The Southern Tier Admirals are proud to announce that Mitchell Skilton will be Behind the Bench for our U15 team next season. along side Mitchell will be Associate Coach - Tanner Hildebrandt and Dan Girardi (assistant coach at large)
Head Coach - Mitchell Skilton
Born and raised in Shelburne, Ontario, Mitchell has had the opportunity to surround himself within premier athletics at both the collegiate and Elite Minor Hockey levels through his time in both Windsor and Ottawa, Ontario.
With a strong passion for coaching and player development, Mitchell has worked four years with the Ottawa Senators Hockey Programs where he worked directly with many AAA athletes, some of which have graduated to junior hockey at the OHL, Jr.A, and Jr.B levels. In this role, Mitchell assisted with on-ice skill development and worked directly with every AAA team within Ottawa Myers Automotive AAA and Eastern Ontario Wild AAA. Mitchell also served as a lead coach for power-skating, shooting and puck control clinics as well as Defensive camps for the Senators Hockey Programs.
Over the past 4 seasons, Mitchell has served as an Assistant Coach for the 2010 & 2011 Ottawa Jr 67’s AAA teams as well as the 2010 Upper Canada Cyclones AAA organization. During these three seasons, Mitchell collected a U14 AAA Hockey Eastern Ontario Championship (HEO) with the Jr 67s in 2024 and helped lead the Upper Canada Cyclones to a playoff berth in 2025. He spent the 2025-2026 season with the U16 AAA Southern Tier Admirals as the teams Associate Coach and supported with all Southern Tier Admirals skill development sessions from U10 to U18.
Mitchell was also selected to the Hockey Canada HEO Program of Excellence, in which he served as an Assistant Coach for the 2009 (U16) AAA team at the Cross Border Challenge in 2025. Mitchell is a current scout with the Jr.A Georgetown Raiders of the OJHL and a former scout with Future Considerations (FC Hockey) covering the QMJHL region.
Mitchell's Coaching philosophy is based upon three key pillars - Respect, Attitude, and Effort. These three pillars foster Commitment, Accountability, and Leadership, uniting athletes into a cohesive & competitive team that embodies the true spirit of sport.
Associate Coach - Tanner Hildebrandt
Born and raised in St. Catharines, Tanner played his minor hockey locally before advancing to Jr. A and the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He concluded his junior career playing Jr. B with the St. Catharines Falcons and the Thorold Blackhawks l
Following junior hockey, Tanner continued his career in the United States at the semi-pro level, earning opportunities in both the ECHL and the SPHL. He later traveled overseas to Sweden, where he finished his playing career. Along the way, Tanner competed alongside current NHL players and was coached by current NHL coaches, gaining firsthand experience in elite environments.
Transitioning into coaching, Tanner has spent two seasons behind the bench with STA, one with U11 AAA and most recently served as an assistant coach with the U16 AAA program. His coaching philosophy centers around habits, detail, and preparing players for the next level.
As the founder of 92 | Hockey, Tanner is passionate about player development and is excited for another year helping young athletes grow their game and reach their full potential.
Assistant Coach (At Large) - Dan Girardi
Dan played over 13 years in the NHL with the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Shortly after retiring, Dan became an Assistant Coach and Player Development Coach for the Buffalo Sabres.
Dan is currently the Director of Hockey Operations for the Southern Tier Admirals and will now provide additional coaching and development in selected team practices & film sessions.