The New Jersey Devils Youth Hockey Club is committed to creating an atmosphere fosters player self-confidence, develops high self-esteem, and builds strong character. We provide the most qualified professional staff available and follow a curriculum that is built upon the most up-to-date coaching methods and research in the field of child development. We offer a complete range of ice hockey programs from the beginners level to the highly competitive AAA USA Hockey-sanctioned level to programs for players with disabilities. All of our programs, regardless of level, are structured to provide players with the latitude for personal growth that enables each participant to reach his or her maximum potential as an individual and help to prepare him or her to succeed in life's competitive environment. The cornerstone and driving principle of this organization is our Commitment to Youth.

John DiNorcia has been the Program Director of the New Jersey Devils Youth Hockey Club since 1998.  One of the most well-respected professionals in the sport, John has earned numerous awards and appointments.  He currently serves as the Director of Player Development for the Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association, and he has expanded the program to serve over a thousand Atlantic District players at six age levels each year. Prior to taking on a leadership role in the Player Development Program, John served as the Atlantic District Coach-in-Chief, which is a USA Hockey-appointed position.  He was the first to receive the AAHA Coach of the Year Award and was a National Finalist for the Positive Coaching Alliance’s Double-Goal Coach Award.  He is also a member of the AAHA Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Dr. John J. McMullen Award.  A former high school English teacher, John has an M.Ed. from Kean University.

John helped to put New Jersey hockey on the map, earning gold, silver, and bronze medals at the USA Hockey National Championships and winning the Silver Sticks International Tournament and the Quebc Peewee International Tournament.  Before USA Hockey went to a mixed-team format for their National Development Camps, he was on the staff of the only Atlantic District team to win gold at the USA Hockey Junior Olympic Festival.  

As a coach, John understands that successful teams are more than the sum of their parts.  He emphasizes teamwork, accountability, and discipline and teaches his athletes to leverage their strengths while working to improve all areas of their game.  John understands that hockey is not a sprint, but a marathon and he is unwilling to cut corners and sacrifice long-term development in pursuit of short-term gains.  He relates to his players as people first and hockey players second and differentiates his approach both on and off the ice.  John takes great pride in the number of former players who have gone on to have careers in hockey as players, scouts, broadcasters, and especially as youth hockey coaches.

Chris Atkinson rejoined the Devils Youth organization as a coach in 2012 after playing much of his youth career with us.  He has coached numerous Tier 1 teams to District finals and League championships, is a core member of the AAHA Player Development Program staff, and was at the helm of the New Jersey Devils Peewee Quebec teams that advanced to the quarterfinals in 2018, 2022, and 2023.

As one of the best hockey players to ever come out of the state of New Jersey, Chris’ distinguished playing career included a USA Hockey National Championship, a Silver Sticks International Championship, and a Quebec Peewee International Tournament Championship.  As a member of the Atlantic District Player Development Program, Chris was on the only Atlantic District team to win the USA Hockey Junior Olympic Festival before USA Hockey went to a mixed-team format.  Chris played at the Salisbury School before being selected for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program and playing on the US Under-18 team.  He played D1 college hockey at the University of Vermont and played a season with the Danbury Whalers before coming home to New Jersey.

Chris is among the most popular coaches in the organization for good reason.  He is one of the rare hockey professionals who is as good on the bench as he was on the ice, all while remaining humble and eager to learn and improve as a coach.  He genuinely enjoys working with players of all ages and skill levels, and he connects easily with his athletes and families.

D.J. Book has over 35 years of playing, officiating and coaching experience.  He grew up playing youth hockey in Pittsburgh and later in South Jersey, serving as Captain and Assistant Captain on multiple teams.  D.J. served as an Assistant Captain on the Shawnee High School Varsity hockey team that won the South Jersey High School Ice Hockey League Championship in 1997. He went on to play hockey for Berkshire School in Sheffield, MA for two seasons before attending Union College and later graduating from Carnegie Mellon University, where he was a College Hockey East All-Star.  D.J. worked for the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins as well as ESPN Radio and later assisted coach Jay Varady, former Union College Varsity Captain and current Assistant Coach of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings, with the Pittsburgh Hornets Youth Hockey Program.  

D.J.’s coaching philosophy centers around positivity, focus, teamwork, commitment, intensity and discipline.  His practices focus on skill work, power skating, battling, aggressiveness and moving the puck.  D.J. strongly believes in challenging his players with both short and long-term goals in an effort to assist them in reaching their utmost potential, both as a person and an athlete/hockey player.

