Coaching Staff

Ed Gingher enters his 19th season with the AAA Blue Jackets after founding the program in 2004. Under his leadership, the program has become one of the most respected in the country. As president, Gingher oversees all aspects of the program and focuses on the management of all national bound teams.

As a head coach for 18 seasons, he coached more than 1,100 games and helped hundreds of players advance to next levels of hockey, including 6 NHL players and more than 30 professionals. He has led teams to the national tournament on three occasions and guided the 2014-15 18U team to a Tier I Elite League championship.

Prior to starting the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets, he spent six years with the the ECHL's Dayton Bombers. In 2000, he became one of the youngest general managers in professional hockey history. Gingher also served the Bombers as a scout, assistant coach and assistant general manager.

Gingher sits on the Tier 1 Elite League and USA Hockey Mid-Am District executive boards. He is active with USA Hockey coaching at a variety of national development camps. Gingher has also been a guest coach at numerous NHL development camps and training camps.

After his playing career, he enrolled at the University of Dayton and earned bachelor’s degrees in management and marketing in 1999. He, his wife (Betsy), their son (Ryan), and daughter (Allie) reside in Dublin.

Nick Petraglia is currently in his third season with the AAA Blue Jackets after being hired as the Executive Vice President in the summer of 2020. Petraglia assists with the oversight of all operations of the program. On the ice, he works closely with our entire coaching staff and spends time coaching all teams including working with the program's goaltenders.

Prior to his arrival in Columbus, Petraglia spent 20 years at Miami University as a student-athlete, coach and administrator. He was part of teams that won 5 conference championships, participated in 10 NCAA Tournaments and advanced to 2 Frozen Fours. Petraglia has recruited/coached more than 20 players with NHL experience, 12 all-Americans, 32 all-conference selections, 3 conference players of the year and one Hobey Baker Award winner and Olympic captain.

A certified USA Hockey Level IV coach, Petraglia was a charter member and mentor for USA Hockey’s Warren Strelow Program, which is responsible for identifying and developing the nation’s elite level goaltenders. He has worked numerous USA Hockey development camps and assisted with the evaluation and selection of national teams for the National Team Development Program, Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 5 Nations tournaments.

As a player, the Faribault, MN native helped lead Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep to prominence and was in goal for the program’s first ever USA Hockey 18U National Championship in 1999. At Miami, he posted a .902 career save percentage and a 2.21 goals-against average from 2000-04 and helped the RedHawks qualify for the NCAA Tournament as a senior.

Petraglia received his bachelor's degree in sport organization from Miami in 2004 and his master's degree in sport behavior and performance in 2007. He currently resides in Galena with his wife (Becky) and children (Rocco and Athena).

Dale Jordan is currently in 17th season with the program and has over 20 years of coaching experience at all youth levels. As hockey director, Jordan assists with the oversight of the administrative aspect of the program and is responsible for managing teams in the 10U-13U age groups. He will also be serving as the head coach of our 2012 age group in the 2022-23 season.

Dale has over 19 years of coaching experience at all different levels and has been a head coach in our program since 2007. Prior to joining the AAA Blue Jackets, he served as the varsity coach at St. Charles High School for 5 seasons from 2002-2006. During that time he also was a head coach for multiple bantam and pee wee AA travel teams at CCYHA. Jordan also spends time as a private hockey instructor and helps manage the program's camps, clinics and on-ice skills training sessions.

A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Jordan played his junior hockey for the Columbus Crush and has playing experience at both the Junior A and Junior B levels.

He resides in Dublin and has three children (Mark, Ellie and Zoahelen).

Kerry Bowman is beginning his first season with the program after being named the girls hockey director and 14U head coach on March 29, 2022. An accomplished player, teacher and coach with a well-rounded resume, Bowman comes to Columbus after coaching the Washington Pride in the Junior Women's Hockey League (JWHL) at the 19U and 16U levels from 2018-20. 

Prior to his time in Washington, DC, Bowman served as a head coach for the AAA Sun County Panthers in the Ontario Hockey Federation from 2011-17 where he coached the 12U-15U levels. During this time, he also worked full-time as an educator, teaching French as a second language to students in grades 3-8. He has also served as a lead instructor with the CAN/AM Hockey group since 2001.

