CAMP DIRECTORS
Joe Bonnett
Camp Director
Joe Bonnett is in his ninth year as an assistant coach at Colorado College, where the Tigers have earned six bids to the NCAA playoffs, claimed three WCHA regular-season championships and won more than 200 games during the course of his career with the program.
Bonnett is involved in all aspects of the team. He is active in practice preparation, team video, advanced scouting reports and individual teaching clips for the players. His main focus lies in team transition, defensive schemes and skill development of the blue-line corps. He’s worked with a number of standout defensemen including All-Americans Tom Preissing, Mark Stuart and Jack Hillen. Preissing set an NCAA single-season goal scoring record for defensemen with 23 tallies as a senior, while Stuart and Hillen both were honored as WCHA Defensive Player of the Year. Last season, under Bonnett’s guidance, CC’s penalty kill ranked fourth best nationally and team defense finished sixth.
While overseeing areas of recruiting, Bonnett continues to secure top talent at Colorado College. Recent All-Americans Hillen and Chad Rau have made their mark among NCAA leaders and in 2007-08 helped Colorado College win its third WCHA regular-season title in the last six years. He’s been involved in recruiting quality students as well, with more than 35 players during his tenure having earned WCHA All-Academic accolades.
Bonnett previously served as recruiting coordinator at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio (1997-01), where he helped fuel the program’s future and secured the 2003-04 CCHA Player of the Year. He started his coaching career as associate head coach of the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings (NAHL), guiding them to an appearance in the 1994 junior “A” national tournament. Bonnett served as a volunteer assistant at Miami from 1995–97. While there, he earned his master’s degree in sport organization and helped guide the RedHawks to the NCAA tournament in 1997.
Bonnett was a four-year letter winner as a forward at Western Michigan University (1989–93) and an assistant captain his senior year. A 1993 graduate of WMU, where he received a bachelor’s degree in secondary education, he was named Western Michigan’s Most Improved Player as a junior in 1991-92, then was named recipient of the program’s Catherine Lawson Sportsmanship Award as a senior in 1992-93.
During the summer months, Bonnett has continued to volunteer with USA Hockey. He recently worked the Rocky Mountain Festival in Salt Lake City, which attracts top players – including current Tigers Richard Bachman and Mike Testwuide – from throughout the region. He also has served as a head coach for Team Michigan and Rocky Mountain districts at national select -14, -15, -16 and -17 festivals. In 1999, his select-16 team Michigan won a gold medal in St. Cloud, Minn. In 2003, Bonnett served as an assistant coach with the United States under-17 select team that won the gold medal at the 2003 Five Nations Tournament in Prievidza, Slovakia.
The Canton, Mich., native and his wife Laura, who celebrated their ninth anniversary in June, are the proud parents of two sons – five-year-old Noah, and Samuel, who will turn two in June.
Kyle Wallack
Camp Director
Kyle Wallack was named as an assistant coach at Yale University after working on the Holy Cross coaching staff for two seasons. At Holy Cross, Wallack, working for Paul Pearl, helped the Crusaders register a 4-3 overtime upset of Minnesota at the 2006 NCAA West Regional. That capped a 27-10-3 campaign and helped Holy Cross finish No. 14 in the final USA Today Poll. The young Crusader assistant served as recruiting coordinator while working with the forwards. Before Holy Cross, Wallack spent two seasons assisting the University of Connecticut men's squad (2002-04) where he was recruiting coordinator. He also mentored the goalies, handled scouting reports, coordinated video operations, managed practices and helped with alumni relations. Wallack's goaltending protégés include Atlantic Hockey Goalie of the Year Tony Quesada (Holy Cross) and UConn's Atlantic Hockey all-star Scott Tomes (All-Rookie Team) and Quinnipiac's Jamie Holden (Goalie of the Year). He also supervised Quinnipiac's Justin Eddy, who signed as a free agent with the Washington Capitals. Wallack served as an assistant coach at Quinnipiac for three seasons (1999-02) where he helped the Bobcats to a MAAC Championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Wallack spent single seasons at Nichols College (1998-99) and the University of Delaware (1997-98) as an assistant coach. A four-year starting goaltender and senior captain at Springfield College, Wallack was team MVP, All-NECHA (1995-97), Johnson and Wales All-Tournament (1996-97) and NECHA All-Tournament (1995-96). Wallack, while playing at Springfield, coached the New England Junior "A" Falcons to an EJHL Championship. Wallack earned a master's degree in sport management from Connecticut in 2004.