Instructors

Our Instructors

The Black Hills Hockey Academy understands the importance of bringing in the right people work with our athletes. Knowledge of the sport and the skill sets required for success, the ability to communicate those skills in an encouraging way, engagement with the athletes, and a love for teaching are some of the biggest traits we look for when interviewing our coaches. We are very proud of the group we have assembled over the years and feel fortunate to have had such great coaches working for the BHHA. Here you can learn a little bit more about the current, and past, instructors of the Black Hills Hockey Academy.

Riley Weselowski

Founder and Lead Instructor (Coach-Kansas City ECHL)

Riley Weselowski

Founder and Lead Instructor (Coach-Kansas City ECHL)

Since 2011 the BHHA has been led by the CHL's 2012 Defenseman of the Year Riley Weselowski. With over 20 years’ experience working with athletes of all ages, Riley is a current professional hockey coach with the Kansas City Mavericks; the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken and the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. A native of Pilot Mound Manitoba Canada, Weselowski entered the coaching world after a successful 13-year playing career, the majority of which was spent with the Rapid City Rush as well as other stops in the ECHL and CHL including Idaho, Cincinnati, Florida and Wichita. Riley's background includes playing Division 1 college hockey at Bemidji State University where he earned All-CHA honors his junior season. A recipient of the Central Hockey League’s “Man of the year” award for community involvement, the 2010 Rapid City Rush team he was a part of won the Presidents Cup as Central Hockey League Champions. He finished his playing career at the top of many of multiple Rapid City Rush leaderboards, including games played, scoring by a defenseman and penalty minutes. A natural leader, Weselowski wore a letter as a team captain in each of his final 11 professional seasons. His number 6 was retired by the Rush in 2022 and hangs in the rafters of the Monument Arena in Rapid City SD.

Danny Battochio

Goalie Coach (Goaltender-Rapid City Rush)

Danny Battochio

Goalie Coach (Goaltender-Rapid City Rush)

Battochio recently retired after his 7th season as a professional goaltender with the Rapid City Rush. He is now a goalie coach for the Rush. Batsy was part of the CHL Ray Miron Championship winning team in 2010 and took home Rookie of the Year honours for the season. Danny spent the 2013/2014 season playing for Beibarys Atyrau hockey club of the Kazakhstan professional ice hockey league. His college career was played at St. Francis Xavier University in the Canadian CIS earning him a BA Advanced Major in Social Criminal Justice. Battochio has over 15 years of instructing in the development of goaltenders of all ages.

Zach Bender

Instructor 18/19/20 (Forward-Rushmore Thunder)

Zach Bender

Instructor 18/19/20 (Forward-Rushmore Thunder)

Zach played four years as a forward for the Rushmore Thunder Boys Varsity. He helped lead the team to a state championship in 2018 and a third place finish in the 2018 Division 1 High School National Tournament. Zach served as captain of the varsity team in 2018-2019. He participated as a student in the Black Hills Hockey Academy camp from 2012 to 2016 and likes to share the great experience he had in the camp and his love for hockey with Black Hills Hockey Academy students. Currently, Zach is attending the South Dakota School of Mines and is pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering.

Darrell Smith

Instructor 21/22 (Defenseman-Norwich NA3HL)

Darrell Smith

Instructor 21/22 (Defenseman-Norwich NA3HL)

Darrell Smith joins the BHHA staff in 2022, hailing from Kansas. He was brought in to help with Wichita’s camp in 2021 and it was evident early on how well he fit in. Darrell really stood out with his ability to teach and connect with the young players. While playing high school hockey for the Junior Thunder in Wichita, he won a Varsity championship (Freshman), a Junior Varsity championship (Junior) and was the captain of the team his Senior year. Darrell is currently a defensemen for the Norwich Sea Captains of the NCAA. He has over 4 years of experience coaching youth in hockey. Darrell really enjoys paying forward the fun he had attending camps just like the BHHA growing up.

