Directors & Coaches

Neil Runbeck

Executive Director

480-993-8930

Executive Director

A native of New Brighton Minnesota, Neil played his youth and high school hockey in the Irondale hockey program. After high school, Neil played four years of collegiate hockey and soccer at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science / Information Systems in 2002. He earned his MBA in Business Administration, Management and Operations from Colorado State University in 2015.

Neil has coached at all youth levels in Colorado for Boulder, Aspen, and the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders Tier 1 program. He also spent four years as the Director of Hockey Operations for the Spokane Americans Youth Hockey Organization before returning to Boulder Hockey in 2020, where he had previously served as Assistant Director of Hockey Operations from 2012-2015.

In the 2022-2023 season, Neil coached the RoughRiders 14U AAA team to a Colorado State Championship.

Chris Lockrem

Director of Hockey Operations

970-618-5987

Director of Hockey Operations

Chris is an accomplished hockey player and coach with a passion for developing young athletes. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, he discovered his love for the sport early on and played in the highly competitive Little Caesars Hockey League as a member of the Cleveland Americans.

Chris earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Colorado State University. During his time at CSU, he showcased his leadership skills as the captain of their ACHA Division I Men's Hockey Team.

Following graduation, Chris embarked on a journey to contribute to the growth of the sport and the development of players. He played an instrumental role in the establishment of Boulder Valley Ice at Superior, where he not only managed the rink but also coached the PeeWee AA team for BHC (Boulder Hockey Club). His dedication to mentoring young athletes and managing the rink showcased his commitment to the sport at various levels.

From 2003 to 2011, Chris served as the Hockey Director for the Aspen Junior Leafs, where he made significant contributions to player development across all age groups.

Returning to Boulder in 2012, Chris rejoined BHC as the Hockey Director, assuming responsibility for the overall growth and success of the club. Under his leadership, the club experienced remarkable achievements, including winning the PeeWee AA Quebec Qualifier in 2014 and capturing the State Championship with the Bantam AAs in 2016, earning them the opportunity to compete at Nationals. The 2015-2016 season witnessed BHC clubs dominating at all levels, with a staggering 18 championships.

Currently, Chris also serves as the Lady RoughRider Director, overseeing one of the most successful girls' hockey programs in the country. The program's accomplishments are remarkable, with the Lady RoughRider 16U team clinching the prestigious USA Hockey National Championship title in 2021, marking a historic moment as the first girls' team from Colorado to achieve this feat. In 2022, the 16U team continued their success by winning Bronze at the National Championships, adding to their impressive track record of multiple State Championships, WGHL Championships, and Rocky Mountain District Championships.

In addition to his role with the Lady RoughRiders, Chris is also a dedicated coach for Team Colorado, a Tier I Girls AAA program at the 16U level. His coaching philosophy places a strong emphasis on the development of young players, with a primary focus on skating skills, recognizing its significance in overall skill development.

Chris's commitment to the sport, unwavering dedication to player development, and a proven track record of success make him an invaluable asset to the Boulder hockey community.

2023 - 2024 Season Professional Coaching Staff


Roger Gill

14U On-Ice Age Group Director / 14AA Head Coach

14U AA HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAM

Roger grew up playing youth hockey in Massachusetts followed by college hockey for Kent State University. Entering his 16th season coaching youth hockey, Gill has been coaching with BHC since 2018-19 and has been a Division Director/AA Head Coach each season. He has held a USA Hockey level 5 Coaching certification since 2009. Roger believes in "challenging myself and my staff to improve on what and how we do things every season by studying today's modern game. Player and team development begins with practicing with a purpose." 

12U AA HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAM

Entering his second year coaching the BHC 12U AA team, Matt has had an extensive coaching background for the last 18 years. He coached Minnesota High School hockey for over ten years and has also coached and been a director at the Tier I level. For the last three years, he has served as Director and Head of Hockey for TPH. Drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 1999 NHL Entry Matt Doman brings experience from all levels of the game.

Matt Doman

12AA Head Coach

12U FUTURES TEAM

Serving as a Boulder Hockey Club Coach since 2011, Bobby returns to Head Coach BHC's 12U Futures team for the 2023-2024 season. Bobby played his youth hockey at BHC before moving on to play at Monarch High School. He played junior hockey in the NPHL for the Puget Sound Tomahawks in Seattle before returning to Boulder to play in the inaugural season for the Boulder Jr. Bison of the WSHL. Bobby has coached at all ages and levels with his main focus on the 12U and 14U age groups. He holds a Level 4 coaching certification from USA Hockey and served as the BHC 12U Division Director and head coach of BHC's 12AA team during the 2021-22 season. Last season, Bobby coached BHC's 12A and 12B teams.

Bobby Dominski

12U Futures Head Coach

Neil Runbeck

10AA Co-Head Coach

10U AA HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAM

For the last three seasons, Neil was a head coach in the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders Tier I program. His teams advanced to the USA Hockey Rocky Mountain District Championships for all three seasons. This season, Neil coached the 14U AAA RoughRiders to a state championship.

Kirill Proskurin

10AA Co-Head Coach

As 10U AA Co-Head Coach with Runbeck, Kirill will call upon his previous experience as a 10U A head coach, junior & college (Marion College) hockey player, and master motivator to develop his players and provide high-performance skills coaching.

