NHLCA Mentees Join AHL Coaches for Third Straight All-Star Classic Mentorship

NHL Coaches’ Association mentees were granted bench‑side access and full event immersion at the AHL All‑Star Classic in Rockford, Ill., shadowing All‑Star coaches during the All‑Star Challenge and other weekend events on Feb. 27, 2026. The placement paired members of the NHLCA Female Coaches and BIPOC Coaches Programs directly alongside AHL head coaches Mark Letestu, Ryan Mougenel, Pascal Vincent and Dan Watson for what organizers called an experience with “unlimited access.”

The mentorship initiative began in 2023 and returned for a third consecutive year in 2026 under an AHL–NHLCA partnership. Mentees attended the All‑Star Skills competition, the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Award Ceremony, sat behind the bench during live competition and followed coaches through locker rooms and operations meetings, a format the NHLCA recap described as mentors who “didn’t just open a door, they pulled back the curtain entirely.”

Emily Ach, an NHLCA Female Coaches Program member, arrived in Rockford as a former all‑conference player at Augsburg University and a second‑season assistant coach with St. Cloud State University women’s hockey after two seasons at Mercyhurst University. Ach said the AHL’s investment “showcases diverse coaching talent on a national stage, it strengthens the development pipeline, and signals that the game is evolving,” adding that the visibility helps “expand who sees themselves in it – on the ice, behind the bench, and in leadership.”

Karli Whitaker, also an NHLCA Female Coaches Program member, attended the weekend as head coach of the Freedom High School junior varsity team in Tampa, Fla., and is identified in reporting as the first female coach in the Lightning High School Hockey League. Sources framed Whitaker’s participation as validation that a coaching path for women at levels beyond youth and high school is increasingly visible through initiatives such as the All‑Star mentorship.

Two members of the NHLCA BIPOC Coaches Program were listed by surname only in event materials: Pascall and Ruppe. Pascall is described as a video coach with prior stops at Trois‑Rivières in the ECHL, McGill University and the Lac St‑Louis Lions midget AAA program. Ruppe is identified as manager of hockey operations and a travel team coach with Hockey in New Jersey, the nonprofit that provides underserved youth opportunities to play hockey for free. Event copy and social posts name those two as part of the cohort but do not provide first names.

Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent framed the weekend as coach development as well as player development: “Coaching thrives on mentorship and learning from others,” he said, noting the value of letting emerging coaches “see how we approach the game and feel like they’re part of the conversation. That’s what development looks like, not just for players but for coaches too.” The four AHL mentors—Letestu of the Colorado Eagles, Mougenel of the Providence Bruins, Vincent and Dan Watson of the Grand Rapids Griffins—hosted shadowing sessions and bench access throughout All‑Star weekend.

The NHL Coaches’ Association highlighted the three‑year collaboration on its LinkedIn post announcing the Rockford placements and linking to a recap of the initiative. As the AHL’s program reaches its third year of pairing NHLCA cohorts with bench‑side opportunities, organizers say the goal is to strengthen the coaching pipeline and create visible pathways; the next measurable milestone will be how many participating mentees convert that exposure into hires or higher‑level roles.