43
Former SteelHounds captain returns to coaching with Canfield
Former SteelHounds captain Chris Richards returns to coaching with Canfield High School’s team
By Tom Williams
BOARDMAN
The new head coach of the Canfield High School ice hockey team is a familiar face to Mahoning Valley fans.
Chris Richards, who played on the Youngstown SteelHounds in all three of their seasons at the then-Chevrolet Centre, has taken over for Randy Emery as the Cardinals’ head coach.
“A couple of parents approached me,” said Richards who moved from Texas back to Austintown in April 2013. “It seemed like a good fit.”
Still, Richards didn’t jump immediately on the opportunity.
“It took some time,” said Richards of his decision, citing family and work obligations. He’s already coaching his 6-year-old son Hunter’s mites team. His wife, Melissa, is pursuing an accounting degree at Youngstown State University.
“She knows hockey is my love, she knows if I can’t play I want to be active with it,” Richards said. What really appealed to him was working with teen-agers.
“I like the idea of [their] accountability and [coaching] at a higher level,” said Richards, who doesn’t intend to baby his troops.
“You’re dealing with older kids who know what’s expected of them at a higher level,” Richards said. “I get to be a little more stern, a little more advanced with drills because they are developed. That’s what enticed me to come.”
Canfield’s players are happy to have a veteran’s perspective.
“He’s more intense, but he’s enthusiastic with everything he does,” senior forward Braden Falkingham said. “He know what he’s talking about. He’s been in [a player’s] situation and he knows how to react.”
A native of Cornwall, Ontario, Richards played four years at Ohio State before turning pro. He spent 11 seasons in the Central Hockey League.
Senior defenseman JP Clendenin said he’s excited to learn from someone with college and professional experience.
“He’s had more experience at a higher level,” Clendenin said. “He’s more aggressive.”
Forward Zoie Amatore, who was The Vindicator’s high school hockey player of the year last season, said she is excited to work with Richards.
“I’ve seen him play,” said Amatore, explaining that her memories of the SteelHounds are vivid.
Richards was the SteelHounds’ captain and assistant coach in their final season (2007-08). Twice, he was a CHL Most Valuable Player nominee.
When the team folded in June 2008, Richards returned to Texas to play two seasons with Corpus Christi’s CHL team. His final professional season was with the Mississippi River Kings where he was reunited with former SteelHounds captain Jeff Christian and head coach Kevin Kaminski.
Amatore, a junior at Ursuline High School, said Richards’ experience is valuable because he “knows every situation we could possibly go through.”
Her hockey career began when she took lessons from Kaminski, the SteelHounds’ head coach from 2006-08.
“The SteelHounds stick out to me,” said Amatore, recalling being around team practices when she took lessons. “When I found out he was our coach, it felt like I [was working with Kaminski] again.
“It’s the experience factor.”
Canfield remains the lone high school program in the Mahoning Valley. The Cardinals participate in the Greater Cleveland High School Hockey League.
“It’s always nice to have [local] rivals, but the kids are fortunate enough to have the program in Canfield to play at the high school level,” Richards said. “To me, going to Cleveland is not really a long road trip.”
The Cardinals, whose home games are at The Ice Zone, will open the 2014-15 season participating in a hockey doubleheader on Dec. 6 at Youngstown’s Covelli Centre. After the Cardinals play West Geauga at 3 p.m., the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL will play Team USA at 7 p.m. One ticket is good for both games.
The Cardinals can’t wait.
“I love that rink, it’s big,” Falkingham said. “A lot of people I look up to have played there so it will be an honor to play on the same ice.”
Clendenin agrees.
“It’s very exciting,” Clendenin said. “We go there to watch role models at a higher level of hockey. The team is excited to play there.”
Although the Cardinals are affiliated with Canfield High, funding for the team comes from the parents, who pay around $1,000 per player.
“We have to be fully committed, we have to come ready to play with a serious attitude and work ethic,” Falkingham said. “It’s not a joke.”
Clendenin said he feels “every moment we get on the ice is a gift. Our parents are paying for us to be out here, so we need to give the team everything we’ve got.”
Richards is happy he’s found a way to give back to a town that embraced him in his playing days.
“I want to give back, especially with this community,” Richards said. “There aren’t [many] coaches with [a hockey] background. This allows me to give back at a young level and now the high school level.
“It should be fun.”