After a lengthy and thorough search, Aspen Junior Hockey made a strong hire for its inaugural “Junior A” (20 and under postgraduate) hockey team. Veteran junior head coach Jay Miller will lead the Leafs in the new Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League (RMJHL) when the puck drops this October.
The RMJHL and Aspen are preparing for a 40-game regular season with five other Colorado teams from Denver (Thunderbirds), Monument (Rampage), Colorado Springs (Miners), Breckenridge (Bucks), and Grand Junction (Glacier Yetis).
Miller leaves his post as the Head Coach and General Manager of the West Sound Warriors, a rival Tier-3 junior league in the Pacific Northwest who recently won a regular season title and Cascade Cup. “This was a very strategic process. We took our time with a national search and are very confident that we hired the perfect candidate for this position. Jay’s resume and results point toward instant success for Aspen in the RMJHL” explained AJH Director Shaun Hathaway.
With a total of seven years of head coaching experience in the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NPHL), Miller amassed an impressive 203-73 (.740) overall record. In his first season as a head coach ((2008), he broke the franchise record with 33 wins with the Eugene Generals.
After an overall record of 72-20 in two seasons with the Generals, he moved to West Sound to rebuild a struggling franchise. In the past three consecutive seasons, he led the Warriors to 30-plus wins and two regular season titles. Last season he guided his team to a 36-9 record, a Cascade Cup title, and a trip to the USA Hockey national tournament.
With winning as his byproduct, his ability to develop players to the next level is proven with an impressive list of Division-1, D-3, ACHA collegiate hockey, and Tier-2 junior hockey advancements.
The RMJHL, which is busy organizing its inaugural season will also benefit from Miller’s leadership at the league level. While with the West Sound Warriors, Miller served as the governor and point of contact for the NPHL Board. “Not only is Aspen Junior Hockey stronger with Jay’s leadership, the league itself will benefit greatly from his previous experience and knowledge” stated Hathaway, who also serves as the RMJHL President.
Miller plans to spend the summer recruiting players, and will hold tryouts in late August (to be announced). Practice for the team begins in Aspen after Labor Day weekend. Miller plans to relocate to the Roaring Fork Valley as soon as possible with his wife Allison and two young children. A formal press conference introducing Coach Miller to the Aspen community will be announced soon.
More Information: contact Shaun Hathaway ([email protected])
