The San Jose Sharks Junior Sharks Hockey Club announced today that they have hired Scott Hannan as the Director of the Junior Sharks program. In this role, Hannan will oversee and facilitate all elements of the San Jose Junior Sharks Hockey Club through execution of a strategic vision, fostering a positive environment, and ensuring the development of players, families, and coaches.
Hannan, a 16-year veteran of the National Hockey League, played 1,055 games with the Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, and Nashville Predators. He played 626 of those games in San Jose, who selected Hannan in the first round (23rd overall) of the 1997 NHL Draft.
A native of Surrey, British Columbia, Hannan was selected to represent Canada at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey (gold medal) and 2005 Hockey World Championship (silver medal).
Hannan has served as a coach within the Junior Sharks Program for the past eight years, including at the 10U, 12U and 13O AAA levels. Additionally, he has extensively coached within the Little Sharks - Learn to Play program, which is designed for children ages 5-9 who have no prior hockey experience but are interested in learning the sport.
“I’m extremely excited to be taking on this opportunity with the Junior Sharks,” said Hannan. “The organization already has a great foundation in place and my goal is to build on that foundation and continue to grow youth hockey in Northern California.”
The hiring of Hannan coincides with the creation of an expanded leadership team that will oversee the Junior Sharks program.
Kolton Aubol also joins the Junior Sharks Hockey Club as Deputy Director, Junior Sharks Operations. In this role, Aubol will manage and execute hockey and business operations for the Junior Sharks Hockey Program. Additionally, he will place an emphasis on showcasing Sharks Ice, the largest indoor ice rink complex in North America, as a top facility for hosting hockey youth and adult hockey tournaments.
Aubol, originally from Northern Minnesota, played one season in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) with the Bismarck Bobcats (2013-2014) before spending three seasons as a student manager for the University of North Dakota’s hockey program (2015-2018). He also served as part of the North Dakota coaching staff during their 2016 NCAA National Championship season. Since 2019, Aubol has coached multiple Tier 1 Junior Sharks teams and in 2020, launched his own online hockey school that focuses on building a stronger hockey IQ and advancing hockey player’s knowledge.
“We are very pleased to be adding these two quality individuals and skilled hockey coaches to our Junior Sharks program,” said Senior Director, Sharks Ice Hockey Operations Robert Savoie. “Scott brings a wealth of experience to our program, both as a former NHL player and as a coach within the Junior Sharks family. Kolton’s experience working with high-level players in San Jose and at the University of North Dakota will be an excellent asset to our club’s strong
focus on player development. We’re looking forward to working Scott and Kolton to continue the tradition of the Junior Sharks as a premier hockey club.”
The hockey club is currently recruiting candidates for the Deputy Director, Development & Girls/Women’s Hockey role.
