Henry Acres - Program Leader
Henry “Hank” Acres is currently a professional hockey player during the winter months. He started his hockey journey with Parksville's own Generals Junior club before moving onto the BCHL.
After a highly successful college career, culminating in a Canadian Championship. Henry has embarked on a world wide professional career that has seen him lace'em up with teams from Florida, Michigan, and Virginia in the USA, a Championship in Australia, 4 seasons in Sweden and presently with Kiekko-Vantaa in Finland's Mestis League.
2008-09 will also see Henry working as a coaching consultant with Tuuski Hockey in Finland, helping to develop player at all levels in that organization.
Henry has played competitive hockey for over 20 years and has achieved many successes on a personal and team level at all levels of hockey. From minor hockey up thru junior and college to the professional ranks Henry has shown the heart and mind of a champion along with the hardware to prove it!
Hank enjoys working with young people and sharing his passion for hockey with the future of the game. Henry is a NCCP Level 2 certified coach along with previous hockey school instruction at Mount Royal College Hockey School in Calgary, Alberta and as a hockey and skating instructor with Recreation Oak Bay in Victoria, British Columbia. In 2006-07 Henry was assistant trainer with Arborga Hockey's gymnasium program. This is a high school level Phys-Ed equivalent for the top players in the city. Henry continues to work with player development in 2008-09 in Helsinki, Finland.
Henry started Acres Hockey Training to give developing hockey players some real insight into what kind of desire, focus, and training it takes to make the dream of a career in hockey a reality.
Henry resides in beautiful Qualicum Beach, B.C. during the off season, enjoying the many amenities this wondrous area has to offer.
Jesse Dorrans - Lead Instructor
Acres Hockey Training is proud to have Jesse Dorrans on board as a lead instructor. Coach Dorrans brings a wealth of knowledge to every session and has been an invaluable member of our team the past 5 seasons of AHT, both in Canada and Finland.
Jesse is currently Assistant GM/Coach with the Castlegar Rebels, members of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. Before joining the Rebels, Jesse was with the Vancouver Thunderbirds Minor Hockey Association for 4 seasons at the Pee Wee and Bantam levels.
Coach Dorrans has a long hockey-playing background beginning in Chetwynd, B.C before heading south to a true interior hockey hotbed of Williams Lake and played the majority of his minor hockey with that organization. At the completion of Jesse's minor hockey career he made the trek to the Island to begin studies at Malaspina University-College in Nanaimo.
While continuing his studies Jesse enhanced his hockey playing career with the VIJHL's Parksville Generals and finished out his junior playing days with the Victoria Salsa of the BCHL.
Outside hockey Coach Dorransy is a huge Boston Red Sox's fan. Jesse resides in Castlegar, B.C.
Dayna Harstad - Dryland Instructor
Acres Hockey was very honoured to have Dayna’s services for all programs in 2008 and look forward to her involvement in 2009. Dayna is a Canadian Champion in Tae Kwon Do and has represented her country at World Championships; she was a bronze medalist at the 2004 Pam-Am Games in the Dominican Republic.
Dayna currently stays on top of her game by assisting Tae Kwon Do Canada as a Jr. National Team Coach along with being an athlete representative that brings her in contact with Olympic and National team member in various sports.
Dayna also is a registered personal trainer with the ISSA and NCCP Level 2 coach. She enjoys working with athletes of all abilities and helping them achieve their goals.
Dayna lives in Parksville with her husband and two kids.
For training information contact Dayna.
Bill Ruggiero - Goalie Instructor
Acres Hockey is equally thrilled to have Bill as goalie instructor for the Steps/Foundation Programs. Bill will also be accompanying Coaches Acres and Dorrans to Oulu, Finland for AHT International there in June.
Bill has an extensive playing history from Major Junior in the OHL and QMJHL, along with pro experience in the AHL, ECHL, CHL, UHL, IHL, and he also attended NHL training camp with the Nashville Predators.
He has conducted numerous camps and clinics in the USA/Canada and his hometown of Detroit, Michigan.
Bill is very proud of sister, Angela Ruggiero, who is regarded as one of the best women’s hockey players in the world. For the 2008-09 season Bill is continuing his playing career overseas with Kiekko-Laser in Oulu, Finland.
Derek Stuart - Instructor
Acres Hockey welcomes Derek to the team. Derek is entering his 6th season as Assistant Coach with the Calgary Buffalos Midget AAA team which represented Canada West in the 2008 Telus Cup National Midget Championships, finishing as the 4th best Midget team in the country.
Derek played his minor hockey in the Calgary Buffalos association before finishing his minor hockey career at famed Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Saskatchewan. He played his Jr. Hockey in Kimberly, BC and continued playing into the college ranks at Bemidji State University in Minnesota.
Derek returned to Canada to finish his schooling and was rewarded with a National Championship as a member of the Mount Royal College Cougars in Calgary, where he currently resides, and is employed as a realtor.
Other Instructors
Other Instructors with most current playing team in parenthesis include:
Darcy Corcoran (Asploven HC, Sweden)
Rick Cleaver (Phoenix Roadrunners, ECHL)
Matt Wray (Kamloops Blazers, WHL)
Brodie Gibbon-Nick Bell-Paul Grahme (Parksville Generals, VIHL)
Kyle Kramer (Nanaimo Silvertips, MMHL)
Andrew Corbett (Oceanside MHA)
Kevin Phillippe (Oceanside MHA)
