LINE CHANGE
Mount St. Charles Academy introduces new coaches for prep hockey program
WOONSOCKET – “This is a new era and 1,000 percent the right direction to go in.”
With those words from Bryan Berard, a Woonsocket native and one of the more iconic players in Mount St. Charles hockey history, the school announced the creation of The Mount St. Charles Hockey Academy.
Inside the Adelard Arena lobby on Thursday morning, that was the title given to Mount’s prep-school hockey program during a press conference. The school plans to start competing on a national level with the 2019-20 season.
Mount will feature four specific aged-based programs – Under-18, Under-16, Under-15, and Under-14 – that will play upwards of 55 games per season against top teams and showcase national events.
Tuition and fees for this new venture were also announced. There’s a $12,000 program fee that’s the same regardless if you’re a hockey student who’s commuting to MSC or boarding. For those who elect to live on Mount’s campus, it’ll cost $18,575. Tuition is
$14,400 for day and boarding students while international boarding students will pay $17,975.
The new coaches, who were announced last month but were officially introduced by Mount on Thursday, have been hitting the recruiting trail over the past few weeks. By November, school President Alan Tenreiro hopes to have a concrete plan for living arrangements for those planning to board. One possibility is to have the players stay on the fourth floor of the school building, which underwent renovations over the summer.
“You want to show that it’s a safe place to live,” said Tenreiro after the press conference was over and the group was preparing to transition to Ciro’s Tavern for a hockey alumni meetand-greet. Before everyone gathered at Adelard Arena, a breakfast meeting/private reception was held on the Mount campus.
Reminders of Mount’s glorious hockey past and promising future met in the middle on Thursday. The iconic Belisle (who later Thursday night was inducted into the Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame) was joined by his son Dave, also a key figure in Mount’s rise to hockey prominence and dominance. The upcoming season will mark the final one for this father-son tandem behind the Mount bench, but several school officials on Thursday confirmed that Bill and Dave Belisle will continue to remain involved with the program.
“The tradition will continue,” Dave Belisle said. “It’s a good thing, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work.”
Players from MSC’s glory days on hand Thursday included Berard, Pawtucket native Keith Carney, and Woonsocket native Brian Boucher. Combined, the three logged 39 NHL seasons. Earlier this year, Berard was named Mount’s director of player development/onice skating & skills coach while Boucher was tabbed as strategic advisor for MSC’s hockey operations.
Getting prominent hockey alumni involved was one of the keys in bringing Tenreiro’s vision to life. Shortly after he was named president at Mount in 2017, Tenreiro mapped out six goals as part of his strategic plan. One of those goals was identified as re-positioning Mount athletics with the target of taking the hockey program nationally.
“To me, Alan has been very impressive. He’s been all about Mount Pride,” Berard said. “We want to save the school and at the same time save the hockey program.”
Along those lines, Tenreiro said that Mount’s enrollment numbers are nine percent above current projections and were tabulated before any hockey announcements.
“The essence of Mount will never change, but we need to change to keep up with the times,” Tenreiro said.
Over the past calendar year, the pieces that allowed for Thursday’s unveiling to see the light of day started to fall into place. The coach- es for the Mount St. Charles Hockey Academy are already lined up. Matt Plante and Devin Rask are the co-directors of hockey operations with Plante to serve as head coach of the Under-18 team while Rask leads the Under-16 team. Scott Gainey, who like Plante and Rask previously worked at Connecticut’s South Kent School, will lead the Under-15 squad while Lyrrad Braceful heads up the Under-14 unit.
An office for the Mount Hockey Academy is in the process of being set up inside Adelard Arena. Rask and Plante peaked inside their future work space after Thursday’s presentation.
“Seeing what’s here as far as the tradition, the alumni, and the support … all those pieces are pretty cool,” said Rask, an All-American player at Providence College. “The buzz is out there about what’s coming. There’s a lot of excitement.”
For now, Mount’s recruiting efforts will primarily target United States-based prospects.
“Eventually, we will reach worldwide,” Rask said.
Other additions to the Mount hockey program include Rask’s former Friar teammate Nolan Schaefer as goalie coach and Michael Macchioni as director of strength & conditioning. Macchioni holds the same title with the NHL’s Boston Bruins.
Besides the four prep school teams, Mount will continue to field an Interscholastic League team and a club-level squad. Having multiple options that appeal to players regardless of ability is what Tenreiro dubbed as inroads.
“We don’t want to have off-roads. We want to have avenues,” Tenreiro said.
“It’s great to see,” Carney said. “For kids in Rhode Island, this gives them an option.”
Mount officials met with the R.I. Interscholastic League’s Principals’ Committee on Athletics last month to discuss this hockey venture. At the time, the league expressed concern about Mount’s plan. Another meeting with the PCOA is scheduled for November.
“I’m sure we’ll come to a compromise that makes sense for everybody,” Tenreiro said.
As the speaking portion of Thursday’s announcement drew to a close, a jersey presentation took place where Bill Belisle was asked to step forward and hold up the red jersey that players within the MSC Hockey Academy will wear. The elder Belisle was then asked to lead the room in what’s been a standard practice inside the Mount locker room following a victory.
“Hip Hip,” said Belisle with everyone responding, “Hooray!” It might be a new day at Mount, yet the past remains just as crucial to what lies ahead.
“We have this great foundation, but we have to give the new coaches the support they need,” Dave Belisle said. “They need our help because we are one. They’ve got the goods, but we’re going to help them with that passion. We’re going to help them sell it, but it’s going to be an easy sell.”