John Isbell
An Arizona native, Isbell earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science-Fitness & Wellness from Northern Arizona University (NAU). John played Junior Hockey in Euguene, OR before attending school and playing college hockey for NAU. He has been a strength coach in youth hockey since 2017 and has also coached at the Tier I level since 2018. Isbell brings a high level of passion in helping local athletes develop on and off the ice.
Brendan Burke Returns to Scottsdale, Joins TPH-Phoenix Team
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Total Package Hockey is pleased to welcome former Jr. Coyote ‘AAA’ goaltender and Canadian Hockey League standout Brendan Burke to the TPH-Phoenix team as a full-time Player Development Coach & Mentor, with concentration on instructing the goaltenders who attend the Center of Excellence. A Scottsdale native, Burke returns home to The Desert after wrapping up four years at the University of Alberta, where the 25-year-old graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Economics while tending the net for the Golden Bears, considered by many to be one of the top college hockey programs in Canada.
“Brendan is going to be a terrific fit for the Coach-Mentor role with TPH-Phoenix,” Director of Hockey-Operations Brett Blatchford said. “His experiences playing at high levels and his desire to give back not just to a game that has been his passion, but also to a market that helped him discover his passion. will provide great perspective to our student-athletes. Our inaugural class at the Center of Excellence will love Brendan’s infectious energy and his ability to relate to what each individual is going through, not just on, but also off the ice.”
After competing at the 16U level for the Jr. Coyotes in 2010-2011, Burke embarked on a five year journey in the Canadian Hockey League, first with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, from 2011-2015, where he was part of a WHL championship squad in 2013, followed by brief stints with the Calgary Hitmen and the London Knights of the OHL. While a member of the Knights, Burke captured a Memorial Cup and was the recipient of the Dave Pinkney Award, given to the top goalie tandem in the OHL.
Selected 163rd overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by his hometown Coyotes, Burke elected to pursue his academic and athletic goals following his five years in the CHL, heading north to the University of Alberta. In addition to his on-ice accolades, the Scottsdale native was a 2020 Academic All-Canadian award recipient and was nominated for UAB’s prestigious Randy Gregg Award, presented to a student-athlete who excels on the ice, in the classroom and in the community.
Burke is excited to return home to Scottsdale and continue his hockey journey by mentoring aspiring elite student-athletes at the TPH-Phoenix Center of Excellence.
“I feel very fortunate that my first job following graduation is in hockey, is in Scottsdale and involves doing for young players what so many have done for me,” Burke said. “The Center of Excellence provides so many unique opportunities for goal-oriented student-athletes to reach their goals, whether it be in hockey, in school or in the real world. Hockey players in the Phoenix area are lucky to have a program like the CoE right at the Ice Den in Scottsdale, and I am grateful to be a part of it.”
If you are interested in learning more about Burke and the TPH-Phoenix Center of Excellence, we invite you to visit the links below.
- Click here to download our Center of Excellence brochure.
- Click here to request more information on the CoE model.
- Click here to apply for the TPH-Phoenix Center of Excellence, which is the first formal step in the registration process for the 2020-2021 school year.
Shane Harvey, Ice Den Sports Performance Join TPH-Phoenix Team
Total Package Hockey is pleased to announce that Shane Harvey, Director of Sports Performance for the new Ice Den Performance Center will also take on the role of Strength and Conditioning Coach for the TPH-Phoenix Center of Excellence. Harvey brings twelve years of coaching and off-ice training experience to the student-athletes that attend the TPH-Phoenix CoE.
“Shane Harvey’s reputation, commitment to training athletes safely and effectively and the values he has about development make him a perfect fit to execute the training component of the Study, Train, Play CoE experience,” TPH-Phoenix Director of Hockey-Operations Brett Blatchford said. “His beliefs are rooted in principles that have withstood the test of time, yet he is also progressive and innovative and understands that not all athletes train the same. Shane’s commitment to individualizing and customizing the weight room experience for each student-athlete based on age, size and athletic base will allow us to make the greatest possible impact on the Hockey-Athlete’s who attend the CoE.”
Harvey, a Red Deer, Alberta native, is no stranger to training hockey players in the Phoenix area. Since 2017, Shane has served as the Director of Sports Performance at the Center for Athletic Training & Physical Therapy located at the Ice Den in Chandler. During this time, Shane has not just trained but also coached various Tier I and Tier II players from the Jr. Coyotes and Arizona Bobcats organizations.
