ABOUT OTE OUTLAWS HOCKEY

Sam has been involved in coaching minor hockey/athletic development for 25 years,18 of those here in Vernon. The first 8 years of coaching he was an assistant coach/off-ice development coach with elite teams in Toronto (NYHL, GTHL). There he got exposure to NHL Players/Coaches and their development programs. Moving to Vernon, Sam quickly recognized a gap in skill development opportunities for the majority of players as he searched for programming for his own two AAA players. Ice and some skill development existed but was hard to come by. Consistent and reliable programming was scarce. There was opportunity to help change this situation.   Sam combined his knowledge as a former Sales & Marketing Senior Manager, Hockey Coach, S&C and Nutrition Coach to help launch On The Edge Hockey Academy (OTE link) in 2012. During that time, he also operated a successful private training facility for aspiring Junior players. Sam took over sole responsibility of OTE in 2016 and has grown and invested in the program significantly since that time. OTE is now widely recognized for delivering leading edge skill development along with SD22 approved course credits, at family attainable pricing and schedules.

Dave is your primary OTE Outlaws program contact. He has been an avid hockey player and fan his entire life. Having grown up under the influence of 3 older sisters he also tends to be quite organized! The OTE Outlaws program has been the perfect outlet for Dave to combine his lifelong love of hockey with his passion for building well-run, meaningful experiences for young athletes. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the program, including registration, tryout evaluations, coaching, Spring Shootout tournaments, sponsorships, equipment needs, and OTE Outlaws social media — along with just about everything else that keeps the program running smoothly. Dave has volunteered as a coach in Vernon for the past 11 years, taking on Head Coach and Assistant roles with 18 different teams from U5 to U15. He currently serves as an Assistant Coach with the U13 Tier 1 Mustangs and U15 Tier 1 AA North Zone Kings. He believes youth hockey should inspire a lifelong love of the game. His approach prioritizes effort over perfection, development over short-term results, and confidence through positive experiences. He is passionate about creating an environment where every player feels valued, challenged, and excited to come to the rink. For Dave, the goal is simple: help young athletes grow their skills, build character, and create memories that last far beyond their minor hockey years.

Max has spent 4 seasons as Head Coach of the U15 AAA Okanagan Rockets, is in his seventh season as Head Skills Instructor/Assistant Director at OTE Hockey Academy, and his 4th season as OTE Outlaws Head Skills Instructor. In 2022/23 Max was named Coach of the Year by BC Hockey for the U15 AAA division (BCEHL). Prior to being named U15 AAA Head Coach, Max served as Assistant Coach for the U15 AAA (2019/20) and U18 AAA (2020/2021) BCEHL Championship teams. His one year as Head Coach with the North Zone U15AA Kings in 2024/25 lead to a Bronze medal performance at the BC provincial championships. Max earned his HP1 in 2023 which is an intensive program offered by Hockey Canada’s High Performance Coaching Stream. He has also been a coach and evaluator for BC Hockey’s Program of Excellence U15/U16 Regional Camps. An ardent student of the game, Max prides himself on staying on the leading edge of skills development and works hard to ensure his programming keeps today’s players in touch with tomorrow’s game. In his playing days, Max was a smooth-skating offensive defenseman who led all U18 AAA Defencemen in the BCMML in points in his second year. He also took home league first team all-star recognition as well as Team MVP and Rookie of the Year honours. He went on to play for the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL and the Okotoks Oilers of the AJHL. The Vipers team won the Doyle Cup and were finalists at the RBC Cup. After his four year junior career, he went on to spend a season with the Calgary Dinos of USport West before retiring from competition.