Oakland Junior Grizzlies Announce 2026-2027 Coaching Staff Across All Age Groups and Tiers

From 10U teams to 18U AAA, the Oakland Junior Grizzlies have filled coaching benches across Tier 1, Tier 2 and girls' programs for 2026-27. The roster signals a larger youth hockey operation taking shape for the Troy-based club, which plays at Buffalo Wild Wings Arena, also known as Troy Sports Center, at 1819 E. Big Beaver Road.

The coaching announcement comes as the Grizzlies prepare for a new performance center, positioning the club as a multi-tier youth hockey organization with growing depth. The expansion brings more high-level coaching and infrastructure to the region, but it also raises a central question for families navigating the economics of competitive youth sports: Who will be able to participate?

The 2026-27 roster names head coaches for at least a dozen distinct age-group and tier positions across the club's Tier 1 AAA, Tier 2 and girls' programs. Ray Brice will lead U18 AAA, Dwayne Norris will coach U16 AAA, Pat Peake will head 15O AAA and Mike Nodler will take U14 AAA. Jason Selleke will lead the 2015 AAA team, Ethan Range the 2016 AAA team and Gordie Schaeffler the 10U team.

On the girls' side, Abby Soper will lead the 14U and 16U programs, while Derick Vizzini will coach 12U girls. Rod Heid will coach the 18U Split Season and 16U teams. Greg Squires will lead 2015 T2, and Joey Gatliff will coach 2016 T2.

The size of the staff reflects a club that was already expanding. During the 2025-26 season, the Grizzlies fielded well over a dozen teams across Tier 1 and Tier 2 levels, including multiple split squads at some age groups, spanning from 10U through 18U AAA. In 2020-21, the club listed head coaches for at least eight AAA teams ranging from the 2010 birth year through U18.

That growth now extends beyond the coaching bench. The Oakland Junior Grizzlies and Puckmasters announced a partnership to create the Puckmasters Oakland Junior Grizzlies Performance Center in Shelby Township, designed as a hockey development hub for athletes from 6U through 18U. The center will include two real-ice training rinks, a state-of-the-art performance gym, a skating treadmill, shooting and goalie lanes, and dedicated classrooms for cognitive training, mindset work and video analysis. It remains on track for a late-2026 opening, according to Puckmasters announcements.

The location broadens the club's reach across county lines. Shelby Township is in Macomb County, while Troy is in Oakland County; the two municipalities are adjacent but in different counties.

For many households, however, the barrier is not a shortage of coaches or ice time. It is cost.

Youth AAA hockey in Michigan typically costs between $11,800 and $23,050 per season all-in as of 2026, with a median total of approximately $18,000 per year. Registration fees alone typically fall between $5,000 and $14,000, depending on age group. By comparison, house or recreational youth hockey in Michigan is commonly estimated to cost about $1,250 to $2,200 per season. The Michigan Amateur Hockey Association Player Scholarship Fund offers a one-time scholarship of up to $500 for members facing temporary financial hardship. The Oakland Junior Grizzlies do not publicly detail financial assistance programs, payment plans or scholarship offerings on the club's website.

That gap — often more than ten times the cost of house hockey — raises questions about which Troy and Macomb County families can access the club's expanded coaching and facilities.

For players who can reach the highest levels, the club points to a record of advancement. The Oakland Junior Grizzlies 18U AAA team has 90 active alumni, with most playing at the NCAA Division III, ACHA Division I and NAHL levels.

The 2026-27 coaching roster is a sign of organizational strength and a marker of Troy's emergence as a hub for elite youth hockey development in southeast Michigan — and a reminder that access to that development remains tied to the ability to pay five-figure annual costs.