Prior to his arrival in The Desert, the University of Southern Maine graduate has served as a head instructor for Okanagan Hockey Schools, a performance coach at the OA Sports Center in Saco, ME, the Director of Player Development for the Portland Jr. Pirates and during the 2014-2015 season, Shane served as the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Pirates American Hockey League team. The 32-year-old holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science, as well as certifications from the NSCA, TRX Functional Training, EXOS and USA Hockey.
“I am very excited to expand my role with the Jr. Coyotes while also having the opportunity to work together with TPH and their knowledgeable, passionate staff,” Harvey said. “Our Performance Center will be state-of-the-art, built for hockey development and will put the needs of our athletes first. I believe this will be a very successful partnership that will impact the athletes that train with both TPH and the Ice Den.”
The Center of Excellence model is open to Tier I ‘AAA’ and Tier II ‘AA’ 6-12th grade hockey players from across all organizations in the Phoenix area. Blatchford believes Harvey’s involvement will appeal to the masses.
“Having Shane serve as our Strength and Conditioning Coach offers both continuity and freshness,” Blatchford explained. “For CAHA players that attend the CoE but already train with Shane, working with him allows for greater customization and consistency. For the student-athletes who attend the CoE that don’t play for CAHA teams, working with Shane will provide fresh perspective on how to improve strength, speed, athleticism and endurance, which are the pillars of being a successful TPH Hockey-Athlete. Simply put, having Shane Harvey involved in the CoE is a win for both TPH and hockey in Phoenix.”
If you are interested in learning more about the TPH-Phoenix Center of Excellence, we invite you to visit the links below.
- Click here to download our Center of Excellence brochure.
- Click here to request more information on the CoE model.
- Click here to apply for the TPH-Phoenix Center of Excellence, which is the first formal step in the registration process for the 2020-2021 school year.
TPH Tabs Notre Dame Alum Blatchford as Phoenix Director
Total Package Hockey is pleased to announce the hiring of Brett Blatchford to the position of Director of Hockey-Operations for its Phoenix division. Blatchford, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, brings a unique blend of NCAA Division I and professional playing experience, hockey coaching, instruction and business experience as well as a unique leadership skill set to his new position in the desert.
“Brett Blatchford is an intelligent, high character, highly passionate leader who brings a tremendous skill set to the position of Director of Hockey-Operations,” TPH CEO Nathan Bowen said. “Brett is a great fit not just for the TPH team, but also for the Phoenix market. Brett was a team-first player, was diligent in the classroom and was a leader within the Notre Dame community. Throughout the interview process, it became clear that Brett’s credentials made him the overwhelming choice for this role. He shares in our belief of taking a holistic approach in impacting student-athletes and recognizes that the most important responsibility we have is to improve the individuals under our tutelage as students and as people. While we know our kids will definitely develop on the ice under Brett’s tutelage, families can rest assured that when their sons and daughters leave the CoE, they will be poised to excel off the ice and in the game of life.”
Photo Source: UND.com
Blatchford has been part of the Notre Dame community for most of the past 14 years. He was a member of the Fighting Irish hockey team from 2006-2010, helping his squad to its first National Championship appearance in school history, a number one national ranking, and two CCHA championship titles. While at Notre Dame, the Temperance, MI native was chosen as the recipient of the Charles “Lefty” Smith Coaches Award, given to the unsung hero of the hockey program who had to overcome adversity while displaying loyalty and commitment to his teammates. In addition, Blatchford was a three-year member of the Young Leaders of Notre Dame and a four-time Monogram winner.
Blatchford, his wife Kaci, and his daughters Stevie and June are excited about joining the TPH family and calling the Phoenix-area home.
“It is an honor to be named Director of Hockey-Operations for TPH-Phoenix,” Blatchford said. “The resources in place provide a tremendous opportunity to develop and mentor each student-athlete at a very high level. I look forward to joining the strong management nucleus already in place in the TPH-Phoenix model.”
After a brief playing career with stops in the CHL, ECHL and AHL, Blatchford transitioned to coaching and instruction. He served as the Director of Hockey for the Coppell High School Hockey Association in Coppell, TX, returning to a state where he played three seasons of junior hockey. The 33-year-old established himself as a force with the NAHL’s Texas Tornado from 2003-2006. During his time in the Lone Star State, Blatchford was a team captain for two of his three seasons, was named the NAHL Academic Player of the Year, earned the Texas Tornado Award, given to the player who exemplifies a team-first attitude, and won three consecutive NAHL National Championships.
