Jeff Mielnicki.....Coach Mel. 

PRESIDENT CHERRY CREEK HOCKEY ASSOCIATION

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

HEAD COACH VARSITY PREP MAJOR AA / CHSAA VARSITY

12th Season CHSAA Varsity Head Coach

2024 Head Coach CHSAA Varsity Frozen Four

2024-2020 Team Colorado NIT Minnesota Assistant Coach

2024-2019 Boston Junior Rangers NCDC / USPHL Premier Midwest / Rocky Mountain Head Scout

2023 Pueblo Bulls NCDC Rocky Mountain Scout

2015 Head Coach CHSAA State Champion 

2015 Head Coach USA Hockey High School National Champion

CHSAA Varsity Head Coach 2014-2015-2017-2023 Frozen Four Appearances 

USA Hockey Level 4 CEP.

Cherry Creek Baseball Diamond Club President (12 Years)

President PinchHitters For Youth Foundation.

2018 National Federation of High School Regional Coach of the Year.

2018 Cherry Creek Baseball Hall of Fame Team Induction ( Head Coach 2012 Don Mattingly World Series National Champion.)

2018 President Colorado High School Ice Hockey Coaches Association

2017 President Colorado High School Ice Hockey Coaches Association

2017 Head Coach Team Colorado Pittsburgh Showcase 

2015 Colorado Male Coach of the Year Xfinity Sports Award               

2015 Coach Inductee Cherry Creek High School Baseball Hall of Fame 

Head Coach at Arapahoe Hockey Association for 14 Years.

Ralph Bammert is a Cherry Creek Hockey Association and CHSAA Team Manager. Ralph is the CCHA Registrar and Safe Sport Coordinator.

Ralph has been a Director for USA Hockey for many years and is also the High Plains League President and serves as the Vice President of High School Hockey for CAHA and the Colorado Prep Hockey League.

Ralph is also USA Hockey National Risk Manager and is a member of the USA Hockey Disabled Section.

2024-2020 Team Colorado NIT Minnesota General Manager.

Ralph is also a part of the Team Colorado Coaching Staff that participates in the America's Showcase in Dallas and St. Louis.

2019 Asst Coach and Team Manager Team Colorado White St Louis Showcase

2018 Head Coach Team Colorado White St. Louis Showcase

2017 Head Coach Team Colorado White Pittsburgh Showcase

Ralph has also previously coached with the Littleton Hockey Association for 12 years.

Toby Petersen returns to our Coaching Staff for his 3rd Season as CCHA Hockey Operations Director and CHSAA Varsity Special Teams Coordinator. Coach Petersen  will assist all CCHA and CHSAA Teams.

Coach Petersen will bring a passion of teaching skills and game strategies along with Special Teams Coordination for our Teams.

Toby's NHL playing career included 398 games with the Pittsburg Penguins, Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars.

Collegiate career; Division 1 Hockey at Colorado College. 4 Year Letterman amassing 128 Points. 

International experience; US World Junior (Geneva '97, Helsinki '98). US World Championships (Moscow '97)

Coaching career; 6 Season in AHL with Springfield, Cleveland and Rochester.

Ryan Bammert begins his 12th season year as a Varsity Prep Major AA and CHSAA Assistant Coach and 14th overall where he began with Coach Mel at Arapahoe and brings a competitive spirit to every game. Ryan was part of our State and National Championship Coaching Staff.

Ryan is a Paramedic with the city of Aurora and was recently nominated for Paramedic of the Year for his lifesaving efforts. Ryan has also earned Dairy Max CHSAA Assistant Coach of the month awards.

 A graduate of the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, Ryan spends his free time with his beautiful girlfriend Nicole and their black lab Brady. 

Rob Flay returns for his 6th season as V-Prep Major AA / CHSAA Varsity Assistant Coach.

With more than 20 years of coaching experience, Coach Flay is extremely excited to return for his 6th season with the Bruins.  His coaching experience includes coaching at the Midget Major AA, AAA, Junior A Tier !!!, and College Club levels.  His teams have won League and State Titles and competed at the Regional level.  Former players of Coach Flay have gone on to play at the Junior, NCAA Div I, Div III and Professional levels.  

A California native, Coach Flay started playing at the age of 3 and played at the AA, AAA levels which included State and Western Regional Titles and multiple appearances at Nationals.  His playing experience also includes competing at the Quebec International Peewee Tournament, College Club and Professional Roller Hockey levels. 

Coach Flay is committed to bring his passion for the game and passion for player development to the Bruins’ organization to help prepare players for the next level as well as for life after high school and hockey.

Coach Flay has been happy to call Colorado home for the past 13 years and lives with his wife, Marie and two boys, Luke and Logan.

Joe Sadozai returns to our Coaching Staff for his 7th season as a Varsity Prep Major AA and V-Prep Makar T1 Assistant Coach.

Coach Sadozai brings 25 Years of Coaching experience with Littleton Hockey Association, Arapahoe Hockey Association and Denver University Hockey Association.

