Wayne Gagné B.Ed., Owner, Program Director, and Head Instructor

Coaching Experience
Wayne brings to Draft Choice a wide variety of professional skills. Being a Physical Education teacher and a former N.H.L. and European Professional player, Wayne has acquired and developed an excellent approach for teaching today's youth. His teaching and motivational methods, as well as his ability to demonstrate and model proper techniques have been the key to his success as a program Director and Head Instructor at Draft Choice.
 
Wayne has been instructing at various hockey schools in North America and Europe for the past 25 years. He has been able to effectively combine many of his own experiences along with the teachings of Dr.Yasha Smushkin's European Powerskating and Skills techniques to build a resourceful teaching background.
 
Wayne has earned his Hockey Trainers Level II Certificate, coaching CBET I level as well as Body Contact Development I. He also has participated in the Canadian Child Abuse Prevention Program. Upon finishing his playing career Wayne coached Junior “A” hockey (Caledon Canadians) in Ontario for 2 years. Following this Wayne at the highest levels of youth hockey for 14 years and guided his teams to many tournament championship medals, as well as 5 All Ontario Championships with his girls teams, and his 1997 Toronto Marlboros team. Wayne's 97 Toronto Marlies Team won the Minor Midget North American Silverstick Championship, and 7 GTHL Scotiabank 1st place Cups, 6 GTHL Championships, and was the FINALIST at the prestigious OHL CUP. 14 Players from his team were drafted to the OHL and two players from that team (Dylan Strome, Mitchell Stephens) currently are playing in the NHl for Chicago and Tampa Bay. Wayne also coached at the OHL Gold Cup U17 Team Ontario Evaluation tournament and last year assisted with the Brampton Canadettes Jr. girls team. For the past few years Wayne has focused on Consulting and Training with Teams, and Hockey Organizations to Mentor Coaching Staffs and Develop Players Skills and Game Concept Awareness for Greater Individual and TEAM SUCCESS!
 
For the past few years Wayne ran conducted Hockey Development & Coach Mentorship for the Brampton Canadettes Organization (PW AA- Jr. AA) and for the Brampton 45’s Org. (4-6 yr old program, House program, MD/Intercity, and A-AAA programs)
 
Playing Experience!
 
Wayne played for the Henry Carr Crusaders undefeated Jr. B team in “1983” and lead the league in scoring as a defenceman(89 pts in 36 games), and was the MVP in the playoffs as they won the All Ontario Championship. He represented Ontario in the Canada Winter Games that same year and won a Gold Medal. Following this Wayne earned a four year Scholarship playing for Western Michigan. In his Senior year he led the CCHA league in scoring and was 3rd in the Nation as a defenceman, and was a Two Time Div. I, 1^st Team All American. He also was the Runner-Up to the Hobey Baker Award and The Hockey News Runner Up for the Top U.S College Player of the Year.
 
In the year 2001 Wayne was voted to the Western Michigan University Hall of Fame and in the year 2013 during the final weekend of the NCAA -CCHA Division, he was voted to the  CCHA All Time 1st Team , along with George McPhee, Kip Miller, Brendan Morrison, Andy Greene and Ryan Miller (Vancouver Canucks). When he graduated from University he left with 8  NCAA records to his name and played 7 years professionally.
 
Wayne skated with the Canadian Olympic Team under the guidance of Dave King, and then went on to sign with the Montreal Canadiens. He played in the AHL, the IHL, and won a championship with the Branford Smoke in the Colonial League. He ended his career in Europe playing in the Elite leagues in Switzerland, Holland, and Denmark. Currently Wayne has been teaching in the Peel Board for the past 27 Years.

Danielle Gagné, Instructor

Danielle is a graduate from"The Ohio State University" played professionally in Ingolstadt, Germany, and the past 2 years for the Toronto Fury in the CWHL. Previously she played on the Mississauga Jr. Chiefs team that won the All Ontario Gold Medal in 2010. It was her 3rd All Ontario hockey championship as a player. She attended Mayfield high school where she participated in Field and Ice Hockey a well as softball.