“A reoccurring theme throughout Brett’s career were the awards he received which spoke to his leadership, perseverance and selflessness,” TPH-Phoenix Partner Taylor Burke said. “A significant part of our responsibility in the TPH-Phoenix CoE is to prepare our student-athletes for any demand they may face, whether that be in hockey, the university setting or in the real world. Brett knows the way to do that and we are confident he will show our student-athletes the path to reaching their full potential on and off the ice.”
After his retirement from the professional game, Blatchford had the unique experience of serving on the coaching staff at Denver University. He spent one season as the Volunteer Assistant Coach for the Pioneers program, considered by many to be a national powerhouse.
In 2016, Brett would return to South Bend to take on the role of Assistant Program Manager for the Compton Family Ice Arena at the University of Notre Dame. In his role, the former Fighting Irish defenseman would find himself back on the ice, training players of various ages and skill sets within small group settings, similar to the CoE model. Two young, aspiring elite hockey players Blatchford would find under his tutelage were the sons of Andy Slaggert, who is the long-time Associate Head Coach of the Notre Dame hockey team. Slaggert, whose sons have worn the red, white and blue with the US National Team Development Program, praises TPH’s hiring of Blatchford.
“Brett will be a great addition to TPH as he has extensive experience instructing all levels of players on ice,” Slaggert said. “He is passionate about player development and I have seen this first-hand when he worked with our sons.”
Prospective TPH-Phoenix Center of Excellence families, as well as those already registered for the 2020-2021 school year, are invited to meet Brett virtually during a hybrid meet & greet / open house event, scheduled for Monday, June 8 at 6:00 PM PST via Zoom. Click here to RSVP. In addition, families are welcome to e-mail Brett directly at bblatchford@totalpackagehockey.com
One Team… We still got this!
Dear TPH Student-Athletes, Coaches, Volunteers and Parents,
All of us are itching to get back on the ice, in the performance training rooms and back to the game we all love. At TPH we have been spending a lot of time planning for this; what it will look like depending on what state, city and county we are in and how we best ensure it’s as safe as possible for you and our team members. We have been so fortunate to have strong relationships with all of the facilities we work with. We are consistently in touch with them and understanding what their protocol is or will be when they open up. We will adhere to all policy and protocol in each facility. We are so thankful for all the work that they are putting into this preparation, training staff and implementing a new normal for all of us to come back to the rink safely.
We are grateful to the Nashville Predators organization and the entire coaching staff led by John Hynes, Dan Lambert, Dan Muse, Ben Vanderklok, Lawrence Feloney and David Good who spent time with our coaches, sharing insight and providing some continuing education over the course of a few weeks to the group. Our coaches have been using this time to learn, improve and get ready for the upcoming training opportunities, along with how we can maximize training and development this summer and in our TPH Center of Excellence to support the student-athletes if we have a delay in full training and games.
TPH Colorado Director of Hockey Operations Jordan Pietrus created “Shield Our Communities” along with TPH team members and student-athletes raised over $10,000, thanks to a generous match from our partner Maynard’s Industries, to provide face masks for local healthcare providers in Atlanta, Denver, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Huntsville, Indianapolis and Nashville. Mentoring and messaging to our student-athletes that when times get tough, we get tougher and we help those who need help and take care of others. This is deep in the fabric and culture of our game, and is part of what makes hockey so special.
Special thank you to our COO Francis Anzalone and Frank Anzalone, along with the rest of our TPH Team members who quickly built out the TPH Virtual Hockey Development platform so players at our CoEs and across the country could continue to train and put the necessary work in at home. We are now prepared for any future potential closures or pauses that may come up when school starts back this fall, to ensure our student-athletes can continue their development and be mentored at home.
We have seen an increase in parent participation at home and support on academics and virtual training which is great. Thank you for your patience, many of you have sent in emails of encouragement and support for coaches, academic leaders and we really appreciate your positive notes.
We have experienced some unique support from many friends in the NHL. Several positive role models have taken time via Zoom calls with our CoE student-athletes including Quinn and Jack Hughes, Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, Aaron Volpatti, Scott Laughton, Brandon Naurato, Angelo Ricci, Eric Lacroix, Colton Parayko and Torey Krug. We are so grateful for their time and what an amazing opportunity for our aspiring elite student-athletes to learn from each of them.
