Coaching Testimonials
Player Testimonials
Parent Testimonials
Ethan Belchetz:
(2024 OHL 1st Overall Pick, Windsor Spitfires)​
"I was lucky to be coached by Mike, Dom and Ryan DeRenzis as well as Tyler Stothers during my U12 - U16 seasons. They picked me from AA, so I started on their team as one of the lower-end players. By my U14 season, I was offered spots on the top GTHL and Ontario teams, however, I never considered leaving because of how good the coaching staff was and how much they cared about us both as hockey players and people. They were always getting us extra ice, doing tons of video, and making sure we were as prepared as possible to succeed. Our team systems and game plans were always on point, and most of them I use in the OHL to this day. While we played with structure, they gave us the freedom to be creative as well. Off the ice, they made sure we were keeping up to date with our schoolwork and acting responsibly, even checking in with our teachers monthly to see how we were behaving and treating others. Even now while I’m in the OHL, they still check in with us and offer their help and guidance, and I still send Mike my game shifts for extra feedback. I truly feel very lucky to have been coached by Mike and the DeRenzis family and Tyler Stothers. I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support over the years."
Callum Croskery:
(NCAA D1 Boston College commit during U16 Season, 2024 OHL 2nd Round Pick to Soo)​
"I played for Head Coach Mike, and Assistant Coaches Dom and Ryan DeRenzis, and Tyler Stothers, for 6 years from u11 to u16 with the Oakville Rangers. Over those 6 years, I felt that all my coaches truly cared for me as a person and not just a hockey player. They taught me maturity and held me accountable both on and off the ice, disciplining me when necessary to develop me as a player and a respectful human. The coaches would encourage mistakes and give me honest feedback that made it easy to learn from my mistakes. Their commitment level to our team and knowledge of the game made it a very easy decision to return to their team year after year instead of entertaining offers I received from other OMHA and GTHL teams. They were consistently going above and beyond to develop our team as best they could by doing extra video with individuals and team video on top of that. Our team practiced more and did more video than any other minor hockey team and it showed that we were consistently more prepared than our opponents. The culture coach Mike built at the rink each and every day made it so much fun to come to the rink every time. Our practices were very competitive, which pushed us to work harder for our teammates and created a team first mentality that brought us closer than any other minor hockey team. Coach Mike DeRenzis’ coaching style makes it very fun to play for him, he is very demanding but is very fair, there is a lot of freedom to make plays in his system while maintaining a very smart and structured team game. The time I spent with these coaches while playing for the Oakville Rangers was the most fun I’ve had playing hockey."
Matthew Ross:
(2024 OHL 9th Round Pick, Niagara Ice Dogs)​
"I can’t speak highly enough about Coach Mike, Ryan, Dom and Ty, and the time I had while playing for them from U11 to U16. Mike was so determined to make us the best people, hockey players and team we could be. The amount of extra video he did whether it was one-on-one, team video, NHL and pro clips or our opponent's clips to make sure we were the most prepared and learning as much as we could. Mike is very good at developing his players and preparing us for the next level, he not only did a ton for our skill and IQ development on the ice, but it was the things off the ice as well that he did to make sure we were the best people we could be. Mike would keep up with our grades and see how we were doing off-ice so we could not only become better hockey players, but better students, teammates, and most importantly better people. Mike was my definition of a player's coach, he made it a fun environment where we all loved to come to the rink every day and get better as a team. Mike created a culture and a bond within our team where we wanted to block shots, take hits to make plays and overall battle for each other, Mike always had our back and we had his. Our practice environment was always very fun and super competitive, I felt like I was always getting better every day when I came to practice. Mike still reaches out to all of us to see how we are doing and how our seasons are going, he is always there for us whether we have questions about our games, if we need to go over some video clips together, or even if we just need someone to be able to talk to about anything. I have learned so many valuable things from Mike that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Coach Mike, Dom, Ryan and Ty and the impact they has had on my hockey career and me as a person is something I can’t thank them enough for."
Jonny Brooks
(2024 OHL 12th Round Pick, Peterborough Petes)​
"During my U12 season with Mike, Dom, Ryan and Ty, I was told I was on the bubble to make U13 if I couldn’t show improvements in my speed and conditioning by the time tryouts came. No sugar-coating, just the truth. That kind of honestly is tough in the moment, but it’s what helps you grow mentally as a player and person. I had two options: feel sorry for myself or get to work. So, I put my head down and grinded as much as I possibly could on & off the ice, and when tryouts came around, I made the team. I stayed with the team all the way through U16, getting the opportunity to play different roles and on different lines to help develop my game.
