About

Direction Hockey was born from inspiration and looks to give back to the game that gives so much.

Sport provides a foundation for skill development, creates connections, and builds a community. No matter your background and where you come from in life, hockey is there for you.

We’re here to help you navigate the pathway through the game.

Reach out to learn more about programs, camps, and to connect on any questions you may have.

Meet the Direction Hockey Team

Nathaniel Brooks, Founder

Passion for hockey is in his DNA. Introduced to the ice when he was 3-years old, Nathaniel’s connection to the game began long before that. His family played in Nova Scotia and founded Skillz Hockey to make hockey more accessible. Nathaniel played at various levels during his time as a player. This includes time in the GTHL, OJHL, OHL, USHL, USport, and semi-professional levels. This experience brought him to coaching, inspiring others while trying to put a positive contribution into the game of Hockey. He has been a skill development coach for over 15 years with experience training players from the pro to minor hockey levels.

Assistant Coach, Rams Men's Hockey (2014 - 2019)
Development Coach - Rams Men's Hockey (2019)
2019 Herb Ebisuzaki Coaching Award (GTHL)
Former Head Of Coaching and Development, Forest Hill Hockey Association
Presented at the 2019 Coaches site conference in Toronto

Joe Denomme, Director of Operations

Following his final season playing for the Waterloo Wolves, Joe Denomme transitioned to coaching, as an Associate Coach for the '98 Wolves team, a roster that included 7 OHL draft picks, 1st and 2nd round NHL draft picks, and a Team Canada World Junior team member. Joe has been a coach in the GTHL for the past 5 seasons, currently an Assistant Coach with the 2008 Don Mills Flyers, working with Defensemen while overseeing team statistics. Joe is a Hockey Canada Development 1 certified coach. Throughout his business career, Joe has spent time in the CPG, Retail, Financial and Loyalty Industries, and now manages operations and logistics for Direction Hockey.

Johnny Duco, Coach Mentor

Johnny Duco is heading into his 8th season with the Rams Men's Hockey Team, 5th as Head Coach. In his time as the Head Coach the team has seen vast improvements and has become a consistently top 10 ranked team over the last four seasons, while advancing multiple players to the professional ranks each season. He also has experience coaching at the minor and junior hockey levels. In 2012-2013 Johnny helped lead the Bradford Rattlers to and undefeated season and league championship. As our Coach Mentor here at Direction Hockey, Johnny provides a wealth of knowledge through his experience as a player and Coach. He is happy to share his knowledge with Coaches to assist them in their pursuit of excellence.

“Coaching and Developing athlete’s is about building relationships. I am committed to getting a deep understanding of all of our athlete’s in order to be a positive driving force in their development process. Developing people is as important as developing the athlete.”

- Nathaniel Brooks

Daniel Nikandrov, Lead Instructor

Daniel Nikandrov is an assistant coach at York University. He specializes in skill development and tactical analysis. A former OHL player, Daniel joined the York University staff while completing his degree in Business and Society. A graduate of the Markham Islanders/Majors program, Daniel brings experience at junior, collegiate, and minor hockey levels having previously worked in the Hillcrest Canadiens organization.

Matt Stein, Lead Instructor

Growing up as a smaller hockey player, I knew I needed an edge to compete. Through discipline and development of my body, I was able to take my game to a higher level. This helped me in my career and let me play the game uninhibited. Here at In-Tech we aren't just teaching training techniques, but a culture that breeds successes on many levels. My motivation is to show my clients that they are capable to achieve more than they believe and that their strength really comes from within.

Beth McCharles, Mental Performance Coach

Dr. Beth McCharles is a leading Mental Performance Coach and dynamic speaker. Through an innovative and collaborative approach, Beth specializes in developing individual and team confidence, empowering clients to lead with excellence, and building a high performance culture across organizations. Beth has participated in eight international games as an athlete, coach, or Mental Performance Coach and has over 15 years experience with top-rated universities as a lecturer, coach, and consultant. Beth currently serves as the Mental Performance Coach for coaches and athletes in the Rams Athletic department in Toronto, Ontario. In addition, Beth is a facilitator and mentor with the Canadian Sport Institute, a professional consultant with the Canadian Sport Psychology Association, and a board member for the Artists’ Health Alliance and North Toronto Soccer Club.

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Matthias Rudder, Program Coordinator

Growing up, Matthias played hockey in the GTHL at the AA and AAA levels for the Leaside Flames and Don Mills Flyers. Following his graduation from Wilfrid Laurier University with an honours bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, Matthias pursued his passion to get into the world of coaching. In 2019, he became an assistant coach for the 2008 Don Mills Flyers team and oversaw the team statistics. Matthias spent two summers as an intern at TSN and worked as a story editor. During his time at TSN, Matthias received a behind the scenes view of the sport media market and wrote scripts for highlight packages on SportsCenter.

Herb Ebisuzaki Coaching Award

In the News.

Hear from Wayne Simmonds and Nathaniel Brooks discuss with the Toronto Police what was their inspiration to play hockey and coach during Black History Month.

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