The good news is Chad Demers, a former captain for Air Force, is back as the hockey program’s director of hockey.
The better news is that Demers, three years after having a cancerous tumor removed from his brain, is healthy enough to return to the Academy as the hockey program’s director of hockey.
“I feel great,” said Demers, whose cancer is well down the path of remission. “I had a checkup (recently) at the Mayo Clinic (in Rochester, Minn.) and everything was better than a year ago. The message from the doctors was keep doing what you’re doing. I’ll have appointments there every three months.”
Demers’ hiring is unquestionably a feel-good story, but it’s also a sound hockey move.
Chad Demers honed his coaching, scouting and video skills during the past three seasons at Fargo of the USHL.
He spent the past three seasons working for the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League. He was a volunteer assistant coach for the 2018-19 season, when he dealt with more of the nitty gritty of his cancer treatment. The following season he was promoted to assistant coach and scouting director. Last season, he was elevated to associate head coach.
“Chad was a highly decorated player for our program,” Falcons coach Frank Serratore said. “He also was a dynamite student, a captain and someone with a deep interest in, intellect for and passion for the game.”
Demers was a finalist for the prestigious Senior CLASS award (which recognizes excellence in the classroom, community, character and competition) in 2015. On the ice, he is one of the Falcons’ best players in the past decade or two. His 126 career points are tied for 24th all-time on the school’s scoring list with associate head coach Joe Doyle, and the total is the fifth most since the Falcons began conference play in 1999.
He also was remarkably durable, playing in an Air Force-record-tying 156 consecutive games.
Demers had something else that caught his coach’s eye.
“He saw how the game is played from a coach’s perspective,” Serratore said. “There were times our staff would tell each other, ‘This guy could be a coach.’ I believe that’s his calling. If it wasn’t he wouldn’t have moved here.”
Demers worked for legendary USHL coach Cary Eades as well as Pierre-Paul Lamoureux, brother of Falcons great Jacques Lamoureux. He’s a North Dakota native, and he and his wife Danika have two young children. He was in a good place geographically and career wise. But when opportunity knocks …
“A big draw was I want to work in college hockey,” Demers said. “I wasn’t necessarily chasing jobs, but looking for the right one. I wasn’t looking to leave Fargo.
“This situation is better for my family and me at this time. The fact it’s with the Academy helped. I’m an alumni, and I’m familiar with the staff. They were all there when I played so I can bypass the getting to know you phase. All three are mentors of mine. We’ve stayed close – I’ve talked to them regularly.
“It’s nice to go back to your alma mater, a a place I have a passion for. Colorado Springs is a nice place to live, but the biggest piece was the people.”
The benefits for the Falcons coaching staff are many, Serratore said.
“As a staff we got better,” he said. “Chad’s experience in the USHL is valuable. He brings different insights on tactics, he understands the institution and he has coaching experience. He’s going to bring a lot.”
Demers acquired a breadth of experience during his three years in the USHL, which came on the heels of coaching youth hockey while stationed in Southern California.
“I gained experience working in all areas – the coaching side, scouting and the recruiting side,” he said. “I have a knowledge of the player pool that Air Force will be looking at in the future because I was scouting younger players.
“I’m not allowed (as director of hockey) to recruit, but I can be an asset to the program because of the familiarity with that pool.”
In terms of his tactical skills, Demers specialized in special teams while at Fargo.
“I learned a lot from Cary and Pierre-Paul. I coached the power play and the penalty kill,” Demers added. “Pre-scouts and game reviews were another big part, as were video reviews, which is something I can bring to the table here.”
Demers will bring something else. By virtue of his presence, he’ll bring a healthy dose of inspiration to the Falcons program.
©First Line Editorial 2021