You want to play for a coach who is honest with you and holds you accountable, and that’s what you get with Mike. He is demanding but fair. He will reward you when you deserve it, and he will call you out if he wants more, he’s not going to just stay quiet and let you get away with things because he wants to keep you happy because he’s worried about you leaving his team. He is there to make you better. And I can tell you first-hand, Mike knows how to develop players. You’ll always know where you stand with Mike, Dom, Ryan and Ty, and if you don’t like where you stand, you have the ability to change it. They don’t play favorites, they don’t make promises, you get a chance to earn ice time every game and every season. If you earn it, you’ll get it, and no matter how skilled you are if you aren’t delivering or doing what’s asked, you’ll be disciplined. They’ll hold everybody to a standard.
The culture Mike and his staff built was unbelievable. Every day, I couldn’t wait to get to the rink, and our team was as tight as it gets, which I credit a lot of that to him. We had some elite players, but everyone put their egos aside and we all got along so well, and it was special to be part of a group like that. Now that I’ve moved on, I still think about that team and the bond we had. I don’t think I’ll ever play for a team like that again. If I could go back for just one more year of U16, I would in a heartbeat, it was one of the best years of my life winning the OHL Cup with that group.
What made Mike different was how much you felt he actually cared. He wasn’t just there to win hockey games, he literally wanted every player on the team to be successful. He put in so much time and effort to make sure we were ready for every game, and you could tell he genuinely wanted every player to have a role and succeed. Whether it was breaking down video, running high-tempo practices, or just having honest conversations about how we could get better, he was always fully invested. He expected a lot from us, but he gave just as much back, which made us want to work hard for him. That kind of dedication is rare, and it made all the difference.
If you’re serious about hockey, you want to play for coaches who care about you and know how to develop players the right way, and who know what it takes to win, and this is what the First Star staff of Mike, Dom, Ryan and Ty do. I will forever be grateful to them and without them I wouldn’t be playing Jr hockey at 16 years old right now."
Ryder Carey:
(2024 OHL 1st Round Pick, North Bay Battalion)​
"My name is Ryder Carey, I play for the North Bay Battalion in the OHL. I recently played for the Oakville Rangers from U14 to U16 being coached by Mike, Dom and Ryan DeRenzis, and Tyler Stothers. First off, let’s start by saying we are the 2024 OHL Cup Champs. A 4th ranked team who didn’t have as many skill players or OHL picks as some teams above us, but knocked off the #3, #2, and #1 ranked teams on the way to winning it all, and I’d say the 2 main reasons were the dressing room culture and how tight we were as a group to sacrifice for eachother, and the preparation from Mike and our coaching staff.
I came to Oakville in my u14 season not knowing what it would be like and putting a lot of trust in the staff, and at the end of it all I couldn’t be happier that I came. It made my game change a lot, in a great way. Many people think we won off our team skill, but we won because our buy-in and our identity that we built around the team and our coaching staff. Every game, we would go in knowing our opponents inside-out, who their top players were vs their bottom players, what systems they played, etc. everything you can imagine so we could exploit them. And that is why I think we won so often. Every day, coming to the rink would be positive because you know it’s going to be a good practice and drills and learn a ton, and that was the biggest part for me, because practice is where you get better and I always felt like I was learning and having fun at Mike’s practices. I always also felt like I could go in and talk to the coaching staff not having to feel scared or worried about what they were going to say, they would be honest and whether it was an answer I would like or not like, I wouldn’t leave feeling embarrassed or wrong. And that was a big thing for me being able to have a honest conversation with my coach. It wasn’t just a on ice development for me it was a huge off the ice. I felt like my personality and maturity off ice had a huge improvement where the coaching staff isn’t just teaching us how to play hockey but how to become better people in life which has prepared me for where I am now being in the OHL at 16 years old. Mike really helped me with that because I was moving away from home and I knew how to act and behave because it’s nothing but professionality with Mike and his coaching staff to prepare players for what comes next after minor hockey in both the hockey world and real world."