As a player, Bowman played Division I hockey at Mercyhurst College where he helped lead the Lakers to the Atlantic Hockey championship and NCAA Tournament in 2005. A two-time Atlantic Hockey Scholar Athlete, Kerry was the recipient of the Bill Smith Memorial Senior Award and served as team captain in 2008. Upon graduating with a bachelors degree in sports medicine, he went on to play two seasons professionally with the IHL's Port Huron Icehawks.

He resides in Powell with his wife (Jessica) and two sons (Knox and Bennett).

Darryl Noren is currently in his third season with the AAA Blue Jackets. He will return to serve as our 18U head coach for the 2022-23 season after spending last year at the 16U level. In his first season, he led the 18U squad to a Mid-Am district championship and the quarterfinals in the national tournament.

Prior to joining the program, Noren served as the head coach and general manager of the USPHL's Columbus Mavericks in 2019-20. He also spent five seasons coaching professionally, including time as an assistant coach in the ECHL with the Pensacola Ice Pilots and head coach and assistant general manager of the St. Pete Parrots in the SPHL.

As a player, Noren's impressive resume includes more than 700 professional games played. He ranks 3rd all-time on the ECHL's scoring list with 685 points and was elected to the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2010. In 1996, he helped lead the Charlotte Checkers to a playoff championship. He was inducted into the Charlotte Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008. Noren played his college hockey at the University of Illinois at Chicago and was a 2-sport athlete (hockey and baseball). He was 1st team all conference in baseball and 2nd team all-CCHA in hockey. Noren also helped lead the USHL's Rochester Mustangs to a Junior A national championship in 1987. He was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1990 NHL supplemental draft.

Noren currently resides in Marysville with his wife (Christi). They have three children (Cameron, Chloe and Callie).

Pat Cannone enters his first season as director of player developement and advancement. He also serves as the 16U head coach after spending the past year as an assistant coach with the 15O team.

Cannone works closely with the organization's management team and coaching staff to enhance and implement the overall teaching and coaching curriculum. Specifically, he oversees the design and structure of the OBJ supplemental skills program and video teaching sessions using InStat. In addition to being intimately involved in the long term planning and development of the program, Cannone will serves as a mentor to help AAA Blue Jackets players and families understand their opportunities to advance their hockey careers. 

Pat's distinguished playing career included 10 professional seasons highlighted by making his NHL debut with the Minnesota Wild in 2016-17. He was team captain for the AHL's Chicago Wolves and spent two seasons playing in Germany.

A native of Bayport, New York, Cannone played his college hockey at Miami University where he tallied 133 career points, served as captain and helped lead the team to 2 Frozen Fours, 2 league championships and 4 NCAA Tournaments during his 4-year career.

Pat currently resides in Powell with his wife (Natalie) and daughter (Collins).

Fedor Tyutin returns for the third season as head coach of the 2007 birth year and will now lead them at the 15-Only level. Prior to getting into coaching, Tyutin played 872 NHL games with the New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche over 14 seasons. He also served as a professional scout with the Blue Jackets in 2018-19.

A native of Izhevsk, Russia, Tyutin's accomplished resume includes an impressive amount of success in international play. A veteran of three Olympic Games, Tyutin helped lead Russia to a gold medal at the 2008 World Championship. He also won gold at the U20 World Junior Championship and U18 World Championship. Prior to turning pro, Fedor played one season with the Guelph Storm (OHL) where he played in the Memorial Cup and was named to the CHL's all-rookie team. He was a 2nd round pick of the New York Rangers in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Tyutin currently resides in Plain City with his wife (Sarah) and three daughters (Leeza, Nina and Danika).

Kyle Althen enters his second season as a head coach in the program as the 14U bench boss after leading our 2011 team to a successful season in 2021-22. Prior to being a head coach, Althen served time as an assistant coach at the 15O level. He also serves as the hockey director at the Battery Hockey Academy.

