship, playing a TEAM game, making new friends, and acquiring new life skills.
To achieve that, I will ensure to select other positive coaches to help me create a positive and safe environment for everyone. Respect and integrity from players and coaches will be the top priority.
I want to coach, encourage, and motivate kids that are teachable, willing to work hard, respect their opponents, and dedicated to becoming better players and better individuals.
I look forward to building relationships with every single player on the team and working with each of them to reach their fullest potential.
Planned Tournaments:
- Capital Gold Rush (start os season – date TBD)
- GTHL AAA Platinum Cup (Nov 27-29)
- Bell Capital Cup (Dec 26-31)
- Barrie AAA Atom Challenge Cup (Jan 10 - Feb 1)
I was born and raised in Ottawa and have been actively involved in the local hockey community for more than 30 years. My experience includes playing competitive hockey, serving for more than 20 years as a National High Performance on-ice official with Hockey Canada, and coaching multiple seasons across the U7 to U12 age groups. Most recently, I coached with the Gloucester Rangers at the U10 and U11 levels.
As Head Coach, I aim to help players grow, understand their roles, compete with integrity, and take pride in their development both on and off the ice.
Coaching Philosophy
My coaching philosophy is rooted in player development, accountability, and strong team habits.
Players develop best in positive environments that are structured, consistent, inclusive, and age-appropriate. Clear expectations help young athletes understand their roles and take ownership of their effort, attitude, and preparation. Practices and game plans should be purposeful, progressive, and appropriately challenging for this stage of development.
Mutual respect among coaches, teammates, opponents, and officials is essential to both individual and team success. As Head Coach, I believe in setting clear standards, modelling composure, and creating an environment where players are excited to learn, supported in their development, and challenged to grow.
My goal is for players to compete with confidence and finish the season with skills, habits, and experiences that carry forward both on the ice and beyond.
Tournaments
TBD
Hockey Background
I grew up in the West end of Ottawa, playing for the Ottawa Valley Titans Hockey Association. I continued my passion for hockey and became a skills instructor soon after my minor hockey career. I have been teaching skills and coaching hockey in both boys' and girls' associations at many different levels. I am well-versed in teaching hockey skills through progression.
My coaching Philosophy
I will strive to create a fun learning environment for the players. The team's primary focus will be on skill development, with an introduction to team play through small-area games. Players are expected to bring a strong work ethic, willingness to learn, and a positive attitude to the rink. I want players to be excited to come to the rink.
Devon Kunkel brings a strong background in competitive hockey, having grown up playing in the Ottawa Valley and Nepean. His experience as a player helped shape both his passion for the game and his understanding of its technical and team-based elements.
He joins the Rangers following a successful two-season tenure as Head Coach of the Castor River Canucks, where he led the team to back-to-back championship victories in the Ottawa B Minor Hockey League. During that time, Devon established a reputation for building competitive, high-performing teams while maintaining a strong focus on player development and team culture.
Devon’s coaching philosophy is centered around hard work, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement, both on and off the ice. He believes that effort is the foundation of success and that players grow most when they support one another and push themselves every day. He sets high expectations while fostering a positive, competitive environment where players can develop their skills, build confidence, and enjoy the game.
He emphasizes purposeful practices, resilience, and composure, encouraging players to learn from adversity and continue improving. Above all, Devon is committed to creating an experience where players have fun, build lasting friendships, and take pride in being part of the Rangers program. His goal is to develop not only strong hockey players, but also great teammates and emerging leaders.
Tournaments: TBD
With over twelve years of experience as a professional hockey player and NHL draft pick, along with extensive coaching experience, I take pride in my ability to communicate effectively with players, coaches, executives, and media personnel. As head coach, I will leverage my skills from my hockey background and business leadership to contribute to the success of the U12 AA Gloucester Rangers hockey team. My coaching philosophy is dedicated to fostering a positive and inclusive team environment where players can develop their skills, understand the importance of teamwork, and grow both on and off the ice.
My hockey experience includes coaching roles with the U12 Rangers AA, U11 Rangers AA, U10 Gloucester Rangers AA, and U9 Gloucester Rangers AA, as well as running my own hockey school after retiring from the game. I take pride in improving team performance and developing kids for life!
Our team core values will be:
- Having Fun
- Serving others
- Performance
- Inclusion
- Personal Development (Commitment to getting better and wanting to play at a higher level)
- Open Communication
Growing up in Saskatchewan, my hockey career started very young and culminated with playing competitive hockey at the highest levels for my age group; this passion continues today. Additionally, as a young multi-sport athlete, I competed at the highest levels in many sports, including on provincial teams that represented my province at the national level.
