USA Hockey has announced the coaching staffs for Team Blue and Team White for the 2024 Chipotle All-American Game, set for Jan. 15 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich.
Mike Leone, head coach and general manager of the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers, will serve as head coach for Team Blue, while Jason Kersner, head coach of the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, will be the head coach for Team White.
The 2024 Chipotle All-American game, featuring 45 top prospects from the USHL eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft, is set for 4:00 p.m. EST and will broadcast live on NHL Network. Tickets are still available at the USA Hockey Arena box office and can be purchased online here.
Including players from the U.S. National Under-18 Team of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, rosters for the two teams are made up of players from the United States Hockey League, the nation’s only Tier 1 junior hockey league.
“The USHL is honored to once again be participating in the 2024 Chipotle All-American Game, showcasing the extraordinary talent and dedication of our top players who are eligible for the NHL Draft,” said Glenn Hefferan, USHL President and Commissioner. “The selection of head coaches Mike Leone and Jason Kersner, along with some of the USHL’s top assistant coaches underscores our commitment to providing the highest level of guidance and expertise to these young athletes. This event highlights the bright future of hockey players in the USHL but also illustrates the USHL’s pivotal role in developing the next generation of NHL hockey talent. We look forward to an exciting and competitive game that continues the tradition of excellence associated with the Chipotle All-American Game.”
Mike Leone currently serves as general manager and head coach for Green Bay, a position he has held since joining the organization in April 2022. In his first full season at the helm, Leone led the Gamblers to the Clark Cup playoffs after a last-place conference finish the year prior. Currently, the Gamblers are 18-7-4 on the season, ranking second in the Eastern Conference with 40 points.
Prior to joining Green Bay, Leone served three seasons as an assistant coach for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. He has also served as an assistant for Team USA at several international competitions, including the 2022 and 2023 World Junior A Challenge, the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, the 2022 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament, the 2021 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. the 2019 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament, and the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge. Leone served as an assistant coach at the 2023 Chipotle All- American Game.
Ryan Bourque is serving as an assistant coach for Team Blue. Bourque is currently in his first season as an assistant coach for the NTDP. He began his coaching career as an assistant with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays in 2021, spending two seasons there before joining the NTDP staff. An alumni of the NTDP (2007-09), he played nine easons of professional hockey from 2011-20, primarily in the AHL.
Corey Leivermann will also be an assistant coach for Team Blue. Leivermann is in his first season as associate head coach of the USHL’s Fargo Force after previously serving as head coach and general manager of the USHL’s Madison Capitols in 2022-23. He was an assistant coach in Madison for the two seasons prior. Leivermann joined the Capitols from the NAHL’s Janesville Jets, where he was an assistant coach from 2017-2019 before being promoted to head coach and director of scouting in 2020. He played two seasons for the Force (2008-10), serving as captain in his second season, and played college hockey at Minnesota State University and Gustavus Adolphus College.
Jason Hodges will serve as athletic trainer, Jake Visser as equipment manager, and Scott Aldrich will be a specialist on the Team Blue staff.
Event Featuring Top Prospects for 2024 NHL Draft Slated for Jan. 15