Justin Portillo

Instructor 22 (Forward-Knoxville SPHL)

Justin Portillo

Instructor 22 (Forward-Knoxville SPHL)

Justin Portillo joins the Black Hills Hockey Academy staff for the 2002 Camp Season. A Toledo Ohio native, Justin graduated from the University of Maine in 2018 with a degree in Physical Education Teaching & Coaching, all while playing collegiate hockey in the ACHA for the University of Maine. Portillo has been playing professional hockey for 5 years and through his commitment and love for the game has worked his way up the professional ladder starting in the FPHL, moving up into the SPHL and last year earning yet another promotion to the ECHL. “Justin has one of the most energetic spirits of any player that I have played with or coached throughout my hockey career,” said lead instructor Riley Weselowski. “From the first time I talked to him I could tell that he was someone who absolutely loved to play the game, and that love for hockey carries over in the way that he interacts with the kids whom he coaches.” When asked about joining the BHHA staff for the 2022 Camp Season, Justin commented “I cannot wait to share with younger hockey players my passion for the game by encouraging them through hard work, always believing in themselves and having fun knowing that anything is possible.”

Dmitry

Instructor 21/22 (Forward-Danbury FPHL)

Dmitry

Instructor 21/22 (Forward-Danbury FPHL)

Meet Coach Dmitry. He is currently in his 3rd professional year of hockey in North America. He started his pro career in the Danish Metal League, playing for the Odense Bulldogs before signing with the Danbury Hattricks this past season. A true student of the game, Dmitry is driven to succeed and is quickly working his way up the North American professional ladder. An elite level sniper, he is currently signed for this upcoming season with the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs in the Southern Professional Hockey League. When asked what he loves most about working with the young athletes of the Black Hills Hockey Academy, Dmitry responded by saying: “Being a coach allows me to keep learning and developing different aspects of my own game. I enjoy spreading my knowledge and love for the game to the next generation.”

Brice French

Instructor 22 (Defenseman-Carolina FPHL)

Brice French

Instructor 22 (Defenseman-Carolina FPHL)

Brice French joins the BHHA family from Fairbanks, Alaska. Brice spends his summers, in the country’s most northern state, working with young athletes and staying involved with hockey. He comes highly recommended to lead instructor Riley Weselowski by a player Riley coached this past season. “The most important quality that one of our instructors can possess is an energy and enthusiasm for the game that they genuinely enjoy spreading into the next generation of athletes. Coach Brice is exactly the type of person we look for when interviewing potential coaches,” said Weselowski. Currently playing professionally for the Carolina Thunderbirds, French commented, “I really enjoy helping young players improve their game with knowledge that was passed on to me from my hockey heroes and having so much fun doing it. There truly is no better job out there.”

Jeremy Gates

Instructor 15/16/19 (Defenceman-Pensacola Ice Flyers)

Jeremy Gates

Instructor 15/16/19 (Defenceman-Pensacola Ice Flyers)

Jeremy Gates recently retired after his fourth season of professional hockey. Before “Coach Gator” (as he is known by the kids in camp) was 20 years old, his Canadian Junior team had already won two league championships. Following junior hockey he went to Neumann University where he won the NCAA Division III National Championship, and graduated with a degree in Sports Management. Since turning pro, Gates has seen time in the ECHL, CHL, and SPHL (where his Ice Flyers won back to back league Championships). Jeremy has provided camp instruction for various hockey schools in the past, and his outgoing and energetic personality make him a favorite instructor year after year.

Michael Young

Instructor 2016 (Defenseman- Rapid City Rush)

Michael Young

Instructor 2016 (Defenseman- Rapid City Rush)

Currently in his 3rd professional season, Michael Young has played the last two and a half seasons with the Rapid City Rush of the ECHL. Before coming to the Rush, he played 3 seasons of Junior A hockey in Flin Flon Manitoba. He followed that up by playing four years of NCAA Division 1 hockey for the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he studied Criminal Justice.