Matt McGregor begins his 4th Season with our Coaching Staff. Matt is the Head Coach for our Varsity Prep NAPHL Makar T1 / CHSAA JV Team. Matt is also Cherry Creeks High Plains Director of Operations.

Matt has been a Varsity Head Coach at Columbine and will bring his passion and coaching experience to the Bruins in the 2024-2025 season.

I grew up playing hockey competitive locally and extremely excited to bring what I have learned to grow the sport and develop players.

I developed as a young player through Denver University’s youth Hockey program, the Jr. Pioneers, Colorado Jr. Eagles & Colorado Thunderbirds AAA.

I also played competitive Lacrosse for Cherry Creek youth until the decision was made to pursue hockey.

After graduating from ThunderRidge HS in 2007 I moved to Spokane, WA to play Junior hockey in the NPHL where I served as a captain in my third season with the club. I then moved to Bloomington MN to play in the MNJHL using a lot of the lessons I learned along the way in my coaching today.

From 2017-2020 I held the position as Assistant Director of a local youth hockey program until making the decision to use the skills I learned to run the Columbine HS hockey program.

Along the way I have had the chance to meet and create great relationships with coaches and players which have also led to the opportunity to coach at high level showcases.

I have served as a bench coach/scout for: CCM Showcase Denver CO, and Air Force Academy Hockey showcase. I have also been a part of Colorado Prep Hockey League’s (CPHL) “Team Colorado” where we select top HS players from around the state to compete in St. Louis at the America's Showcase.

My goals for HS hockey is to represent the school and community with Integrity, Pride & Passion.

Our student athletes will be knowledgeable and cognitive about not only the game we love, but the bigger picture of what it truly means to be a hockey player.

Connor Halbert returns for his 2nd season to our Coaching staff as CC AHF / NAPHL U16 /U18 Assistant Coach and CHSAA Varsity / JV Assistant Coach.

Coach Halbert is excited to bring Tier 1 Coaching experience to our CC Forwards. Coach Halbert was instrumental in developing players for the Sioux Falls Power Tier 1 AAA team and is looking forward to working with our Cherry Creek players.

Connor resides in Littleton with his wife Katie and their dog Romeo.

Scott Bagwin returns to our Coaching Staff for his 3rd Season as Assistant Coach Makar T1 /CHSAA JV / Prospects /CHSAA Royal. Coach on the CC Prospects team.

Coach Bagwin guided the CC Prospects/CHSAA Royal 2023-2034 team as Head Coach and was instrumental in developing players to move up in the Cherry Creek organization.

Scott coached at the Littleton Hockey Association for 7 seasons and will bring that experience to all of our Cherry Creek teams.

Scott is USA Hockey Level 4 Coaching Certified. 

Scott is looking forward to sharing his passion and experience to our Cherry Creek players. 

Scott resides in Centennial with his family.

Cherry Creek welcomes Christian Klemme as Assistant Coach Makar T1 / CHSAA JV. Christian will share his passion for High School Hockey from his experience playing Minnesota High School Hockey.

Lauren Gunter returns to our Coaching Staff as our Lady Bruins Head Coach.

Coach Gunter begins her 7th season with Cherry Creek Hockey, and 2nd Season as Head Coach of the Cherry Creek Lady Bruins. The Lady Bruins will compete in the Colorado Prep Hockey League in the 2024-2025 Season. 

In her time with Cherry Creek, Lauren has served as a mental skills coach, strength and conditioning coach, and State Championship winning Tier II/JV assistant coach.

A native of Owatonna, Minnesota, Coach Gunter has over 10 years of playing experience at the AAA and high school varsity levels. She is a graduate of the University of Denver with a master’s in Sport and Performance Psychology.

Coach Gunter is committed to making the game fun and developing players on and off the ice. She believes that hockey is a great way for young people to learn teamwork, respect, and handling adversity. She is passionate about making players feel valued through positive communication and creating an environment that fosters growth through rewarding effort, dedication, and a positive attitude.

Lauren resides in Centennial with her husband Drake.

Cherry Creek welcomes Emma Guzdek as Lady Bruins Assistant Coach.

Emma will also be an Assistant Coach for the CC Prospects / CHSAA Royal Team. Emma is excited to work with both the Lady Bruins and CC Prospects /CHSAA Royal Teams.

The past two years Emma has been a Assistant Coach with the Wilkes-Barrie / Scranton Knight 18U AAA Boys Team.

In addition Emma was the Associate Director and On-Ice Coach for the New York State Amateur Hockey Association Sponsored House League Clinics.

Emma was also selected by USA Hockey Coach Development (Hybrid) Coach Developer teaching segments of classes in USA Hockey's Coaching Education Program.

Emma attended Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barrie, Pennsylvania playing NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey.

Emma will be pursuing a Masters Degree from the University of Denver.

Cherry Creek welcomes David Zaworski to the Lady Bruins Assistant Coach. David will share his passion for Girls Hockey after several seasons with the AYHL Hockey Association. David is a Level 4 CEP Coach.