Prior to moving to Columbus, Althen spent two seasons as the associate head coach and director of scouting for the Oswego Stampede (NA3HL). He also served as a scout for the Amarillo Bulls in the NAHL.

A native of Cleveland, OH, Kyle played college hockey at the University of Akron (ACHA) where he served as team president for all four seasons. Althen's junior career was spent with the Wooster Oilers and Central Wisconsin Saints of the GLJHL. In his final season, he captained the Oilers and tallied 63 points in 41 games. He played his high school hockey at Padua Franciscan in Parma.

Althen earned his bachelor's degree in sports management from Akron in 2016 while also minoring in business management. Kyle currently resides in Worthington.

James Nash enters in his seventh season coaching in the program and fourth as a head coach. For the past two seasons, he led our 2008 team. In all, he has 10 years of coaching experience and has spent considerable time as a professional skills coach working with elite players of all ages.

A native of Brampton, Ontario, Nash grew up playing AAA hockey in Toronto for the Mississauga Rebels of the GTHL (formerly MTHL). He also won an all-Ontario championship with the Brampton Maroons. Nash went on to play his junior hockey for the Mississauga Chargers (OPJHL) and college hockey for Humber College.

After earning an associates degree in marketing from Humber, Nash moved to Columbus and went on to earn a bachelors degree from Ohio State. He currently resides in Powell with his wife (Kristy) and sons (James and Arie).

Todd Ehrie has been an integral part of the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets for the past 15 years. In 2022-23, he will return to the pee-wee level and lead our 12U team after spending this past season as the 15O head coach and the previous two years with the 2004 birth year.

With 29 years of coaching experience, Todd has been a long time head coach in our program including several years leading the pee-wee age group. In 2014, he led the 2001 age group to the prestigious Quebec PeeWee Tournament championship. He also coached the 1997 team that included Jack Roslovic, Kole Sherwood and Carson Meyer for several years.

Todd currently resides in Lewis Center with his wife (Terri) and two sons (Trevin and Cohen).

Clay Thomas enters his 11th year coaching in the program and second season at the 11U level. For the past two seasons, Thomas served as head coach of the 2010 team. A native of Westerville, OH, Clay wore the OBJ jersey for four seasons with our 14U, 16U and 18U teams from 2007-2011. Following his AAA career, Thomas played his junior hockey with the Texas Tornado (NAHL) where he was a member of the national championship team in 2011-12.

A valedictorian at Westerville South, Clay began his coaching career during his freshman year at Ohio State. He spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the 14U team before moving to the 10U level. The primary tenets of his coaching philosophy include focusing on fundamental skill development and promoting play-making confidence during young athletes’ formative years.

He graduated in 2018 with a masters in mechanical engineering. Clay now works as a senior engineer for Honda in Raymond, OH. He currently lives with his girlfriend (Natalie) in Upper Arlington.

Emily Curlett enters her first season with the program as a coach and girls hockey ambassador. A native of Columbiaville, MI, Curlett recently helped the Ohio State Buckeyes to a historic season as they captured the program's first ever NCAA championship, as well as the WCHA playoff title. In addition to her duties with the program, Curlett also plays professionally for Team adidas in the PWPHA. She was named PWPHA Player of the Week on December 8 after scoring her first professional goal in her debut.

Prior to Ohio State, Curlett had a decorated 4-year career at Robert Morris where she tallied a program record 43 goals and 91 points as the top defenseman for the Colonials. In 2019-20, Emily led all of Division I hockey in power play goals (13) and was named to the CHA First Team. In 2018-19, Curlett led the nation in blocked shots (148) and was named to the all-CHA Second Team and All-Academic Team. She was also a member of the CHA all-rookie team after her freshman season.

Curlett graduated from Robert Morris in 2021 with a bachelors degree in organizational leadership and is currently completing a graduate certificate in public management at Ohio State.

Lee Harris is currently in his 7th season as a professional skating coach with the AAA Blue Jackets program. During that time, he has also served as the skating coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Cleveland Monsters. In his role with the Blue Jackets, he oversees the organizations skating skill development, handles on-ice conditioning and rehabilitation and provides CBJ scouts with video analysis and skating assessments for draft prospects. Lee is also the owner of Lee Harris Skating System which focuses on a deep understanding of edges, power and the technical side of skating. In all, Harris has 21 years of coaching experience.

