In this week's EHL Summer Coaches Series interview, Jake Basile sits down with Chris Cerrella, the head coach of the New Hampshire Avalanche. Cerrella discusses his program's success in leading the way for college commitments, attributing it to the hard work of the players and extensive communication from the coaching staff. He reflects on the previous season, which included another trip to the Frozen Finals and an intense rivalry with the Express. Looking ahead, Cerrella expresses confidence in his team, which is returning its top three scorers and has been bolstered by recruiting experienced junior hockey veterans. The conversation also highlights the program's developmental model, which integrates the EHL Premier team closely with the EHL team.

In this week's EHL Summer Coaches Series interview, Jake Basile sits down with Zac Desjardins, the new head coach of the Pennsylvania Huntsmen. Desjardins discusses how he came to join the Huntsmen, his coaching style as a hands-on "teacher" who emphasizes details, and how his experience as a defenseman influences his focus. Bringing lessons from coaching at the professional level, he emphasizes the importance of post-game recovery and training players for the next level, not just their current one. He also shares his thoughts on the evolution of junior hockey, what he looks for when recruiting players, and his goal to build upon the Huntsmen's first playoff berth by establishing a hard-working and competitive atmosphere from the very first day of training camp, wanting players to battle and push each other immediately.

In this week's EHL Summer Coaches Series interview, Jake Basile sits down with Bill Zaniboni, the head coach of the Seahawks Hockey Club. Zaniboni talks about his team's remarkable turnaround last season, where they went 19-7-2 after December. Coach Zaniboni explains that the team's success was part of a blueprint designed for a young group, focusing first on culture and systems before pushing for wins. He credits the team's resiliency and the leadership of captain Cory Kashul, whose goal was to ensure every player felt comfortable and accepted. The discussion also covers key returning players who are poised for big years, including incoming captain Danny Kehoe and defensemen Alex Friedman and Bouschor. Zaniboni also highlights the successful, integrated relationship between the EHL and EHLP teams, which saw Premier players skate in over 60 EHL games, and shares some of the fun off-ice memories that made the season so special.

In this week's EHL Summer Coaches Series interview, Jake Basile sits down with Conall McNelis, the head coach of the New York Apple Core. McNelis reflects on his first season, describing it as a chaotic but significant growing period. He discusses learning from mentors like Adam Houli, the importance of adapting his systems mid-year, and the challenge of getting one of the league's youngest teams accustomed to the fast-paced play of the EHL. A core theme of the conversation is McNelis's coaching philosophy, which emphasizes strong communication to foster player maturity, separating on-ice intensity from off-ice mentorship, and instilling accountability. McNelis also shares praise for key players like the fiery competitor Paulis Leonards Paegle, workhorse Braedon Gallante, and team captain Tyler Gobel, whom he calls a "league legend". Finally, McNelis details his recruiting strategy for the upcoming season, focusing on finding hungry players with a chip on the shoulder to build a team with passion and drive.

In this week's EHL Summer Coaches Series interview, Jake Basile sits down with Mark Catron, the head coach of the Philadelphia Little Flyers. After two consecutive appearances at the Frozen Finals, the team faced a tough rebuild and missed the postseason for the first time in the program's history. Coach Catron discusses the challenges of the highly competitive South Division, the pride in developing players and moving them to higher leagues, and the valuable lessons learned in a season that saw them miss the playoffs by just three points. The conversation also highlights key players, including the maturation of college-bound defenseman Cyril Jebousek, the growth of young USHL draftee Stephen Bloomer, and the return of energetic goaltender Tadeas Bezdek, who is expected to make a big jump in his second year.

In this week's EHL Summer Coaches Series interview, Jake Basile sits down with Sean Collins, the head coach of the Valley Junior Warriors. Now in his third year with the program, Collins discusses his initial surprise and excitement about taking the helm of the EHL team while reflecting on the team's competitiveness. Collins delves into his coaching philosophy, emphasizing the importance of players earning their opportunities and fostering a seamless transition for players moving up from the Premier team. He also praises Andrew Duval for his work ethic and leadership, citing those reasons for being named captain for the upcoming season. Looking ahead, Collins outlines his recruiting strategy, which focuses on adding bigger, stronger players to compete in the tough North Division.

In this week's EHL Summer Coaches Series interview, Jake Basile interviews Nic Cota, head coach of the Express Hockey Club. Cota reflects on the team's most successful season, which included a regular-season title and a 16-game winning streak. He attributes the team's success to a focus on recruiting good people, not just good players. They discuss the team's dominant special teams and the defensive strength of the team, which finished first in goals against. Cota praises the goaltending duo of Alex Koenig and Lukas Toth and highlights the development program that successfully transitions players from their Premier team to the next level. Cota emphasizes the importance of transparency and honesty with his players, which he believes is the reason for the team's high in-season retention.

This week's EHL Summer Coaches Series interview features Connecticut Nor'easter EHL Head Coach Nielsson Arcibal and Premier Head Coach Matt Powers. Arcibal, who spent last season as the video coach for the Hartford Wolfpack, and Powers, in his second year in the league, discuss their unified vision for the program. The coaches outline their strategy for building a culture focused on a family environment and recruiting good people to create a tight-knit group. They detail their commitment to player development, emphasizing the opportunity for players to move up through the organization and the importance of preparing them for college hockey. The conversation also highlights the organization's top notch facilities, which include NCAA-level locker rooms, a private gym, new player apartments, and two new mini-rinks to offer unlimited ice time.

In this week's EHL Summer Coaches Series interview, Jason Kilcoyne, head coach of the New Jersey Bears, reflects on his team's first two seasons, highlighting a trend of continuous improvement in points and player commitments. He discusses the team's strong starts, including winning ten of their first eleven games and sweeping the October showcase in the past season. He praised the intense parity within the South Division, particularly the rivalry with the New Jersey 87's, and believes the high level of competition prepares his players for college hockey. Kilcoyne also touches on key players, the development of younger players, and a successful inaugural season at the Premier level. Looking ahead, he emphasizes the goal of advancing further in the playoffs and the importance of the new Crossover Series for providing players exposure to more schools.

In this week's EHL Summer Coaches Series interview, Tim Kunes, head coach of the New England Wolves, discusses the team's successful season. He highlights their top-three finish in the league and their best regular season in Wolves history, and speaks about the team's ability to develop young talent, emphasizing their focus on individual player development rather than solely on winning. The conversation touches on specific players like Alex Roy, Lukas Bukatovs, Cam Reardon, and Zach Spicuzza, acknowledging their growth and contributions. Finally, Kunes expresses his enjoyment of coaching in Laconia, a small market with strong community support, and shares his personal experience of coaching his own children within the Wolves' youth program.