James Mercure

10U Futures Head Coach

10U FUTURES TEAM

James returns to BHC after spending the past three seasons coaching for the Tier I AAA Rocky Mountain RoughRiders at the 15O and 14U Levels. Last season, James served as an Assistant Coach for the State Championship-winning 14AAA RoughRiders. Born in Connecticut and raised in eastern Canada, James played for his local amateur hockey association and high school team. He then served in the US Armed Forces with tours in Somalia and Korea. While serving in the Army and other Federal agencies, James was unable to pursue his love of hockey, however, his passion for the game was reignited in 2009 as he began his hockey coaching career at the YMCA in Boulder.

James joined the Boulder Hockey Club family in 2011 as an Assistant Coach for the Bantam B team. Since then, James has been a Head or Assistant Coach at 10U, 12U, 14U, and 16U. Some of his coaching accomplishments include winning the 14A League and State Titles in 2013, the Peewee AA Quebec Qualifier in 2014, and Boulder Hockey Club Coach of the Year in 2014. Additionally, James has served as an On-Ice Age Group Coordinator, Skill Development Coach, Body Contact Specialist, and on the Coaching and Disciplinary Committees. He is a certified USA Hockey Level 4 coach and brings a vast knowledge of teaching, educating, and training through his leadership experience in the military and with special needs children.

8U HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAM

Currently the 8U Hockey Director for the Roughriders, Huckins has worked professionally as a coach or director for 25 years. He was the Boulder Hockey Club Hockey Director from 2001-2011, helping take the program to the USA National tournament for multiple years. From 2012-2019 Matt Coached U12/13/14/16 Tier I teams for the RoughRiders winning State and District championships with a National Championship appearance during that time.

Matt Huckins

8U On-Ice Age Group Director

Rocky Mountain RoughRiders AAA (Tier I) Coaches

These Tier I coaches from the RoughRiders will work in collaboration with BHC high-performance AA coaches and players at skill development throughout the season.

Doug Smail

18U Head Coach

Doug Smail returns for his 15th season with the RoughRiders and will remain as the 18U Head Coach. The 18U team has won the CAHA State Championship for the last 4 years.  The team lost in the Rocky Mountain District championship game for the 2022-23 season.

Steve Quailer

16U AAA Head Coach

Steve Quailer returns for his 4th season with the RoughRiders and will remain the head coach for the 16U AAA team. The 16U team won the State Championship and was the Rocky Mountain District Championship runner-up for the 2022-23 season.

Paul DePuydt

15U AAA Head Coach

Paul DePuydt returns for his 6th season coaching the RoughRiders and will stay at the 15O AAA level. The 15O team won the State Championship during the 2022-23 season. DePuydt is also the Hockey Operations Director for the RoughRiders Tier I Program.  

Greg Vanover

14U AAA Head Coach

Greg Vanover returns for his 8th season with the RoughRiders as the 14U AAA Head Coach. We are excited that he will move up with the ‘09 birth year group after coaching them at the 13U level this past season. The 14U AAA team won the State Championship and was the Rocky Mountain District Championship runner-up for the 2022-23 season.

Tim Murphy

13U AAA Head Coach

This will be Tim's 2nd season with the RoughRiders as he was an assistant coach for the 15U and 16U teams during the 2022-23 season and was an integral part of those teams winning State Championships. Tim came to the RoughRiders after working for the prestigious 200 x 85 hockey group.

Goaltending Coaches

Timm Lorenz

Director of Goaltending

Timm Lorenz began coaching as a student mentor while attending the University of Denver. After graduating with a BSBA in Sports Management he started coaching full-time along with continuing to work on the Colorado Avalanche communications staff. As a former goalie himself, he specialized his efforts on developing goaltenders. After working with the Goaltender Development Institute (GDI) under the Vancouver Canucks Goaltending Coach, Ian Clark, Lorenz co-founded In The Crease Goaltending, running camps and clinics.

He is currently in his 6th season as the director of goaltending for the Boulder Hockey Club and his 14th year as the goaltending director for the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders. Prior to this, he gained experience as the goaltending director for Arvada Hockey Association for 9 years and many other coaching experiences including USA Hockey National Festivals and many other Junior and Midget AAA teams around the country.

 Lorenz has over 18 years of playing experience, which includes youth hockey at Arvada Hockey Association, high school hockey at Bloomington Jefferson in Minnesota, Junior hockey in the Eastern Junior Hockey League, and college hockey at St. John’s University.


Mark Sample

Goaltending Coach

Mark Sample is currently a goaltending coach and consultant in Denver, Colorado where he works with more than 250 goaltenders and several Midget AAA, Junior A, and professional teams.

He is currently in his 4th season as a goaltending coach with Boulder Hockey.

Throughout his 30+ years of goaltender development, Mark has collaborated with some of today's leading goaltending instructors, including Ian Clark, Vladislav Tretiak, and Ron Grahame. His success as an instructor and developer has made him one of the most popular coaches in the Rocky Mountain area.

Mark holds a Master Level 5 coaching credential through USA hockey.

Professional Coaches

The Professional coaches for the 2023 - 2024 season for our A, B, and Rec teams are listed below.

Ben Novy

14A Head Coach

Ian Connelly

14B Head Coach

TBD

12A Head Coach

TBD

12B Head Coach

TBD

10A Head Coach

TBD

10B Head Coach

Lady RoughRider Coaches

The Professional coaches for the 2023 - 2024 season for our Lady RoughRider teams are listed below.

Brian Sutton

LRR 16AA Head Coach

TBD

LRR 16AA Asst. Coach

Will Frey

LRR 14AA Head Coach

Shelby Butler

LRR 14AA Asst. Coach

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