In Grade 9 she was selected as the Toronto Star Female “Athlete of the Week,” for her on ice accomplishments. During the 2009-2010 she was named to the High School 2nd Team Tier l All-Star team for the Toronto Star. Dan also played for Team Ontario Blue and Team Ontario Red where she won 2 Silver medals at the 2009 and 2010 Canadian Nationals and in the Canada Winter Games. When on Team Ontario Blue in Vancouver she scored a key goal to tie the game against Team Atlantic that helped them get to the gold medal game on TSN. She participated in the Under 18 Team Canada Evaluation camps as well.

Danielle possesses some “great hands” and possesses a "quick release shot" using the DCH methods taught her and eagerly shares the technical aspect of stickhandling with many of our young hockey players. Danielle is a very enthusiastic, passionate teacher that is always eager to teach and share her experiences with players that often challenges the players to raise their overall game!

Josh Gagne - Instructor

Josh has been instructing at DCH for the past 8 years. His enthusiasm on the ice when teaching and demonstrating is an inspiration for the students. Josh's expertise is his ability to teach and demonstrate Puckhandling and Skating techniques using the Draft Choice techniques taught to him his whole hockey career. When teaching students Josh has high expectations and the students who put forth a committed effort with him are the ones who get the greatest results. He consistently brings out the best in the students. This past year he taught most of his Draft Choice hours working with the Brampton Minor Hockey as an Academy Instructor.

Josh completed his Junior career playing for the Carlton Place Canadians in the CCHL. Before this he skated for the Calgary Canucks in the AJHL. Before Junior Josh attended the Gunnery in Connecticut playing in the highly competitive New England Prep School league. During his second year The Gunnery won the Championship with Josh scoring the winning goal vs Avon in the Semi finals. Before playing in the U.S, Josh was with the Toronto Marlboros 97 team that won several All Ontario Championships and 6 GTHL Cups! During his minor midget draft year he amassed 55 points as a defenceman and was drafted by the OHL Kingston Frontenacs.

Mark Dunning, B.Ed., Instructor

Mark has been with Draft Choice for the past 15 years. He is a Phys. Ed Teacher at Fallingbrook Senior Public School in the Peel Board. He also coaches in the Halton Hurricanes AAA organization . Mark played for the University of Toronto Blues in the OUAA.

As an instructor Mark is excellent with the players and is very enthusiastic in challenging them to be the best they can be. Mark is able to combine his own personal teaching methods and ideas with the Draft Choice Technical teaching methods and be a great teacher of the game. We are very fortunate to have this high level of teaching in our program

Lana Norris, B.Ed., Head Instructor

Lana is currently Teaching in the Peel Board in Caledon. She also coaches minor hockey with the Caledon Coyotes association. Lana played 4 years with the OUAA Brock Badgers womens team. Lana attended Draft Choice as a student for 5 years and in her last year before University she helped guide her Brampton Canadette Midget AA team to a Provincial Gold Medal.

Lana has progressed from a student, to a demonstrator, and is now one of our trained professional "Teacher" instructors. Her on ice commitment to the players is exceptional and demands only the best from each one. She is becoming an excellent teacher of the game. Having former students who know the skills and know how to teach the players from previous playing experience is what allows us to help your children achieve their dreams.

Derek Montgomery, B.Ed., Head Instructor

Derek was the Director of a Physical Education program at a private school in Brampton. For the past few years he has been teaching in the Peel Board. He grew up playing his minor hockey in the Brampton Battalion Organization. He played high school hockey for Notre Dame in Brampton where he was the MVP of the team and led them to the Canadian high school championship in Halifax. He then moved onto the Provincial Junior “A” league playing for the Bramalea Blues and ended his career playing OUAA for York University where he competed in the National Championship. Derek has been with DCH for 15 years.

Derek has developed his teaching skills throughout his years with DCH. Derek is a great example of our DCH staff who is able to demonstrate many of the DCH skills properly and teaches using our consistent DCH language. Derek is a year round instructor in our programs and is very intense when on the ice with the players and pushes the students beyond their comfort zones.