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Michael Burks: Owner/President
Michael has played recreational hockey for the past 10 years as a sponsor and player in the Glacier Hockey League. In 1999 Michael started Big Sky Specialized Carriers, a freight logistics company that he runs in Missoula. In addition, he owns and co-manages with his wife, Misty the Garden of Read’n, a Christian Bookstore in Missoula. Along with those, they also own Misty’s Tanning and Ultimate Salon and Fuel Fitness and Nutrition gyms located in Butte and Helena, MT. As the President of the Maulers, Michael will oversee merchandising of and the daily financial responsibilities of the organization. Recently Michael was listed on Entrepreneur magazine's Hot 500 list, and was featured in the Missoulian, which can be seen here.
Traver McLeod: General Manager
Traver McLeod grew up in Western Canada with his Mother Roeine and Father Garth. Attended Athol Murray College of Notre Dame for 3 years before making the move to Missoula Mt in ’98, where his Grandmother Myrna Saulter still resides. Hockey had just hit its grass roots in Missoula and he found his niche with many other hockey crazed enthusiast.
Now with the ever popular Maulers in town he looks to continue the excitement he has had from Coaching, Refing, Adult League Organizer, Pro Shop Manager, and Adult League Hockey Player to the help of developing young adults in their hockey endeavors.
With a great family history in hockey he looks to continue the involvement of growing the game of hockey in Missoula. The enjoyment of sport is a driving factor in both his wife Audrey and himself. To see the development of athletes to pursue a life goal in sports is a fulfilling feeling for the couple. His Father and Grandfather were continued builders of the sports of Hockey, Baseball, and Curling in Saskatchewan. He looks to full fill that in the great state of Montana.
Marcus Baxter: Head Coach
Marcus Baxter will be entering his first season as the head coach with the Missoula Maulers. Last year Marcus was the Associate Head Coach with the Maulers and prior to that he spent two years in Colorado coaching Midget AAA hockey. Marcus played Division 1 hockey for the University of Connecticut Huskies in the Atlantic Hockey Association. In his first season with Uconn his teammates voted him the recipient of the “Seventh Player Award” given annually to the unsung hero of the team. Before his college career began, Marcus played two seasons of Tier 2 junior hockey in the AWHL for the Bozeman Icedogs. In his second year with Bozeman, Marcus and his teammates took home both the Regular season and Playoff championships and represented the league in the National Championship Tournament.
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Marcus played his youth hockey in numerous cities across North America. Included along his path were stops in Calgary Alberta, Chicago Illinois, Saint John New Brunswick, and Vail Colorado, where the team competed twice in the Midget Major AAA National Championship Tournament.
Marcus is the son of Julie Baxter and long time NHL player Paul Baxter. Marcus has three sisters; Nicole (30), Laura (26), and Emily (18) all residing in South Florida. Nicole is in charge of media relations for a major hospital. Laura is an elementary school teacher and Emily will be entering her freshman year at college in August.
Joren Johnson: Assistant Coach
Joren is new to the Maulers coaching staff this season. He has played an active role in youth hockey for the past eight years, throughout Montana and North Dakota. He joins the Maulers this year after coaching the Missoula Bruins High School Varsity team to its first ever state title. Joren is a native of Bismarck, North Dakota where he played his youth hockey and was a three year letter winner at Bismarck High. Joren has had much support throughout his coaching career. From his mom Kelly Johnson and his dad Milo Johnson, who is an accomplished and respected coach in North Dakota.
Tim Zalinger: Goalie Coach
Tim Zalinger returns as the Maulers goaltender coach for the 2008-09 season. Tim has been a fixture in the Missoula hockey community dating back to 2004-05 when he was the Missoula High School coach. Since then, he has been the weekly goaltending coach for youth hockey. He has also been involved in Missoula hockey as a power skating instructor and served as a director at the youth level.
Zalinger hails from Vermont where he backstopped his Essex Junction high school team to an undefeated state championship season. After high school, Zalinger played hockey for Canton Tech Junior College where his team won back to back national championships
Matt Tschider: Strength and Conditioning Coach
Matt Tschider is in his first season as the Strength and Conditioning coach for the Missoula Maulers. Tschider is a native of Bismarck, ND, where he received All-state and All-region honors in hockey while attending Century High School.