Finally, a HUGE thank you to our Academic Directors and additional education team members who never missed a beat supporting and holding the student-athletes accountable over the past 2 months. Just over 70% of TPH Student-Athletes will have all A’s and B’s, as the Edmentum platform allowed them to quickly transition from the classroom to home without interruption. Although our physical CoE locations have been closed, our academic progress, mentorship and off ice training never missed a beat. Our 5th grade class in Nashville finished up two weeks early and graduated into middle school and we have seen a number of students finish their studies for the semester 2-6 weeks early. We are so grateful for the incredible support from EdOptions Academy, Michigan International Prep School, Brighton Area Schools, GlobalEd, Mount Vernon, Athens Renaissance School, McNairy County Schools and especially our academic partner Edmentum who have provided the platform and support team to keep our student-athletes on track and able to successfully complete the semester and school year during this crisis with no interruption. Lastly, we want to congratulate the TPH CoE senior class of 2020 as we celebrate the graduation of 41 student-athletes across all 7 CoEs as they take their next step in their academic and hockey marathon!
We still have a long road ahead of us, but it is key we focus on the positives, celebrate the wins, even when they are not back up on the scoreboard yet. It’s been awesome to see so many people, programs, teams and players from all across the country step up in their own way to contribute to staying positive, the hockey community is ONE team and we still got this!
Enjoy your memorial day weekend, please take a moment to remember all our service men and women who gave their lives while serving and please thank those that have served and are currently protecting our freedom.
Take care,
Nathan Bowen
Chief Executive Officer
Total Package Hockey, LLC
Goal Achieved.
Total Package Hockey is excited to announce, with the support of 75 donations, we achieved our goal of $10,000 to Shield Our Communities. In surpassing our goal, Maynard’s will be providing their promised match of $2,000 and the bonus of $5000. Combined we reached a total of $12,570 which will be utilize to produce and ship face shields from Sparx Hockey. The order has been placed and Sparx Hockey will completing production of over 1,000 masks to be evenly distributed and shipped to the following locations:
- Atlanta | Emory University Department of Public Safety
- Colorado | Elizabeth Fire Station 271
- Detroit | Dearborn Heights Police Department
- Grand Rapids | Emergency Care Specialists and Life EMS
- Huntsville | Huntsville Hospital System
- Indianapolis | Eskenzie Health of Indianapolis
- Nashville | Metro Nashville Office of Emergency Management
We would like to thank Sparx for this partnership and Maynard’s for their generous match. Most of all we would like to that those who shared this campaign and donated to help support front line workers in our local communities. Thank you to the following donors:
Tom Winkler
Tony Diganci
Jeffrey Peterson
Jordan Pietrus
Sergio Gasperoni
Aaron Stewardson
R Scott Jentz
Tph Nationwide Family
Sheldon Wolitski
Mario Mazzuca
Taso Sofikitis
Chris And Mandy Lipsett
Karen Pease
Seven Cooper
Sunsea W.
Martin Kubaliak
Tr Mason
Indy Center Of Excellence
Alan Loewenstein
Mike Suzuki
Francis Kearney
Emily Bourgeois
Jeff Miller
John Coots
Judi Kremer
Steven Mattes
Thomas Elsensohn
Tara Shaikh
Mike Mcintosh
Candice Neisen
Dominic Vincent
Randy B
Jay Henry
Scott Truchan
Nichelle Simon
Adam House
Tom Stenglein
Devin Timberlake
Scott Van Der Linden
Tamme Mellenthin
Finn Kilbride
Heather Lambert
Henry Wineman
Michael O’neil
Sheina Dixon
Larena Burnett
Cassie Ramsay
Cameron Shaw
L’kita Smith
Dyron Givens
Emily Keller
Kristin Nabozny
Nicole Koring
Tiernan Keith Grandmother
Anthony Golio
Jared Bussard
Jordan Pietrus
Rich Mackanos
Denise Schmidt
Tiernan Keith
Phyllis Long
Annie Malafa
Audrey Forman
Dean Gartelos
Michael Mcever Family
Max Lacroix
Taylor Keyworth
Jamie Lynn Frank
Leah S
Paul Evans
Hanna Hill
Mac And Bailey Bowen
Tiffany Silverberg
Shield Our Communities goes into Overtime
We are excited to say that we are over a quarter of the way to our Shield Our Communities goal. With the support of our many donations as well as the match from Maynards we have a current total of $2,643.
