Cam Russell

Cam is a native of Cole Harbour in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.  He played all four years of his Major Junior hockey career with the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL, playing in the Memorial Cup Championship in 1986 and 1988. Cam was drafted 50th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1987 NHL entry draft, and went on to a 10-year NHL career.  He played most of his career with the Blackhawks, but spent his final season with the Colorado Avalanche.  His career highlight was being able to play for the Blackhawks in the final round of the 1992 Stanley Cup Championship against Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburg Penguins.

    In 1994, while still playing for the Blackhawks, Cam became a minority shareholder of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads hockey team.  After retiring from the NHL in 1999 due to a shoulder injury, Cam moved into his coaching career, becoming Assistant Coach for the Mooseheads for three seasons.  Since 2003, Cam has taken on a consulting role with the team, working directly with the Mooseheads’ defence players on and off the ice.

    With a strong belief in giving back to the hockey community that supported him throughout his career, Cam has coached young players of all levels and often worked in summer hockey schools during the off-season while in Major Junior and the NHL. Cam is active in the community and volunteers his time with the organizing committee for the Danny Gallivan Golf Tournament, and helping to coach his two young sons’ minor hockey teams. He still plays recreational hockey and plays in exhibition games with the Tim Horton’s All-Stars, a group of former pro hockey players who hold charity games to fundraise for various organizations.   

    In 2004, Cam and Chris Donnelly started their very successful summer Defence Skills Academy program, which has now expanded and evolved into the summer and year-round Hockey Skills Academy programs.

 

Chris Donnelly

 

Originally from New Brunswick, Chris played minor hockey in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and played Junior A for the Cole Harbour Scotia Colts and Dartmouth Fuel Kids from 1986 to 1988.  Immediately following his junior hockey career, Chris entered the coaching arena and worked his way through the coaching ranks around the province.  He has coached teams of various skill levels, including Junior “A” with the Truro Bearcats, Atom “AAA” with Dartmouth, and Midget “AAA” with the Dartmouth Subways of the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League.

    In the 2000-2001 season, Chris joined the coaching staff of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads hockey team as Assistant Coach, and has helped coach the team to the final round of the QMJHL play-offs in 2001 and 2004.

    Among his many coaching credits, Chris was selected by the Nova Scotia Program of Excellence as Head Coach for the Under 17s, and for the Canada Games as Assistant Coach in 2003. He has also completed the following coaching certification levels:

• National Certification Program – Course Conductor Initiation Program/ Coach Level/ Intermediate Level
• Coaching Certification Currently Advanced 2 (NCCP) and Level 3 (Theory)

Chris has been very involved in minor hockey throughout his career and was the Dartmouth Whalers’ Development Co-ordinator from 1991 to 1994. During the off-season, he has held summer hockey schools in Halifax and Dartmouth since 1995. 

And in 2004, Chris collaborated with Cam Russell to create the very successful Defence Skills Academy, which has since expanded and evolved into the Hockey Skills Academy.