Matt received his bachelor of science in Health and Human Performane in 2009 from the University of Montana. As an undergraduate Matt studied physiological changes in Junior Icehockey players during their season. As a student he also coached youth hockey at the Pee Wee and Bantam levels, in Bismarck, ND and Missoula, MT.
Matt will be responsible for developing, implementing and executing all aspects of strength and conditioning throughout the Maulers organization.
Russ DiCristofaro: Michigan Recruitor Russ is currently enttering his 7th season as the defensemen and goalie coach of the St. Clair Shores Unified Lakers High School Hockey Team in Michigan. He has 23 yrs of coaching experience; Junior A, Junior B, High School and Travel Hockey. He is the on ice/off ice instructor for the Michigan High School Hockey Excellence Program in Chelsea, Michigan. A life long SCS resident played house and travel hockey for the SCSHA ,then played high school hockey at Lake Shore High and also played in the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League. During his playing career he played on 4 State Championship teams and 1 National Championship Team. He is also an active member of the Michigan H.S.Hockey Coaches Association Board of Directors and president the M.A.C. High School Hockey Coaches Association Board of Directors. Russ is also Coach of the Great Lakes Selects hockey team. Coach Russ is single parent who has 2 sons: Vinny and Andy both played 4 years in the Lakers program and both sons were voted Div.1 First Team All-State players and both play/played for the Maulers.
Paul Schmit: Marketing Director
Paul Schmit is a graduate from Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. He came to Missoula in 2007 after graduating with a Bachelor's of Arts - Entertainment and Sports Promotion. Paul has been with the Missoula Mauelrs Junior "A" Hockey Team since their inaugural season as the Director of Marketing. His position entails selling corporate advertising, creating and implementing in-game promotions, booking game day entertainment, mascot (Slash) appearances, birthday parties and corporate outings. He also travels with the team on road games as the play-by-play person for the Missoula Maulers live webcast. Paul has recently started playing hockey in the Glacier Hockey League and is a regular at the Glacier Ice Rink for numerous events. If you are interested in learning more about different opportunityes to get involved with the team, email him directly at paul@missoulamaulers.com or call him at 406-830-FANG.
Dr. Peter Hicks (Dr. Pete) – Team Doctor
Originally from Canada, he grew up in Brantford, Ontario playing Defense and Goal Tender on minor league teams which actually included Brent, a brother of Wayne Gretzky. Pete is a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadians. His hockey idol is Ken Dryden, of whom he considers the greatest goalie of all time. Moving to Las Vegas with his father, he had to give up hockey, as it had not hit the desert in the early 80’s. This is where his love for Football began. Following High School he attended Weber State University, before attending the prestigious, New York Chiropractic College, arguably the “Harvard of the Chiropractic Colleges”. Dr. Pete is co-owner of Absolute Health Family Chiropractic where his emphasis is on Sport injuries and Pediatric care, along with the Missoula Phoenix. As one of the new Team Doctors’ for the Maulers, he looks forward to meeting and helping families as he makes his home here in Missoula with his wife, Debi and their six children. Pete is an avid Curler (Olympic sport) and was a National Champion in 2005, and he participates in Tractor Pulling.
Dr. Charles Stohel (Dr. Chuck) – Team Doctor
Grew up mainly in Northern Utah, where he graduated from Weber State University after which he attended New York Chiropractic College. He has spent time in Southern and Northern California, Florida and Central New York and he is excited to be back to the west, with all the mountains. When he is not helping people at the office, you can find him just about anywhere else hanging out with his wife and four kids, experiencing all the fun Western Montana has to offer, especially the movie theaters. He is thankful for the opportunity and experience he will gain, while working for the Maulers, as he did with the Missoula Phoenix. Chuck is a certified Active Release Technique (ART) Physician and holds certifications in Whiplash Injury Biomechanics & Traumatology from the Spine Research Institute of San Diego. Chuck looks forward to helping members of the community, by helping them to resolve their pain and physical dysfunctions and allowing them to do what they want to do.
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