Born in Harrow, Ontario, Harris played four years of junior hockey with the Belle River Canadians and Kingsville Comets and was the OMHA scoring champion. At 18 years old, he began skating internationally in figure skating. In 2002, he won the national championship and competed at the Junior World Championships in Norway.

Lee lives in Delaware with his wife (Chelsea) and three children (Sadie, Lana and Blake).

Bailey Seagraves is in his sixth season as the program's goaltending coach. In addition to being the founder and owner of Seagraves Goaltending, he serves as the director of goaltending development for the Battery Hockey Academy and is the volunteer goaltending coach for the Ohio State women's DI team. In 2021-22, Seagraves helped the Buckeyes claim the WCHA playoff title and the program's first ever national championship.

A native of Hilliard, OH, Seagraves is one of the most accomplished goaltenders in AAA Blue Jackets history and was a member of the 2014-15 T1EHL playoff championship team. During his time with the AAA Jackets, he earned multiple invites to national development camps and attended the final tryout camp for the National Team Development Program. In 2013, he was selected 55th overall by the Chicago Steel in the USHL Futures Draft.

He would go on to play his junior hockey career in the USHL, NAHL & USPHL before moving onto become the emergency back-up goaltender with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He currently resides in Marysville.

Donskov Strength & Conditioning (DSC) serves as the organizations official Off-Ice Performance Specialists. Since 2005, the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets have partnered with DSC to provide all facets of off-ice performance training. The performance coaches at DSC support the mission & vision of the organization by establishing/implementing protocol, performance measurables, nutritional guidance and data analytics reporting. 

Anthony Donskov is the founder of Donskov Strength and Conditioning Inc. (www.donskovsc.com) located in Columbus, OH where he serves as the Director of Sports Performance. He currently oversees all facets of physical preparation including assessment, program design, exercise protocol, monitoring, and continuing education. Donskov earned a PhD at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario Canada. His research interests include biomechanics, ice hockey performance, and return to play after musculoskeletal injury. In addition, Anthony attained master’s degree in Exercise Science from Cal U of PA and his BSc at Miami (OH) University. Anthony served as an assistant strength coach for the USA Women’s National Ice Hockey team (2010-2014) and has participated as a guest coach for several National Hockey League development camps.

Donskov is a Head Instructor/Director of off-ice Training at Donskov Hockey Development. DHD (donskovhockey.com) is a family run hockey school with a renowned reputation for developing young players. Anthony played two years of minor professional hockey (2001-2003) for the Lubbock Cotton Kings of the Central Hockey League. He was named the 2003 Central Hockey League’s “Man of the Year” for his leadership both on the ice and in the community. Donskov played his collegiate hockey at Miami (OH) University (1997-2001), where he served as an assistant captain his senior year. Anthony is certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (PES). He resides in Columbus with his wife Aurora. 

Matthew Donskov serves as Director of Operations at DSC, Inc. His responsibilities include defining, implementing, and managing operational policies and guidelines for the organization. He is also a liaison for client support services.  Prior to joining DSC, he spent 6 years with Cardinal Health as a Medical Device Sales Consultant in Jacksonville, Fl.  Additionally, Donskov is involved as Head Instructor/Director Operations at Donskov Hockey Development, providing hockey specific instructional services since its inception in ‘00.  Matthew holds a USA Hockey Level IV Advanced Coaching Certification.

Donskov graduated Summa Cum Laude earning BSc. in Business Economics from SUNY Cortland.  While attending Cortland, Donskov played four years of college hockey where he was a two-time captain, earned Verizon Academic All-American honors and was the national leader in power play goals (2002). He currently sits sixth all-time on the school scoring list. Prior to playing at Cortland, Matthew played three years of junior hockey in Canada where he was a 1998 draft choice of the North Bay Centennials of the Ontario Hockey League.

Matthew currently resides in New Albany, Ohio with his wife Megan and three children (Alexander, Amelia & Anastajia).