Delta Hockey Academy have added a familiar name to its coaching staff for the 2018-19 season.
The South Delta Secondary School based-program has announced former Vancouver Giants and UBC Thunderbirds head coach Milan Dragicevic to guide its Bantam Prep White team.
Dragicevic brings an extensive coaching résumé that started in Drayton Valley of the Alberta Junior Hockey League in 1998. He was named coach of the year in his second season behind the bench and was then offered the first coaching position with the expansion Giants.
His longest tenure was with UBC where he spent 12 years (2002-2014) as the bench boss and key figure in building the tradition at UBC.
He also has strong ties to the community and minor hockey in the Lower Mainland, especially in the Richmond area, working with the Richmond Ravens female program and Richmond Minor Hockey.
“I am extremely excited to start this new opportunity and continue working to help build the culture around high-performance student-athletes,” said Dragicevic. “The tradition created at the Delta Hockey Academy based on strong values and development of people, students, and hockey players, is something that I am looking forward to being a part of and continuing that tradition.”
He takes over a Bantam White team that will be entering its second-season playing in Canadian School Sport Hockey League’s Bantam Prep level, joining the DHA Green team.
Meanwhile, Rick Lanz will be guiding the U15 team after serving as an assistant coach with the Bantam Prep Green squad this past season.
“I am very excited to expand my role at the Delta Hockey Academy and continue to work with a talented group of student-athletes,” said Lanz. “I enjoyed my first experience last year and now have an opportunity to continue their growth and development.”
The former Vancouver Canuck started his coaching career in 1994 with Penticton, which was the beginning of his B.C. Hockey League resume. The following year he was behind the bench in Langley before moving on to the Surrey Eagles where he took the team to the RBC Championship game in 1997.
After one season as the head coach with the Western Hockey League’s Tri-City Americans, Lanz returned to the BCHL for eight more seasons which included winning the RBC Championship in 2006 with the Burnaby Express.