Our lofty goal of $10,000 dollars would supply 1,500 face shields, provided by Sparx, to front line workers in our local communities and we are not there yet. There is still time to donate. We recognize the importance of distributing these shield in a timely manner and we will be closing donations on Friday May 15th at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Help us send shields, distributed evenly, to the following local organizations:
- Atlanta | Emory University Department of Public Safety
- Colorado | Elizabeth Fire Station 271
- Detroit | Dearborn Heights Police Department
- Grand Rapids | Emergency Care Specialists and Life EMS
- Huntsville | Huntsville Hospital System
- Indianapolis | Eskenzie Health of Indianapolis
- Nashville | Metro Nashville Office of Emergency Management
TPH Training App Now Available
Total Package Hockey is proud to announce the release of the TPH Training app powered by MaxOne. The TPH Training app will offer free access to our Virtual Hockey Development content through May 31st. This app will support all your training needs on-demand. We are excited to provide a better training experience for our student-athletes, families, and hockey players.
The TPH Training app will house all of our growing Virtual Hockey Development content on-demand which consists libraries that house all our Skill Development, Strength & Conditioning, and Education Materials. Assigned workouts will be available for student-athletes log their workout. The app includes a leader board which allows Student-athletes to compete with others across the nation!
The TPH Training app is now available for download in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
After downloading, create a profile using the code “tphathlete” to start. Parents of registered athletes will receive an email which will provide access to connect to their student-athlete’s account. Parents will be able to download the app and connect to their student-athlete’s account to see the workouts and progress. No more logging into Facebook!
TPH wants to help our student-athletes develop and grow on the ice, in the classroom, and the ultimate game… the game of life! The TPH Training app is now free through the end of May, with plans on launching a more in depth and exclusive paid experience. Stay tuned for those details, it’s not something you’re going to want to miss out on.
By The Numbers: 2020 USHL Draft
Every draft we always look back over the selections and break down the data. The goal is to understand who the teams and their scouts believe are ready for the next level. The data helps understand how to best prepare our TPH student-athletes. Below is some of the details from our staff’s analysis.
Birth Year Distribution
As you can see from the distribution, 141 (61.1%) of those selected were 2001 and 2002 birth years.
Association Level Distribution
Junior League Distribution
Youth League Distribution
This year, 76.5% of the draft pick were selected from a team associated in a league rather than an independent.
TPH and Sequoia Choice Strike Academic Partnership
Total Package Hockey is pleased to announce a partnership with Sequoia Choice, an Arizona public charter school that will help deliver the TPH-Edmentum NCAA-accredited, customized, blended academic learning experience to student-athletes at its eighth Center of Excellence, which will open its doors at the Ice Den Scottsdale for the 2020 school year.
“We feel extremely fortunate to be entering into an academic partnership with Sequoia Choice,” TPH CEO Nathan Bowen said. “Sequoia will implement the same rigorous, robust Edmentum curriculum and CoE learning experience provided across all of our Centers of Excellence, to our student-athletes at our TPH-Phoenix Center of Excellence. The leadership within Sequoia schools are passionate about student success. Their motto of ‘every child is individually known’ makes them a perfect partner for us and Edmentum, and a perfect fit for our future student-athletes, who seek a flexible yet customized learning experience. We are very excited about working with Sequoia to positively impact the lives of student-athletes at our Phoenix CoE.”
Sequoia Choice is a tuition-free Arizona public charter school and Legal Educational Agency of Edkey, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. Sequoia was one of the original schools authorized by the Arizona Department of Education to provide distance learning services to Arizona students in grades K-12, and have continued to innovate and advocate for Arizona online schools since 1998.
Sequoia Choice will work alongside TPH and Edmentum to provide the CoE learning experience, one that is built on individualizing and customizing the learning experience based on where, when and how each individual learns best. The Academic Site Coach and Sequoia leadership will push TPH-Phoenix Center of Excellence attendees to produce positive academic outcomes, which Bowen says, is one of the primary goals with the Center of Excellence model.
“We always say that hockey training is the intrigue that drives interested families to the front door. Hockey is what gets them interested in the model. But we believe it is our responsibility to give student-athletes every opportunity to not only achieve their hockey goals, but their academic goals as well. The CoE model allows our student-athletes to dream big and chase hockey, academics and career all at once. This announcement puts us in a great position to ‘exceed expectations,’ which is the mission of Total Package Hockey.”
Interested in learning more about the TPH-Phoenix Center of Excellence? Click here.