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

Hockey Background/Coaching Experience: 

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 level in many different sports during my young sports career, including many provincial-level teams representing my province at the national level.   

On the hockey coaching side, I have enjoyed being involved with many great coaches and learning significantly along the way. I am passionate about coaching and have created long-lasting relationships with many great hockey families. 

Coaching is ever-evolving; there are always things that can be learned, and it has been through these experiences that I have learned so much. 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 U12AA & U13AA Rangers. 

Coaching Philosophy

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 building. Many lessons can be learned to help these young athletes develop and grow into young adults. This is why sports, particularly hockey, is 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 developing the fundamental 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. 

Some key themes emerge from this philosophy, which include: 

IT MUST BE FUN!!! The team should have fun and should want to be excited about showing up to the rink every session. Kids are willing to listen and work harder when excited to be at the rink. 

DEVELOPMENT. This is the key for these young athletes; I am committed to developing a comprehensive development plan in conjunction with the Rangers Association High Performance Development Plan. Hockey is a development 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 in terms of 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.  

WE WILL COMPETE. Playing competitive sports demands commitment and dedication. As a team, we will compete during every practice, game, and session, but at the same time, we will have fun doing so while respecting our competition. I expect the team to come to the rink prepared to give 100% regardless of the situation. 

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