Northeast Wisconsin Jr. Gamblers AAA Hockey

Michael Buchan, head coach of the Green Bay Jr. Gamblers Tier I Midget AAA hockey team, is from Warburg, Alberta, Canada where he played four years of Junior A hockey for the St. Albert Saints. During his four years with the Saints Michael salvaged two league titles and maintained the captain’s title for three out of the four years.

Michael got recruited to play hockey for St. Norbert College where he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. St. Norbert College won three league tiles and appeared in two national championships during his four years. Michael was also the team Captain his senior year.

Coaching the game at all levels including a strong year at the junior “A” level with the St. Albert Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, Buchan comes to the Jr. Gamblers from Adrian Michigan where he was the head coach of Adrian College’s Division I ACHA Hockey team. As Adrian’s head coach he recruited players throughout North America, while starting the program from scratch. Coach Buchan finished the year 17-21 in his first collegiate year at Adrian College.

Coach Buchan is not new to the Jr. Gambler organization as he had developed players at the youth, bantam and midget levels for the three years prior to Adrian College. He also helped create strength and conditioning programs for the athletes, and involved the team in the community, as his players helped with youth hockey teams in the Green Bay area.

“Having the backing of a great organization like the Green Bay Jr. Gamblers who have proven history of developing hockey players at an elite level and the ability to use the facility of the cornerstone community center as our home base enables us to recruit top players to build a growing and exciting team to coach. I am excited to see the midget program grow into a leading program throughout the United States.”

Michael resides in Green Bay with his wife Katie.

Jon Cooper is also the Head Coach and General Manager of the USHL Green Bay Gamblers.

Jon came to the  Gamblers after spending the previous 5 years as the GM/Head Coach of the St. Louis Bandits Junior A team of the North American Hockey League. He led the Bandits to two straight NAHL Robertson Cup championships in 2007 and 2008. In the process, Cooper was named NAHL Coach of the Year in 2005-06 and 2007-08. In five seasons with the Bandits, he compiled a combined regular season and playoff record of 223-93-17.

In August of 2008, Cooper was the assistant coach for the USA U-18 team that competed in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament in Slovakia and Czech Republic. Meanwhile, in August of 2007, Cooper was head coach of the USA U-17 hockey team and led them to the silver medal at the 5 Nations Tournament in the Czech Republic. He was also named one of five finalists for the 2007 United States Olympic Committee’s Development Coach of the Year. In the summer of 2006, Cooper was assistant coach on the United States National Inline team that captured the gold medal in the IIHF World Championship held in Budapest, Hungary.

Prior to joining the Bandits, Cooper was the head coach of the Honeybaked Midget AAA team in Oak Park, MI. His squad, ranked #1 in the country by U.S. Hockey News, finished the season 67-7-1 and had more wins than any other midget team in the U.S. In 2001-02, Cooper was head coach the Metro Jets (Waterford, MI) whom he guided to a USA Hockey Junior B National Championship.  Cooper was also named the Lansing State Journal coach of the year in 1999-00 after guiding Lansing Catholic Centrl High School to their first regional hockey championship in 25 years.

Cooper, a dual citizen (USA and Canada), was born in Prince George, British Columbia and played hockey for the Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. He later moved to Hofstra University in New York where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration while competing in both hockey and lacrosse. He obtained his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, MI. In 2003, Cooper closed his law practice in Plymouth, Michigan to make his move to the NAHL.

Jon and his wife, Jessie, are the proud parents of twin baby girls Julia and Josephine born in May, 2008 . The Cooper family resides in De Pere.

• Grew up in Appleton playing in the Fox Valley Youth Hockey Association
• Attended Premontre High school in Green Bay as a Junior to pursue hockey
• Played Junior A for the Madison Capitols as a senior in high school under Scott Owens (current Colorado College head coach) and Bob Suter (1980 Olympic Team)
• Selected to Team Wisconsin as a Junior and Senior
• Played 4 years of Division 1 college hockey at Yale University under US Olympic/National Team coach Tim Taylor
• Elected Captain of the Yale team as a senior in 1991
• Coached in several youth programs including New Haven, CT; Dallas, TX, Seattle, WA and Appleton, WI
• Spent the past 4 years coaching in the Jr. Gambler Organization at the Squirt and Peewee levels, most recently as the head coach of the 96 team

• A native of Trenton, Michigan, Kirt played youth and Jr. A hockey in the greater Detroit area.
• A four-time hockey monogram winner at the University of Notre Dame, Kirt earned First Team All-America honors in 1983 and ranks as the school’s 12th all-time leading scorer.
• Participated in 3 U.S. Olympic Festivals including the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials.
• Played with the AHL’s Adirondack Red Wings following a season with H.C. Alleghe in the European Elite League during which he was the League’s MVP and leading scorer.

• Kirt spent 2 seasons as Head Coach of the University School of Milwaukee’s Girls Varsity Team and Assistant Coach of the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals AAA ‘96’s before coming on board the Jr/ Gamblers 96 team last season.
   
• Kirt spent the 10 previous years coaching at several youth levels in the Milwaukee Winter Club organization.

Kirt and his wife, Trish, have four children: Brinya (19), Keali (16), Anders (13) and Brady (10).

     Eric Smith grew up in Green Bay and played his youth hockey for DePere. He concluded his youth career with a Bantam State Championship and was chosen to play for the Wisconsin Selects at the Minnesota Hockey Festival. During his Bantam year he also played High School hockey for DePere. Eric was selected to play for the N.E.W. Roadrunner Midget Major AAA team that competed in the Michigan National Hockey League. During his second and final season he was chosen as Captain of the Roadrunner team which advanced to the Midget Major National Tournament. After the season was completed Eric was chosen to the Chicago Selects team, which represented North America for a two week tour of exhibition games over in Sweden.

     Eric was then drafted by the Great Falls Americans Junior A hockey club of the America West Hockey League, now a part of the NAHL. Of the three years he was there, the Americans won two league championships and one playoff championship. His final year concluded with a playoff championship and a trip to the Junior A National Championship.

     While out in Montana, Eric helped set up and run learn to skate programs that taught basic balance and stride techniques to children from the ages four to ten. Eric finished his hockey career at St. Norbert College where the Green Knights won a league title and made it into the NCAA Playoffs.

     Eric is returning to the organization for his second season. Having played under coaches that have received such honors of Division III Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of Sweden’s Under 20 Team, Eric looks to his past coaches to help formulate his coaching and teaching style. The Jr. Gamblers are proud to have him as a coach.

     My family consists of two sons (Zach and Jett) and one daughter (Niah). I am presently employed by Executive Air and have been General Manager for past 12 years.

    My hockey playing background consists of youth and high school hockey at De Pere; Division One hockey for Northern Arizona University; and two years with the De Pere Deacons. Prior coaching experience includes: assistant coach De Pere Varsity, head coach De Pere Mites and De Pere Squirt A’s. Also helped with the initiation program for a few years. My son Zach went through Jr. Gambler program, played for the El Paso Rhinos, and is currently at St. Norbert’s. My son Jett will be entering his second year with the Jr. Gambler program.

     I have very strong leadership skills, and great communication abilities for teaching young kids. I try to establish a positive attitude for all coaches and players, and stress strong team work tactics.

• Wisconsin Scout for USHL Central Scouting
• 15 Years as a Coach in the MidWestern Junior B Leage and the Ontario Provincial A League
• 6 Seasons as General Manager for the Orangeville Crushers Junior B Hockey Team