Kevin Crane is a true student of the game of hockey and an extremely talented skills coach whose teams play a high-tempo, dynamic game.  He is known as a “player’s coach” who helps his athletes build confidence while encouraging them to take risks and push themselves outside their comfort zones.

Kevin has coached several Devils Youth Tier 1 teams since joining our staff in 2014, winning an AAHA District Championship before the COVID shutdown.  He is also the Managing Partner of D1 Development Group and the Assistant Coach of the Seton Hall Preparatory School Varsity team.  In addition, Kevin is a member of the Atlantic District Player Development staff.

Kevin had a distinguished playing career including a USA Hockey National Championship, two NCAA Tournament appearances, and ECAC and Ivy League Championships at Princeton University.  He played his high school hockey at Philips Exeter Academy, where he was captain of the varsity ice hockey team.

Adam Diglio is the longest tenured coach at NJ Devils Youth, starting with the club in 1988. Adam has had many roles within the organization, including: Coach, Level Coordinator, Defensive Coordinator, Tryout Director and Associate Coaching Director.  Prior to coaching, Adam played D1 college hockey at Canisius College in Buffalo NY and served as Team Captain.  He also played First Division Pro in Italy and Minor Pro in Cincinnati for the Cyclones of the ECHL.  Adam has a BS in Business Management, a MS in Organizational Development with his thesis focusing on youth sports organizations.  He also has two advanced certificates from Cornell University in Executive Leadership.  

As a coach, Adam won many medals at many youth championships over the years. He has led teams to the USA Hockey National Championships five different times. Countless number of Adam’s former players can be found at the highest levels of hockey, including The US National Team, Canadian Major Junior, Division One College, Minor Pro and the NHL.

Adam’s coaching style is described as one of positive reinforcement with personal responsibility.   He is noted for practices that mix skill,  team concepts and fun.

Marco Escalona joined Devils Youth for the 2022- 2023 season. Prior to that he spent 17 years coaching Tier1 AAA hockey where he made playoffs with various age groups and programs. Simultaneously, he was a head goaltending instructor for various companies, assisting in goalie development and seeing his students reach various levels of hockey. Currently he is a co-owner of Mayhem Hockey. Mayhem hockey has had a lot of success in its young history, winning summer tournaments while continuing to build out its program. Additionally, Marco is part of the Atlantic District player development staff. 

Marco is a fair and demanding coach. He believes in players who are open to learning and willing to push themselves will grow on and off the ice. 

Pete Haglund is entering his season coaching with the Devils Youth organization.  Prior to joining Devils Youth, he coached coed teams at the squirt through bantam levels with the Secaucus Patriots. Pete started his youth hockey career playing with the Devils Youth when he was a mite being coached by John DiNorcia and Adam Diglio. While with the Devils Youth Pete competed in the largest Pee-wee tournament in Quebec. He has also played for the New Jersey Rockets, Ramapo Rangers and New Jersey Titans at different levels through juniors. Pete also was a member of Team New Jersey for the Chicago Showcase team. He attended Hudson Catholic High School in Jersey City where he was a member of the 2000 State Championship Hockey Team and the following year named captain. After high school Pete attended Wagner College, Staten Island, NY where he played on their American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division II hockey team which won the Metropolitan Conference in 2004 and the MACHA in 2006 while also qualifying for the Division II National Championships the last 3 years in college.  Pete graduated Wagner College in 2006.  Pete is also an avid NJ Devils fan and has had season tickets for over 15 years.

Pete requires focus and 100% effort out of his players regardless of if they are at practice or a game. He appreciates players who ask questions on how they can improve their game and apply these tips in game situations. He coaches his teams to apply consistent pressure on the opposing team and to capitalize off of their mistakes.

As an educator, Steve Riley understands that players need to be comfortable stepping outside their comfort zone and working in the learning zone in order to improve, and he is expert at creating a safe environment where his athletes can be creative, explore their skills, and take risks.  He creates a culture of accountability within a positive and encouraging learning environment.

Steve played youth hockey in Boston, Buffalo, and the Philadelphia area. He played at the Trinity-Pawling School for three years before moving to Arizona to play pro-inline hockey.  Steve has served as an Associate Coaching Director with the Devils Youth organization for over twenty years and served many years as a member of the Atlantic District Player Development staff and a Lead Instructor for the Atlantic District Coaching Education Program, as well as representing the Atlantic District as a coach at the USA Hockey National Player Development Camps.

