The National Collegiate Development Conference is proud to announce that the South Shore Kings have been named the New England Division 2023-24 Organization Of The Year, as selected by the coaches within the division.
The Kings won the New England Division playoff championship, defeating the regular season division winners the Islanders Hockey Club. The Kings then defeated the 2022-23 Dineen Cup Champion P.A.L. Jr. Islanders in a three-game sweep to advance to this weekend’s Dineen Cup Finals against the first-ever Mountain Division Champion Ogden Mustangs. The Mustangs were named the Mountain Division Organization Of The Year late last week.
The Kings, who went 36-12-2-2 in the regular season, are owned by Albany Road Real Estate Partners and managed by EDGE Sports Global, represented by Dave Franzosa as the team President. Tyler Holske is General Manager and Head Coach of the NCDC team and Jon Skarlis is the Assistant Coach.
“The South Shore Kings are very proud to receive this award. This award is a testament to the many people in our organization and at our Foxboro Sports Center facility that worked tirelessly throughout the season to provide the best possible experience for our players and supporters,” said Team President Dave Franzosa. “The South Shore Kings’ goal is to provide a safe and competitive environment where parents feel confident sending their sons to fulfill their goal of playing college hockey. GM/Head Coach Tyler Holske is meticulous in preparing the players and advocating for them and Assistant Coach Jon Skarlis provides a great support system. We feel as though we do things the right way at South Shore and that is because all team members within our organization take so much pride and are so invested in what they do.”
Every NCDC hockey team has another team that never pulls on a jersey or picks up a stick, and these are the people who keep the wheels in motion every day.
Sheri Cohen oversees GameDay Operations and is the Billet Coordinator; Tom Smith is the Team Broadcaster, Jefferson Mills is the Play-by-Play Broadcaster and Colin Faherty is the Social Media Coordinator and Content Creator. These team members provide the highest quality gameday experience, with Sheri Cohen also working throughout the season on the overall fan experience by hosting theme nights that have included honoring veterans from the local community, youth nights, and a billet appreciation night.
Along with Coaches Tyler Holske and Jon Skarlis, there are many others that deserve recognition in preparing and supporting the players.
Clay Adams is the Goaltending Coach. Bay State Physical Therapy provides athletic trainer Alex Rabb and Doctor of Physical Therapy Peter Kelly. Lincoln Holske provides EMT support. Brian McDonough is the South Shore Kings’ Strength and Conditioning Coordinator and Owen Campbell is the Strength and Conditioning Coach. George Erban handles Equipment and Embroidery.
The team doctors at Mass. General Brigham & Women’s Hospital and the Team Dentist at Barounis Dental provide 24/7 care for the players. The Billet Families open their homes to the South Shore Kings players and treat them like family.
“I first would like to say Thank You to our ownership group, Albany Road Real Estate Partners, managing group, EDGE Sports Global and our President, Dave Franzosa. The support we get from them is simply amazing,” said GM/Head Coach Tyler Holske. “This award recognizes the great support staff we have in place. We all take tremendous pride in how we do things at South Shore. In the last two years, we have made major improvements to the facility, which includes our NCDC locker room, dry-stall room, and video room. Edge Performance Systems, which is located just upstairs, has been remarkable in the development of these young men.
“We feel we have one of the best setups in all junior hockey here at the Foxboro Sports Center. The players are here for typically four hours each day during the week, and they have everything they need to be successful.”
Of course, the players are often the public face of an organization, and their performance and class have impressed coaches certainly around their division as well as beyond in the league.
“We have had many great leaders over the years. Aiden Lindley, Nate Stachowiak and Culin Wilson have all done an excellent job in leading this group. The three of them along with Kotaro Murase, Karim Gayfullin, Sal Cerrato and Thomas Whitford ultimately make up the leadership group for this team,” added Tyler Holske. “These seven young men all played a huge role in getting us to our first ever Dineen Cup Finals last season. For them to come back says a lot about what type of people they are. They believe in the culture we have put in place here. They all came back for the same reason, to win the Dineen Cup.”
The NCDC congratulates the South Shore Kings for being named the 2023-24 New England Division Organization Of The Year.
About The NCDC
The National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) was founded in 2017 as the Tuition-Free Tier II conference of the United States Premier Hockey League, itself founded in 2012. The NCDC consists of 18 teams in three divisions, two on the Eastern Seaboard and one in the Rocky Mountain states of Colorado, Utah and Idaho.
The NCDC has sent more than 250 alumni to play NCAA Division I hockey, and more than 900 overall into NCAA college hockey. There were also more than 250 alumni in pro hockey around the world during the 2023-24 season. Former NCDC player Drew O’Connor has become a regular with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, Collin Graf recently signed and has played with the San Jose Sharks, and there have been seven players selected in the NHL Entry Draft from the NCDC.
