Onalaska, WISCONSIN (WXOW) Michelle Bryant has to go down as the ultimate hockey mom in the Coulee Region.
Besides trucking her 4 boys to hockey practices and tournaments, she now owns an NAHL team.
Michelle and her husband Kevin purchased the Coulee Region Chill last week and on Tuesday ushered in a new era of Chill hockey at a news conference at the Omni Center in Onalaska.
The Bryants also welcomed John Hamre, who will take over as the teams new head coach and general manager.
It's the first step for Bryants as they put their stamp on the Coulee Region Chill.
"I have a pretty extensive background having worked with the Chill owners the past two years. I have an understanding of what it takes to run a hockey team. I'm going to take that along with some of my ideas along with my business and marketing background and make it a success," Bryant said.
As for Hamre, he has NAHL experience having spent last season as an assistant for the Michigan Warriors.
The twin cities native has extensive experience as an assistant coaching national developmental teams as well as three division one programs.
His assistant will be A.J. Degenhardt, a former star player for the La Crosse Red Rangers and member of the Wisconsin Badgers 2006 national championship team.
"It's a beautiful community. And it's a community that in relative proximity to hockey playing markets. It's a team that plays in a first class league. The ownership has mutual friends that recommended me to them, and them to me," Hamre said.
"It's an exciting time for the organization as well as myself to be able to come back to this area. Spent a lot of good years of my life here and met a lot of good people. It's nice to be able to come back here and sort of give back," Degenhardt said.
Hamre becomes the Chill's third coach in as many seasons.