Jamie Stack has coached at the Tier 1 Peewee and Bantam levels since joining the Devils Youth coaching staff in 2016.  Three of his last four teams have advanced to the AYHL championships, with the last two emerging victorious.  He also served as the defensive coach for the Summit High School Varsity team for 11 seasons, a team that won state championships in 2012, 2018, 2019, and 2020.  In addition, Jamie is a member of the Atlantic District Player Development staff.

Jamie spent most of his youth hockey career playing with Devils Youth, where he attended the Silver Sticks International Tournament and won a District Championship and USA Hockey National bronze medal.  He also reached the Quebec Peewee International Tournament quarterfinals as a member of the New Jersey Devils team run by the Atlantic District Player Development Program.

Jamie’s success as a coach is a result of his attention to detail and his ability to create strong culture of accountability and discipline.  He believes players who enjoy the process will eventually find success, and that hard work is its own reward.  He believes that his emphasis on cultivating a strong work ethic helps his players to be successful on and off the ice.

Chris Stanish played hockey as a child at camp, but he became serious about the sport as an adult and has been an eager student of the game for the past sixteen years.  The fact that players come back year after year to play for Chris speaks to his skill as a coach and his ability to connect with players and families.  His favorite moment as a coach was when his Squirt team won the Steel City Shootout, because it was the culmination of all the hard work they had done together.

Chris’ coaching style is competitive, enthusiastic, and fun. He shares his love of the game with his athletes, and he uses it to help his players learn life lessons.  With an emphasis on team building and player development, he encourages his athletes to get out of their comfort zones to become better players and better people.    

Tom VanDoren grew up playing youth hockey in New Jersey with several organizations including the original New Jersey Rockets (who later became Devils Youth).  Coach Tom also played two years of Junior hockey with the New Jersey Golden Blades.  He has been with Devils Youth for over twenty years where he has coached teams at every level, Mite through Midget, B through AAA.  Most recently, Tom coached our Midget 18 AA team which qualified for NJYHL playoffs six out of seven seasons.

As a coach, Tom has countless wins under his belt and has worked with players who have gone on to play at prep schools, colleges, and the NHL.  His experience gives him the ability to cultivate a team-first mentality while attending to the individual growth of each of his players.  Tom is extremely engaged with his athletes and is very skilled at adjusting his approach based on the age and level of play of each team.  Tom is dedicated to bringing out the best in each of his players on and off the ice.

Coach Tom attended Madison High School where he played four years of varsity hockey and served as Captain his Junior and Senior years.  While at Madison High School he was named to the Morris County League first team and third team all-state and was the first and only unanimous winner of the Otto F. Hass Sportsmanship Award.  After high school Coach Tom was named a league all-star while playing at County College of Morris.  This nationally-ranked team played in two league championships (winning one of them) as well as playing in the junior college regional tournament.  While at County College of Morris Coach Tom started coaching at his alma mater, Madison High School where he served as an assistant coach for two years and head coach for seven years. Tom was instrumental in the reorganization and revival of the Harding-Madison Youth Hockey program as a feeder program for Madison High School.  

We are excited to welcome Steve Weinstein, a Los Angeles native, to the Devils Youth staff for the 2024 – 2025 season.  Steve grew up playing for the California Wave and LA Selects before heading to the BCHL where he won two RBC Cups (now known as the Centenial Cup) and then to Bentley University where he was named AHA Best Defenseman and First Team All-Star.  After graduation, Steve played in the AHL and ECHL before beginning his coaching career seven years ago.  Steve has coached at the Bantam, 16, and 18 levels at Chelsea Piers where he won the 2022 EJEPL 16 Championship.

As a coach, Steve strives to clearly communicate expectations, both on and off the ice, to the players to ensure they understand the team’s systems and objectives. He focuses on each individual’s strengths and weaknesses in order to ensure that each player improves throughout the season while having the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to the team’s success. 

Junior Devils Inc. d/b/a the New Jersey Devils Youth Hockey Club is not affiliated with the New Jersey Devils.  The New Jersey Devils name and logo are trademarks of the New Jersey Devils.  (c)NHL 2015.  All Rights Reserved.  Used with permission.

We are a non-profit organization and would love your donation!  Funds received support our NJDYHC Sled Hockey Program, our Tuition Assistance Program, and other programs that support youth hockey in our community.