Mandy Cronin
I am a seasoned manager with 15+ years of athletics administration and program management experience in the sports sector. Recognized for demonstrating a natural aptitude for team development, as well as for player recruitment and sponsor management, I have a verifiable history of contributing directly to organization growth and expansion throughout my career. As such, I have consistently exceeded budgetary and performance goals, and I am adept at achieving maximum operational impacts with minimal challenges. Professional focal points include athletics management, program coordination, coaching and mentoring, staff support, budget management, and relationship management. Delivering superior administration on the latter areas of expertise requires utilization of effective communication and prioritization skills, as well as process enhancement, best practices, partner relations, and promotions management to support optimal results.
Most recently, I was the General Manager and Goalie Coach for the Toronto Six. As part of the leadership group, I helped to develop and found a completely new women’s professional hockey franchise within the NWHL in one of the hottest hockey markets (Toronto), as well as finalize a full roster, select players for draft, and negotiate trade deals. I performed comprehensive due diligence in prospecting and acquiring the team’s home arena and operated as project manager for the construction of a custom dressing room. In addition, I liaised with senior leadership, sponsors, and suppliers to ensure the team’s administrative support structure was driving the organization forward with minimal expenditures.Lucky DeGrazia
Varsity Hockey School originated in 1989. Director – Lucky De Grazia, Bramalea Blues Tier II Jr. A, York University Yeomen. Varsity began as a summer power skating program and has now elevated to a complete hockey development operation. Varsity has grown to teach over 6000 students yearly , instructing across Canada, the United States and internationally. Currently Varsity employs more than 40 instructors on a full and part-time basis, not try and make students go through hoops. We implement a repetition of basic skills, which we have found to be the most effective for player development. Our programs are kept current and up-to-date. We instruct individual players and teams of varying calibre.Stephon Thorne
Stephon has been a part of the Varsity team since 2008. He played his minor hockey in the GTHL, where he played in the OHL cup with the Vaughan Kings. Stephon then spent 1 year of Jr A hockey with the Milton Icehawks then he played 3 years in the OHL with the Brampton Battalions and were he was Captain his final year in the OHL. After Jr, Stephon went on to play Pro Hockey for 6 years in the United States in the CHL and ECHL for the Fort Wayne Komets, Toledo Walleye, Brampton Beast and Evansville Thunderbolts, where he won a CHL Championship with Fort Wayne. Stephon has been a Head Instructor at Varsity since 2012.Stephon has been an assistant coach with the Mississauga RebelsMikyla Grant-Mentis
At Merrimack, Grant-Mentis is the program’s all-time leader in points (117) and assists (61), and she is second in goals (56). In 2019-20, she led the team with 20 goals and 33 points in 33 games and earned Hockey East Second Team All-Star honors. The 20 goals ranked tied for second in Hockey East and top ten in NCAA Division I. Grant-Mentis had primary points on 54 percent of Merrimack’s total offense this season, and she was second among Merrimack forwards in blocked shots (39).
At the completion of her collegiate career in February, Grant-Mentis joined the Buffalo Beauts for the last two games in the regular season. She promptly earned Veda NWHL Player of the Week honors. In Buffalo’s playoff loss to Connecticut, Grant-Mentis had a goal and an assist. Prior to Merrimack, Grant-Mentis played for the Mississauga Chiefs and Toronto Aeros.
"When my mom was going through cancer treatment, hockey and my teammates were the only things that could take my mind away from the situation. Suffice to say, I love the sport and I joined the Toronto Six to play professionally in my hometown and in front of friends and family.
"I want to show young girls that hockey is for them no matter what background they come from. Hockey can also teach a thing or two to young women, namely, that we are powerful in numbers and if we can stick together and empower each other, there is nothing we can’t do.