Bruins Announce Participants of the D&I Scouting Mentorship Program
Eight participants have been selected for the program, which will run from September '22 to May of '23
This is the second year of the Bruins' Diversity and Inclusion Scouting Mentorship Program, which originally launched in September of 2021. The program aims to provide insider access, hands-on coaching, and networking opportunities to each participant.
This year's program will run from September of 2022 until May of 2023 and will feature group workshops, film breakdowns and monthly virtual study sessions, as well as a one-to-one mentorship pairing with a member of the Bruins Hockey Operations department.
The following are the eight mentees:
Kirsti Anderson Hussey: Kirsti is a highly competitive women's ice hockey coach of 15 years with a passion for the well-being and maximum development of student-athletes. She has coaching experience in multiple levels of the sport and has coached at the USA Girls' National camps for the past 13 years. Prior to entering coaching, Kirsti played in four NCAA Frozen Fours at Bowdoin and Dartmouth, was invited to the U.S. Women's National Team Tryouts and Development Camps and played professional hockey in the National Women's Hockey League. Kirsti is currently a women's hockey assistant coach at the University of Maine and is known for being a strong recruiter and a constantly evolving coach who prioritizes character development, hard work, and team-first mentalities.
Laura Brennan: Laura is the Director of Fairfield Ice Academy, a small rink training facility, as well as the owner of The Goalie Pad, where she trains goaltenders of all ages. Previously, Laura spent 5 seasons with the Connecticut Whale in the Premier Hockey Federation, first as a goalie for two years and then as the team's Assistant Coach and Goalie Coach for the next three years. Most recently, she was the team's acting General Manager during the transition of ownership in the 2021 off-season. She has a passion for learning and continued personal growth and is currently pursuing her Masters in Sports Psychology.
Stefan Ceccherini: Stefan is currently a senior at Lasell University majoring in Sports Management. Born and raised in the Boston area, Stefan grew up playing hockey competitively and was able to delve into coaching during the 2021-2022 season as an Assistant Coach for Melrose Youth Hockey. Off the ice, Stefan is a youth director of Haiti Global Youth Partnership, Inc. (HGYP). HGYP is a nonprofit organization that his family started in 2012 that supports education and development in his mother's hometown, L'Asile, Haiti. Year-round, HGYP makes sure that children can attend school, have access to extracurricular activities, and provide other programs to address community needs. Stefan's goal is to make a positive impact in the world of hockey and beyond.
Emmalee Forristall:Emmalee, a native of Weston, Florida, is a recent graduate of Stonehill College in Easton, MA, and is currently pursuing her master's degree in Sports Administration from Boston College. Emmalee played four years of Women's Club Hockey at Stonehill and served as Captain her senior year. At Valley Associates, Emmalee helps run the Valley Hockey League, Elite 9, and Boston Hockey League and is always looking for ways to grow the sport and share her passion for hockey with others.
Alyssa Gagliardi: Alyssa played NCAA Division I college hockey at Cornell University where she was a two-year captain and 2014 ECAC Co-Defensive Defensemen of the Year and Second Team All-American. She competed with the USA Women's National Team at two Four Nations Cups (2014, 2015), while playing professionally for the Boston Blades (CWHL), Boston Pride (NWHL) and Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) from 2014 - 2020. After completing her playing career, Alyssa returned to Raleigh, NC where she worked for the Carolina Hurricanes organization in Youth Hockey Development, as well as coaching in the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes Tier I Girls Program, with a passion for growing and developing the game and opportunities for players in North Carolina. Alyssa is currently an assistant coach for the Neumann University Men's Ice Hockey program, as well as a Player Development Coach for the Maine Mariners (ECHL). She is also a volunteer coach with the Philadelphia Flyers Warriors Veterans team. Alyssa is a board member for the PWHPA and has been a member of the NHLCA Female Coaches Development Program since 2020.
Alex Hancock: Alex is currently an Amateur Scout for The Medicine Hat Tigers. He has recently completed the Bill Hay Future Leaders Internship Program with the Western Hockey League. He was born and raised in Sherwood Park, Alberta, where his father is from; his mother hails from Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Africa. Being a second-generation immigrant and growing up in a multi-faith household allows him to bring a balanced perspective to the industry. He hopes to make hockey more accessible to underexposed and underrepresented communities.
Nathan McCarnan: Nathan was originally born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but has resided in Vancouver British Columbia from a very young age. A former youth hockey player, Nathan is now focused on becoming an electrician and fulfilling his dream of being a professional scout. Nathan is currently working as an apprentice for Castle Electric.
Anant Sidhu: Anant was born and raised to Immigrant parents from Punjab, India and is a proud member of his Sikh Community. Anant is a licensed lawyer, practicing corporate commercial and real estate law in Calgary, Alberta. Anant has scouted in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) with the La Ronge Ice Wolves and interned with Ritch Winter and his NHL agency while in law school. He is now the President of Village X Sports Management, a sports advisory branch to Village Sports in Calgary, Alberta. Anant overlooks the day-to-day operations of Village X and is passionate with helping families navigate the confusing and overwhelming hockey community for young athletes.
