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Head
Coach: Ray Jacques
Coach Ray Jacques is a lifetime resident of Massachusetts. He is a graduate of Matignon High School where he played on the
1980 state championship team, and was the leading scorer in the state tournament. His playing career continued with a post-graduate
year at Kimball Union, in New Hampshire, where he was named a Hockey Magazine Prep School All American.
Coach Jacques played for the
United States National Junior team, coached by Lou Vairo, after which he moved on to the University of Maine. At UMaine he
was captain and leading scorer of the Black Bears for three straight seasons averaging 1.1 points per game over his four-year
career. He was nominated for the Walter Brown Award, given to the best New England born college player. Raymond was also the
first captain of the late, great Shawn Walsh. His playing career wrapped up with a year as a professional player in the Detriot
Red Wings and Boston Bruins organizations.
Asst. Coach:  Chris Hills
Chris is a native
of South Winsdor, Connecticut where he attended East Catholic High School. As a tri-captain his senior year he helped lead East
Catholic to runner up in the State Championship. He then spent a post-graduate year at Bridgton Academy in Maine. Chris enjoyed
an extremely successful career at Roger William University from 1991 to 1995. At RWU he played 97 games scoring 87 points
while playing both forward and defense.
Chris
has held different coaching positions with many youth hockey organizations including the Springfield Junior Olympics, CVHC,
the New England Sharks, Central Connecticut Youth Hockey, Connecticut Wolves and in the MBHL with the St. Moritz Devils. He
also held the assistant coach position at Westfield State College from 2001-2002. He was responsible for all aspects of recruiting,
along with playing a crucial role in strategic planning and skill development.
Chris
is currently an assistant coach at Framingham State College. He is responsible for the forwards and recruiting. He is involved
with game planning and the power play. He also is currently involved as an instructor with the Hockey Academy
Goaltender Coach: Vladimir Svetchnikov 
Vladimir was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. He played for the former Soviet Red Army hockey team from 1967-1970. He trained
and was coached by Nikolay Puchkov in the same program as Vladaslav Tretiak. After his playing career was cut short in 1971
due to injury, he continued to coach in Russia until 1991 when he came to the United States. Vladimir will be working with
the Junior Riverhawks goaltenders with both dry-land and on-ice training. He will be training the goalies with special exercises
to build reaction time and flexibility. With coaching tips and information for improving the knowledge of goaltenders,
Vladimir will be making our practices successful, using that time to correct typical goaltender mistakes.
Coaching Consultant: Blaise
MacDonald
Blaise MacDonald is currently the Head Coach of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell hockey team. He came to
UMass Lowell after a five year stint as the head coach at Niagara University where he started the program and, compiled a
record of 91-58-17. Blaise has also served as an assistant coach and later recruiting coordinator and associate head coach
at Boston University (1990-96) as well as an assistant at Princeton (1987-88) and Dartmouth (1985-87).
Without
a doubt Blaise MacDonald brings a wealth of hockey, and more importantly coaching, experience to the Junior Riverhawk program.
He will be conveying some of that knowledge to the Junior Riverhawk coaches through seminars and clinics. We are extremely
fortunate to have Coach MacDonald associated with the program and look forward to learning much from him.
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