Evan Headrick:
(2024 OHL 1st Round Pick, Kitchener Rangers)​
"Playing for Mike, Dom, Ryan and Ty from U14 to U16 was extremely helpful for my development. Mike is a development-first coach that is proven with his success over the years. He is extremely committed and is willing to do whatever his players need and what it takes to make sure his team is prepared. If we asked him for extra ice, he’d get it to work with us – if he had to drive to St. Andrews to video tape YSE vs Barrie for our pre-scout to be prepared, he’d do it. Mike would give us the pro experience from a young age, he has the same coaching style & systems to what I see in the OHL, and playing for him definitely got me more prepared for the next level of hockey. He always treated everyone fairly and was a huge reason why we won the OHL cup. Our practices were very detailed, he always made corrections and wanted things perfect, and they were high intensity. He pushed us constantly to be better not only as players but as people. He is very big on accountability, responsibility, respect and maturity, as well as making sure his players do well in school - he always made sure that our marks were where they should be and that we were acting like role models at school. Mike was always easy to talk to if anything was ever wrong or if we had questions and he was very open and truthful with what he was saying. He wouldn’t lie to us or sugar-coat things, he made sure we knew where we stood and what was needed of us. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the coaching of Mike, Dom, Ryan and Ty."
Jacob Saldanha:
(2024 OHL Cup Champion​
"In my only year (U16) with Mike, his dedication and commitment to us as players and people left me wishing I had come to his team sooner. His passion for the game and his team can most clearly be seen in the countless hours he spent making sure we were prepared to take on any team. His in-depth video sessions, game-realistic and competitive practices, and team-bonding events led our Oakville team to great success. His approachable nature, combined with his ability to make the hard decisions that benefit the team, makes him such an enjoyable coach from a player's perspective. The family-like atmosphere pushed by him, his dad Dom, his brother Ryan, and Tyler Stothers, led to a brotherhood being built that I, as a player on his team, will never forget. Even though we’ve all moved on from minor hockey and now play on different teams/cities/countries, the players and our families still all get together, which is a compliment to the culture they built. Overall, I wish my short time with the Oakville Rangers could have been extended because of the family culture Mike and his staff were able to build."
Parent Testimonials
​"I will never forget the day when a young man named Mike DeRenzis with a huge passion for hockey approached me about my 9-year-old son, who was playing “AA” with Oakville, whom Mike had been "scouting" for the following year's "Atom/U11" AAA hockey team. His enthusiasm for hockey and willingness to teach the game to the next generation of players was unmatched. Right from the start, you could see that the love of hockey was also a family trait, as the bench staff included his father Dom, younger brother Ryan and his close buddy and former professional hockey player, Tyler Stothers.
Little did we know that our son was embarking on a 6-year journey through minor hockey that has not only allowed him to develop his athletic skills at an elite level but also into an amazing young man off the ice. Beyond the expected on-ice skills, drills and practices, the team was taught advanced hockey IQ, systems, tactics and skills from the very beginning. It was not unusual to find the coaches carrying a large screen TV in and out of the arena to help with weekly video sessions. There were also written quizzes to test the players' knowledge of what was being taught on the ice, to see if players were retaining information or if they needed to re-teach something. The level of understanding of the game and attention to detail put into the development of these minor hockey players is what I believe set this team apart from the rest of the field.
Today's minor hockey players are definitely under more scrutiny and pressure to perform and succeed than ever before. The "business" of the sport has become quite prevalent in minor hockey through the presence of player agency representation, early scouting and showcase events, and the looming junior hockey draft. The coaches were able to pull from their own experiences to help guide the players through this crazy time, reminding them that hockey is "not a sprint, it is a marathon." The personal connections that these coaches were able to develop with the players on and off the ice enabled them to unprecedented success from undefeated hockey seasons to the culmination of hoisting the OHL Cup at the very end of their minor hockey career.
Although the team's hockey achievements were no short of amazing, I believe that the six years my son spent learning and growing with these coaches has greatly influenced him to become an outstanding young man and has set him up very well for junior hockey and life beyond hockey."
- Eldon Low
(Father of Teddy Low, 2024 OHL 10th Round Pick, U11 to U16 with Mike & Staff)
​"Mike has had an invaluable impact on our son’s development both on and off the ice over the past 6 years. His dedication and commitment to both individual player and team development is unmatched. Mike’s attention to detail, along with the time he spends preparing ensured that every session was purposeful and tailored to help each player grow and develop. Mike is an effective communicator who fosters an environment where players are both challenged and supported. He truly cares about his players, allowing his passion for the game, that’s second to none, to shine through.