Cherry Creek welcomes Marissa Oakley as Lady Bruins Assistant Coach.

Marissa is excited to share her passion with our current and future Lady Bruin players. Marissa has spent the last 2 seasons as an Assistant Coach with the University of Denver Women's ACHA Team.

Marissa grew up in Pittsburg playing hockey for the Pittsburg Selects. While attending the University of Pittsburg Marissa helped start a Women's ACHA Team. Marissa is very proud that 6 Seasons later the University of Pittsburg Panthers Women's Hockey Team won the ACHA Championship.

Cherry Creek welcomes Luke Harrison as Head Coach CC Prospects / CHSAA JV Royal.

Luke begins his 10th season of coaching and comes to Cherry Creek from the Lafayette Youth Hockey Association. Luke has a Sports Management degree from the University of Colorado and has worked with the Colorado Avalanche Amateur Hockey Development program to grow the game in Colorado.

Luke is Social Studies teacher at Brighton High School and is looking forward to working with our CC players and helping them grow inside and outside the game of hockey.

Luke is a Level 4 CEP Coach

Cherry Creek welcomes Hunter Fieweger as CC Prospect / CHSAA JV Royal Associate Head Coach.

Chris Jellison returns to our Coaching Staff for his 3rd season as Assistant Coach of the Cherry Cherry Creek Prospects Team.

Chris is excited to share is competitive passion for hockey with our players.

Chris will be working with our forwards as their position coach.

Chris played College Hockey at Connecticut College and was a 4 year Letterman.

Chris resides in Denver.

Shannon Valerio returns for her 2nd season to our Coaching Staff as our Power Skating Coach.

Shannon Valerio, MA, CSCS, is a former world class speed skater. She began competing at the age of seven and quickly rose to the national ranks. During her 20-year career in short-track and inline speed skating, she competed internationally, amassed 14 national titles and eventually landed a contract with a professional racing team.

While in college, she took a brief hiatus to play hockey for the University of Denver Women’s team, where she played under exceptional coaches, eventually becoming a player-coach.

Over the past decade, she coached part-time with high school, USA Hockey, NCAA D1 and Stanley Cup champions, combining speed-specific training with hockey tactics. In 2020, she left a successful career as an IT Director/Software Consultant to become a full-time speed and power skating coach.



In her short time working with primarily youth hockey players, she has established herself as the premier speed and power skating coach in the Rocky Mountain region, helping her athletes reach tremendous heights such as advancement to USA Hockey National Development camps, USHL and WHL draft selections, and NCAA commitments.

Matt Zaba begins his 4th season with our Coaching Staff.

Matt Zaba is currently a goalie coach based out of Denver, Colorado. After an 8 year professional career, including stops in the NHL, AHL, ECHL and Europe, Matt Zaba began his coaching career with his alma mater Colorado College Tigers.

 Coach Zaba has worked directly under the guidance of New York Rangers Goalie Coach Benoit Allaire, Los Angelos Kings Goalie Coach Bill Ranford and Swedish National Team Goalie Coach Stefan Ladhe.

Matt Zaba is currently in his third season as goalie coach for the Tri-City Storm where he has coached back to back USHL Goalies of they Year in his first two seasons.

Matt Zaba

MHH Goalie Club Founder

Tri-City Storm Goalie Coach

www.mountainhighhockey.com 

Landow Performance returns for a 7th season. Landow Sports Performance Coaches will work with all of our teams to provide off-ice training and nutrition analysis. We look forward to continuing our Cherry Creek partnership with the Landow Performance Team.

I am looking forward to another year of building our Hockey Program. Cherry Creek will being back a solid group of young players to compete in our 5th season in the NAPHL. Cherry Creek will continue with a U18 and U16 team as we continue to offer additional competitive games for our players.

Cherry Creek will begin their 2nd season in the National Division of the Atlantic Hockey Federation in the 2024-2025 season. This will be year 3 in the AHF.

Cherry Creek Lady Bruins take the ice for their 2nd season in the 2024-2025 season. The Lady Bruins will compete in the CPHL.

Congratulations to several of our Alumni who have moved on to Junior Hockey across the country and are working towards a NCAA commitment.

This will be my 32nd season of coaching hockey in Colorado at both the High School and Competitive Travel level, which would include the Arapahoe Warriors Youth Hockey Association, Littleton Hockey Association, and Valor Christian High School.

I grew up in Detroit, Michigan as a Goaltender and played Travel hockey at several age levels including the Detroit Junior Red Wings Junior A Team and was a Western Michigan University recruit. After moving to Colorado to begin my business career I continued playing in the Rocky Mountain Men’s A Competitive League and in 1997 went One on One with Joe Sakic to help the Colorado Youth At Risk Foundation in cooperation with Fox Sports.

My family includes my wife of 43 years Jackie and 3 boys: Jeff, Alec and Brady. In addition I have 5 beautiful grand babies Noah, Oliver, Jayden, Marshall and Jordan.