My name is Chris Mitchell and I am excited to be a member of the Ajax Pickering Raiders organization and named the Head Coach of the U9 AAA team.

I am confident that parents and players will be impressed with the hockey program planned for the upcoming season. This will be my seventh year involved in coaching. 

I have spent three years coaching within the Raiders organization.  I also have experience coaching within the Durham West and West Hill organizations.

Coaching Philosophy
My coaching philosophy for minor hockey players is to develop their individual skills needed to excel at hockey.  At the younger ages I believe players should spend majority of their practice time developing skating, stick handling, passing and shooting.  Team skills will eventually be incorporated into practices.  I expect players to work their hardest and pay attention when on the ice, whether at practices or games.  In saying that, I also understand the importance of keeping it fun and delivering positive reinforcement.

Core messages for kids, which will be reinforced over the course of the year at every practice, game and team event, will be: ·         Team work - learn as a team, play as a team, win as a team and lose as a team. ·        
Compete -  give 100% effort and hustle every time out, every practice, every drill and every game. ·        
Respect  - teammates, coaches, referees and opponents.
Have fun - this should always be the reason we go to the rink

I am very excited about the upcoming season and looking forward to coaching the Ajax Pickering Raiders U9 AAA team. 

If you have any questions please feel free to give me a call or send me a note.  

Chris Mitchell
[email protected]
Phone: 905 424-4452

Coach> Danny Minnings, a NCCP Level 3 High Performance certified coach and former junior player, Coach Minnings realized his passion for coaching in 1995 spending the next 25 years taking on different roles such as skills instructor, assistant and head coach in both the Greater Toronto Hockey League and the Ontario Minor Hockey Association. He has spent the last 11 years as head coach in the Ajax/Pickering Raiders AAA organization. Coach Minnings has led his teams to multiple OMHA championship tournaments as well as to two OHL Cup appearances while helping guide some of his players toward realizing their hockey dreams of being drafted and/or playing in the OJHL, USHL, NCAA, OHL and NHL.

Contact Info: 905-767-1263 or [email protected]

Assistant Coach/Assistant Trainer > Michael Minnings, born in 86, a graduate of the GTHL returns to coaching at the “AAA” level to rejoin his father on the bench with this year 2007 age group.

Assistant Coach > Adam Valadao, born in 93, a graduate of the OHA finalists AP Raiders Midget Team, the North York Rangers of the OJHL, and Curry College of the NCAA.

Assistant Coach/Trainer > Mathew Kostuch, born in 97, a graduate of the Raiders and a recent graduate of McMaster University with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology joins his past coaches as a player in his freshman year on the bench as a coach.

Professional Skills Instructor > Dennise Treacy, owner and head instructor with Inside the Den Hockey Training.

Professional Power Skating Coach > Ashlea Jones, owner and head instructor with Athletes in Training.

Complete Performance Center > Dryland hockey conditioning.   

Our Coaching Philosophy Competitive, hardworking, hard to play against, humble in victory and gracious in defeat is what we strive our team to be - “A Class Act”. Through improving over-all athleticism, fundamental hockey skills and a better understanding of the game while continuing to have fun our goal is to help the players be the best versions of themselves on and off the ice.