But what truly sets Mike apart is his commitment to developing better people, not just better players. He leads by example, balancing a firm but fair approach. His push for excellence was always evident, and under his guidance, helped our son Matthew mature both on and off the ice. He was always there to help if you asked him to work on something extra. Mike and his entire coaching staff of Tyler, Ryan and Dom have had a positive influence over the years, we can’t thank you enough for all the time, effort and support you’ve provided over the years!"
- Dave & Sophie Ross
(Parents of Matthew Ross, 2024 OHL 9th Round Pick, U11 to U16 with Mike & Staff)
​"Mike was our son’s coach for 6 seasons in minor hockey from U11 to his U16 OHL Draft year in 2024. In that time, we got to know Mike, Dom, Ryan and Ty very well, and got to see first-hand how they developed individual players and developed a team. Hockey skills and gameplay IQ aside, Mike also coached the boys’ character, their discipline, and their commitment to the sport and to their team. Even from an early age, Mike was preparing them for a future endeavour in hockey. Mike’s dedication to the team both personally and professionally has opened doors in the OHL, USHL, NCAA and Hockey Canada for many of the players from that team, and in particular our son.
From the time they were 9 years old, Mike’s philosophy was to trust their process of hockey development. It is a marathon, not a sprint. He upheld this philosophy with the players individually as well as with the team as a whole. Mike taught them that the peaks and valleys in skill development, in games, in seasons, and in their confidence, are part of the process of hockey; to learn from their experiences and to keep moving forward. He might have even taught some of the parents that as well!
Mike doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk by the sheer amount of time and energy he puts into coaching. He does nothing half-way. The extra hours of practice and video review he spent with the boys, as well as the recreational time so they could bond as a team, paid off in their performance on the ice, as well as their commitment to one another as a team. The team became a band of brothers and continue to keep in touch to this day. They have kept connected with Mike for regular updates on their careers or to ask for advice, a testament to the role model he was, and continues to be, for his hockey players."
- Matt & Laura Croskery
(Parents of Callum Croskery, NCAA Commit to Boston College in U16, Team Canada at Youth Olympics & U17 World Championships, U11 to U16 with Mike & Staff)
​"My son Ryder Carey played for the Oakville Rangers for 3 years from U14 to U16’s OHL Draft with Mike as the head coach. We had played against Mike's teams from U11 to U13 and they were always competitive. We then went to play for Oakville because of Mike. When we met, he answered all of my questions honestly and never made any promises. One of the things I remember distinctly is that he told me his end goal was to develop each and every player and to win the OHL cup, and we did.
Mike is highly organized and runs great practices. And we practiced a lot. He and the whole staff ran high paced practices with a lot of variety. The boys were always paying attention and enjoyed the practices. Mike is able to recognize his players talents and how to use them best. Our team won a lot of tournaments in the three years we played for Mike, Dom, Ryan and Ty. Stability and consistency are two words I would use to describe their teams in how they are ran and preform. As parents, we didn't always agree with all of Mike's decisions but it was obvious Mike had the players and the teams interest as his highest priority.
My son Ryder was drafted 1st round 16th overall to North Bay. Without Mike and his full staff’s coaching and mentorship it's unlikely Ryder would have been drafted as high as he was."
- Shawn Carey
(Father of Ryder Carey, 2024 OHL 1st Round Pick, U14 to U16 with Mike & Staff)
​"My name is Rob Armstrong and our family has known Mike DeRenzis for the past 4 years as my now 17-year-old son, Christian, had the good fortune to have played for the Oakville Rangers under Mike’s guidance. In my 50 years of being associated with kids’ hockey programs and development, the experience we had with coaches Mike, Ty, Dom and Ryan was the best ever. Their understanding of the game and the commitment to discipline and excellence transformed boys into young men and allowed the team to win many of the important tournaments every year, of course ending with our victory in last year’s OHL Cup. These kids learned so much and developed into top tier hockey players, which definitely contributed to 12 of the boys, including Christian, being selected last year in the OHL Priority Draft. Great coaches who care, with high ethical standards, and a commitment to creating a positive experience to players and parents – can’t thank them enough for what they did for Christian."
- Rob Armstrong
(Father of Christian Armstrong, 2024 OHL 4th Round Pick, U14 to U16 with Mike & Staff)