U18 Coaching Announcements for 2024-25 Season
Neil Doctorow - Toronto Aeros U18 Head Coach
Contact: [email protected]
(416) 509-6296
Neil played hockey in the MTHL before pursuing Rugby in university at the University of Western Ontario and York University, where he earned a Specialized Honours degree in Kinesiology followed by a Bachelor of Education. After graduating, Neil played semi-pro Rugby until age 30. In 2002, Neil began coaching high school girls hockey at Unionville Secondary School. His passion for athlete development led him to establish PEAC, Canada’ s first sports school in Eastern Canada, which has produced NHL stars including Connor McDavid, Travis Konecny, and Lawson Crouse, as well as Aeros alumnae including Breanne Grant and Camryn Tait--who also worked with Neil’s hockey school (Central Hockey Academy).
Neil has made significant contributions internationally, including coaching tournaments in China, Russia, and the Czech Republic. He has also run camps for former IIHF Spanish President Frank Gonzalez and camps with Ak Bars, the KHL program in Kazan, working with their MHL team. Additionally, Neil established the first academic-athletic program with the Red Bull Academy in Salzburg, Austria, where he collaborated with Pierre Page, former Quebec Nordiques coach, and Hall of Famer Brian Savage. Most recently, two of the players Neil worked with have made their mark in the NHL: Kevin He, who was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets, and Ty Nelson, drafted by the Seattle Kraken.
Neil has extensive AAA and AA coaching experience in the GTHL and served as
General Manager for the Chinese National U18 and U21 teams. He worked under
former NHL coach Mike Keenan and led the hiring and managing of Boston Bruins
coach Steve Kasper. Neil spends 5 days a week on the ice, working with a diverse group of male and female players weekly like former Toronto PWHL player Maude Poulin-Labelle.
As an Educational Consultant who also holds a High Performance 1 Coaching
certification, Neil applies his diverse knowledge to training both girls and boys. He is
honored to join the Aeros and is committed to continuing the legacy of Rick Traugott alongside TAGHA’s expert coaching staff.
Whitney Kennedy - Co-Coach
Whitney is in her 10th year coaching with the Aeros, initially with our former Bantam AA affiliate, before joining the Junior staff 5 years ago where she is now the Head Coach.
Prior to that, she was a hockey instructor at Canlan Oakville hockey camps for many years. She is a two-year alumna of the Junior Aeros, where she was Assistant Captain and Centre, winning a League Championship. Following that, she won an ECAC regular season title and Ivy League Championship playing at then nationally-ranked Harvard, while earning All-Academic honours. She graduated from Harvard with an Honours degree in both History and Science (Mind Brain Behaviour certificate), and Global Health & Health Policy, and is currently a Director of Commercial Advisory & Strategy for Infrastructure Ontario.
Claire Dalton - Associate Coach
Claire is a 3 year Aero alumna of our U18 and U22 programs, who is again coaching for a second season with both our teams until the PWHL season begins. Claire first won Provincial Silver with our U18s, then League Silver in 2017 and League Gold in 2018 as an Assistant Captain. With Team Ontario Red, she won the National Championship in 2017, and was a member of Team Canada U18 in 2017-18. She graduated from Yale in Economics in 2023, achieving 4 year All-Academic honours. Claire was elected Team Captain as a Senior, receiving Yale’s prestigious Molly Meyer Humanitarian Award. She shattered Yale’s career assists record (89) set 35 years ago, earned 2nd team All-Ivy honours, 3rd team All-ECAC honours twice, All-ECAC Tournament honours and 2 Team MVP awards. As a Senior, she led the team in GWG including an OT winner to secure Yale’s first ever Ivy League title. Claire is #2 in career points for Yale with 133 points in 130 games.
Molly Maclellan - Associate Coach
Molly grew up playing competitive hockey in Calgary, acting as Team Captain for the Calgary Midget AAA Flyers in her final minor hockey season. She went on to join the Queen’s University varsity team, winning the OUA championship in the 2012-13 season. Molly then served as the video coach for the Queen’s women’s team for 2 seasons, while also coaching a number of skills development programs in Kingston. She graduated from Queen’s with a Bachelor of Science Honours as a Life Sciences Major in 2016, followed by an MBA in 2021. After moving to Toronto, she became an Assistant Coach with Leaside Bantam A. We are happy to welcome Molly to the Aero’s U18 staff this season.
Natalie Pantaleo - Associate Coach
Natalie is a 3 year Aero alumna of our U18 and U22 programs where she was a linemate of Claire Dalton, and is starting her first year on the Aeros coaching staff. Natalie won a Provincial Silver Medal in 2016 with the U18 Aeros. With the Junior Aeros, again won a Silver Medal in 2017, and went on to win League and Provincial Gold Medals in 2018. Natalie subsequently played for the Toronto Metropolitan University Varsity Hockey team in the OUA. She graduated with a degree in Criminology and Spanish in 2023, achieving both the Dean’s List and Distinction. She is currently an Associate at Scotiabank for the Catalyst Development Program. Welcome Natalie!