The Fort McMurray Oil Barons have added two more elements to their scouting staff, welcoming aboard both Dan Woodley (Denver, CO), and Mike Dumelie (Regina, SK) to assist the team in the reach of its program.
Woodley was the seventh overall pick of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft, selected by the Vancouver Canucks. He currently coaches the Regis Jesuit High School varsity hockey team in Aurora, Colorado. In the last nine years, Woodley’s team has recorded a 162-28-6 record, reached the state’s final four seven straight years, won three State championship titles, and one National USA hockey high school championship.
“We’ve got great coverage here in Alberta – that’s why we’re excited about our camp this week,” explains head coach and general manager Curtis Hunt. “But when you look at competitive advantage; if you’re going to bring Americans in, you want to make sure you get premier kids.”
“It’s a fight for our lives with the USHL; they invite our roster players to their camps,” he added. “We want to establish a real strong connection with the States, so that’s why we’ve gotten Dan on board; he’s a real hockey guy, and has had lots of success in his career.”
Woodley recorded 282 points in 202 junior games with the Portland Winterhawks before embarking on a pro career until 1995, which saw him spend time in both the Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens organizations, playing at both the NHL level and with minor league affiliates in Flint, Michigan (where he won the Ken McKenzie Trophy as the International Hockey League’s American-born Rookie of the Year), as well as Sherbrooke, Quebec, and Fredericton, New Brunswick.
“We want to build that relationship to the point where we can maybe even do some camps down there [in the U.S.] at some point in time,” Hunt said.
Mike Dumelie brings 30 years of minor hockey experience to the Oil Barons, from the Pee Wee to senior levels.
He has coached at the Bantam AA level for the last 14 years, including the last three with the Prairie Storm, one of the most successful such programs in Saskatchewan.
He has also scouted for Western Hockey League teams for the last five years.
“The second area where you want to get a competitive advantage is in Saskatchewan Midget Triple-A,” said Hunt. “It seems like every 3 out of 4 years, they win a national championship.”
“Those kids play until they’re 17 or 18, and then they fly right over Alberta into B.C.,” he added. “If we can get some influence in there, as well as some vocal support, maybe we can take advantage of some of those players and get them to what we feel is a real viable option.”
Dumelie has worked with the Hockey Canada High Performance program since 2007, coaching the SaskFirst Bantam program between 2007 and 2010. He also coached the Saskatchewan Male U-16 team between 2009 and 2012, including at the 2011 Canada Winter Games. He was an assistant coach with Hockey Canada’s Team West U-17 last year, as well.
The Oil Barons begin their summer development camp this afternoon in St. Albert, with 44 players in attendance as they prepare for the 2014-15 Alberta Junior Hockey League season.
For more information, contact the Oil Barons office at (780) 743-5509.