Champions Hockey
program staff
Stacy Smallman & Dax MacLean - Co-Founders
Dax MacLean was a talented and gifted scorer who excelled at every level of hockey he played. Throughout his minor career in Chatham, he was a perennial all-star who was always at or near the top in scoring. In 1991 he led the “AAA” Midget Rivermen to a Provincial and then, Atlantic title. In '93 he joined the Notre Dame Hounds in the SJHL where he became a two-time all-star and team scoring leader. In '95, Dax attended UNB where he established himself as one of the premier players in the country. He was an all-star as a rookie and led the Varsity Reds the next year to a silver medal at the CIAU Championships. In '97-'98, he was a key cog in their first CIAU title. That year he was the team’s scoring leader, league MVP, Most Sportsmanlike, and All-Canadian First Team forward. In his final season, Dax became UNB’s all-time leading goal scorer; a record he still holds.
Stacy Smallman is a prolific figure when it comes to hockey and is widely regarded as one of the best hockey players to come out of OLeary PEI. Stacy played hockey with the Summerside Western Capitals, winning the Centennial Cup. He also had a brief tenure with Pensacola Ice Pilots, a pro team in the ECHL in the '97-'98 season. He moved on to play with the UNB Varsity Reds, taking home a silver in his first year and winning a National Championship in year four. Stacy's son, Spencer, was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015 and is currently a part of the Washington Capitals organization.
Matthew Wright, Director of Hockey Programs
Matt Wright is the current Director of Hockey Programs at Champions Hockey, now in his sixth year with the organization. As the lead on-ice instructor, Matt is dedicated to developing and delivering top-tier hockey programs designed to elevate players' skills and game understanding.
With a deep passion for hockey and years of hands-on coaching experience, Matt has a proven track record of success. From 2016 to 2022, Matt coached U13 AAA, U15 AAA, and U15 AA teams in Fredericton, honing young talents and preparing them for higher levels of competition. Matt's expertise led them to serve as the Assistant Coach for the U16 CHA Eagles during the 2022/2023 season, before being promoted to Associate Coach for the U17 CHA Eagles in 2023/2024.
In addition to their work with club teams, Matt has been heavily involved in the Hockey New Brunswick High Performance Program. Matt was the Assistant Coach for the U14 team in 2022 and the U15 team in 2023. Currently, Matt serves as the Head Coach of the U15 team for the 2024 season, where he continues to inspire and guide young athletes to reach their full potential.
Beyond the rink, Matt lives in Fredericton with his girlfriend, Ashley, and his dog, Ranger.
Mike Hannay, CFO
Mike is the Chief Financial Officer at Champions Hockey and has been part of the team for the past nine years. He is not only in charge of financial operations, but has been involved in hockey for the past 40 years in various roles.
On top of the CFO role, Mike has been an on-ice instructor, a coach for multiple spring teams, Elite tournaments as well as a successful coach at many minor hockey levels. Mike was the head coach for the U13AAA Express, coached the U15 AAA Caps, coached a number of AAA Hounds programs as well as coaching the all female AAA Hornets.
Mike is thoroughly involved with his own children as competitive hockey players at Junior, U18 & U13 levels.
Like many of the CH team, Mike lives in New Maryland with his wife Tara and three children Jacob, Lucas & Kate
Jamie Morrison, Director of Operations
Jenna Kennedy, Manager of Digital Content
Jenna oversees the marketing efforts for Champions Hockey, with a focus on digital content creation. She holds an MBA and an MA in Sport Management from UNB, combining her academic expertise with a deep passion for the sport. A nationally accomplished baseball and softball player, Jenna now enjoys challenging herself on the golf course.
Hailing from Nova Scotia but residing in Fredericton with her husband, Shaun, and their two children, Carter and Leah—both competitive hockey players—Jenna is deeply involved in the local sports community. She coached her son to a U11 Atlantic Championship in baseball and volunteers for various sports organizations in the Fredericton area.