Some people thrive in business start-ups. Chris Delaney is making his mark in ice hockey start-ups. Delaney has just been named the new Head Coach of Colorado Academy’s rebuilt high school hockey program. He worked with CA last year as the school brought the sport back from a several-year hiatus. The newly revived program was launched under the direction of Coach Nathan Oystrick who recently went to Canada to become head coach of the Humboldt Broncos.
Delaney was the inaugural head hockey coach at Denver’s 5A East High School in 2014 when the Angels made the playoffs in their first season. At that time, the Angels were starting the first hockey team in the more than 100-year history of Denver Public Schools. He also is now coach of the Jr. Pioneers Hockey Team at the University of Denver. Says CA’s Director of Athletics Bill Hall, “Chris has a true passion for developing young hockey talent on and off the ice.”
Delaney is no stranger to the ice. He was born and raised in Boston and attended power prep St. Sebastian’s School where he was named ISL All-League three years in a row for hockey and baseball. Recruited by several Division I schools, Delaney accepted a full scholarship to Boston College, where he played hockey and baseball. Before his freshman year, he participated in the US Jr. National Team Trials in Colorado Springs under Head Coach Lou Vero.
A National Hockey League draft pick by the St. Louis Blues (155 overall pick), Delaney decided to start his professional career overseas playing in Sweden. Attending NHL training camps with the Boston Bruins and Hartford Whalers, he finished out his career in the ECHL with the Winston Salem Thunderbirds.
“I am excited and grateful to lead Colorado Academy Hockey and continue to develop a first class program,” says Delaney. “It was great to be a part of the program last year working with Coach Oystrick, and I wish him the best of luck with the Humboldt Broncos. The future is bright for high school hockey in Colorado, and especially for CA,” he says.
Colorado Academy Ice Hockey head coach Chris Delaney
Now in Denver, Delaney spends his summers coaching with Popovic Hockey Academy and with several Pro-Ambitions Camps in Colorado. He also hosts a Steamboat Springs boarding camp every July before heading overseas to compete and train against other countries. Last month, he traveled to Prague, Czech Republic to coach the 2006 Team WEST (meaning players born January 1, 2006 or younger) to a silver medal in the Czech Hockey Challenge Cup 2018 where his team played against some 40 other teams from around the world
In 2019, he will travel to Italy, Sweden, and Czech Republic with the same team to train and compete.