I have experience in various roles (Coach, Assistant Coach, On-Ice Assistant, etc.) over the last 10+ years within the Gloucester Rangers and Leitrim Hawks organizations.
This past season, I had the pleasure of being the Head Coach for the U13AA Rangers. The group, both on and off the ice, was extremely successful, having grown and improved in all respects.
Playing sports, especially team sports, has benefits beyond the game itself. It assists these young athletes with foundational life-building blocks, including confidence, work ethic, teamwork, relationship-building, and character development. Many lessons can be learned to help these young athletes develop and grow into young adults. This is why sports, particularly hockey, are such a great game!!!
My coaching philosophy can be summed up as follows:
“I want to create a safe and respectful environment to enable these young athletes to have fun and learn about being part of a team (all aspects) while continually and progressively developing the skills of the game they need to compete, succeed, and enjoy the great game of hockey for a long time, no matter the path that is taken. Accountability, work ethic, positive attitude, and team-first are the bedrock of the team culture. “
Some key themes emerge from this philosophy, which include:
IT MUST BE FUN!!! The team should have fun and be excited to show up at the rink every session. Players are more willing to listen and work harder when they are excited to be at the rink. Coaching and sports, in general, should focus on the players. Keeping this in mind, I will ensure all individuals develop as athletes and, more importantly, as good teammates and young adults. I take great satisfaction from witnessing every one of our athletes improve throughout the season. As the head coach, I strive to build a tight-knit parent group that supports the coaching staff and players. The overarching goal is to get these athletes to play this great sport for many years.
DEVELOPMENT. This is the key for these young athletes; I am committed to developing a comprehensive development plan (on and off ice), including practice plans in conjunction with Hockey Canada guidelines that emphasize technical skills and individual tactics while continually introducing team tactics and team play. Part of this plan is an off-ice component to help develop these athletes' speed, power, agility, and strength. Hockey is a developmental sport where we keep adding layers yearly; the development should always continue, as each athlete's skill level is unique.
TEAM GAME. Expectations are high for playing a TEAM GAME. Respect, commitment, and playing the right way are the foundation of a Team Game. As a team, we will respect our teammates, coaches, parents, opponents, referees, rink attendants and all others. Playing the right way means allowing athletes to learn and develop, with the proper focus on the longer-term objectives that will then translate into overall team success. As the Head Coach, I take this responsibility seriously, ensuring we are prepared for all games and practices; I expect the same from all players and parents regarding commitment on and off the ice.
WE WILL COMPETE. Playing competitive sports demands commitment and dedication. As a team, we will compete with 100% effort in every practice, game, and off ice session, and at the same time have fun while respecting our competition. I expect the team to come to the rink prepared to give 100% regardless of the situation. I take great pride in hearing from opponents that our team is “hard to play against”, "disciplined," and “well-coached,” which is done through the commitment to compete hard in all three zones while at the same time playing the right way, with integrity and respect.
ACCOUNTABILITY AND CULTURE: Playing for the Rangers is something special. In terms of the Rangers Process, everyone is committed to the same high standards and principles, including consistent hard work, attention to detail, and focus on improvement. Accountability includes taking ownership of your actions and accepting the results, both good and bad. It's about being reliable and committed to your teammates. It is “ok” to make mistakes; this is where real growth occurs and where a team and an individual improve. As a team, we either “win” or “learn” in terms of gameplay; either outcome strengthens the team in the long run. A Strong Team Culture is formed through principles, standards and values. We strive for excellence and constant improvement.
Capital Gold Rush - September 25th-27th
Peterborough Hockey AA Tournament - October 23rd-25th
Northumberland Silver Stick - December 4th-6th
Capital Winter Classic - January 8th-10th
Halton Hills Winter Classic - February 5th-7th
Experienced and competitive hockey coach with a 12+ year background in player development (IP to U14AA). I bring valuable playing experience, including two years at the Junior B level with the Perth Blue Wings and a history of competitive minor hockey in the NMHA. My passion for coaching continues to grow, and I am focused on developing skilled, disciplined, and successful players.
Coaching Philosophy
I am dedicated to providing a positive and motivational coaching experience. My approach involves implementing structured skill development programs, fostering a collaborative team environment, and emphasizing the importance of respect and sportsmanship. Hard work is the driving force behind our team. By committing to consistent effort in practices and games, players develop resilience and discipline. This dedication not only sharpens their skills but also creates a winning culture where success is earned through collective effort. A winning culture doesn’t just mean trophies—it means every player thrives, feels proud of their contributions, and enjoys the journey. By blending structured development, teamwork, respect, and relentless effort, we create an environment where players are motivated to grow, compete, and have fun. Together, we’ll build memories, skills, and a lifelong passion for hockey.
Tournaments