Connor Ward

Instructor 13/14/15/16/17 (Forward)

Connor Ward

Instructor 13/14/15/16/17 (Forward)

A Rapid City native, and one of the BHHA's most veteran instructors, Coach Ward currently plays for Eastern Washington University of the BCIHL. After finishing his final year of AAA hockey with the Rough Riders of the Tier 1 Elite League in Colorado, Ward went on to play junior hockey in British Columbia, Canada. Connor graduated from Rapid City Stevens High School in 2012.

Jamie Vanderveeken

Instructor 13/14 (Defenseman)

Jamie Vanderveeken

Instructor 13/14 (Defenseman)

Jamie VanderVeeken played 8 years of professional hockey, retiring as a member of the Brampton Beast. He was a part of the Rapid City Rush organization for 3 years, and helped the team win the Ray Miron Presidents cup along side head instructor Riley Weselowski. Jamie has experience teaching the game of hockey at all levels and previously ran a camp of his own back in his Canadian hometown.

Travis Wight

Instructor 13/14 (Defenseman)

Travis Wight

Instructor 13/14 (Defenseman)

Travis Wight played 7 years of professional hockey and retired as a member of the Wichita Thunder. Travis has an bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and Physcial Education and a Master's degree in Education: Curruculum and Instruction. He spent the first three seasons of his professional career with the ECHL's Idaho Steelheads He played in 70 games as a rookie for Idaho in 2006-07 helping the Steelheads to the Kelly Cup Championship.

Scott Brannon

Instructor 2015 (Forward- Dundee Stars)

Scott Brannon

Instructor 2015 (Forward- Dundee Stars)

Scott played 199 games for the Rapid City Rush in 3 and a half seasons and went on to suit up in the EIHL in Scotland for the Dundee Stars. Before turning pro, coach Brannon played two seasons at the St. Francis Xavier University and was an instructor at the Stfx hockey camp during that time. Brannon also has a 2011 QMJHL title to his name, and participated in the Memorial Cup Canadian Junior Tournament in Brandon Manitoba.

Tyler Poulsen

Instructor 2019 (Forward-Worcester Railers)

Tyler Poulsen

Instructor 2019 (Forward-Worcester Railers)

Poulsen has been playing professional hockey since 2018. He has made stops in Allen, Rapid City and most recently played with the Worcester Railers of the ECHL. Coach "Chipsy" spent 3 years studying at the University of Alabama Huntsville and spends his summers in his home state of Colorado.

Brooks Mitzel

Instructor 18/19/20 (Forward-Iowa State)

Brooks Mitzel

Instructor 18/19/20 (Forward-Iowa State)

Brooks Mitzel grew up in Rapid City where he played for the Rushmore Thunder and graduated from Stevens High School. He currently plays hockey for Iowa State University. When Brooks left the Rushmore Thunder he played one year of AAA hockey with the Sioux Falls Jr. Stampede before joining the Gillette Wild of the North American 3 Hockey League. After he completed junior hockey he played a year of Division 3 hockey at Salem State University before transferring to Iowa State.

Tory Dalbec

Goalie Coach 19/20 (Devenir GoalteDevenir Goaltenders-Minnesotanders-Minnesota)

Tory Dalbec

Goalie Coach 19/20 (Devenir GoalteDevenir Goaltenders-Minnesotanders-Minnesota)

Tory has been coaching with Devenir Goaltenders (Devenirgoaltenders.com) based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota since 2017 and began working with Black Hills Hockey Academy in 2019. He grew up in Edina, MN playing both hockey and football and after high school was recruited to play football for North Dakota State University where he went on to win 2 D1 FCS national championships before his career was cut short due to injury. His favorite thing about coaching is getting to share my passion for the game of hockey and the opportunity to teach and develop young goaltenders.

Our Instructors

Riley Weselowski

Danny Battochio

Zach Bender

Darrell Smith

Justin Portillo

Dmitry

Brice French

Jeremy Gates

Michael Young

Connor Ward

Jamie Vanderveeken

Travis Wight

Scott Brannon

Tyler Poulsen

Brooks Mitzel

Tory Dalbec

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