Hockey Operations

Ken Hoey

Head Coach

Ken has been a coach in the Long Island Royals Youth Hockey system for the past twelve years. and the junior head coach for nine.  Ken took the Jr Royals team to three National Championships Tournaments with two semi-final finishes and a silver medal finish in the Junior A bracket.  In 2016-2017 Ken led the team to a NA3AHL Championship finishing with a 37-2-0 league record.

Prior to the Royals Ken coached professional hockey in Italy with the Val Rendena Wolves and coached two years at the Junior A level in Bismarck North Dakota with the Bismarck Bullets.    Ken played Division I  hockey (as a goalie)  at Kent State University and then two years of professional hockey in the East Coast Hockey League and the All American Hockey League.

Mike O’Connell

Assistant Coach

Mike has been with the Jr Royals for three years, he came from St. Anthony’s High School Hockey Club where he had been a coach for the past eight years.     While at St. Anthony’s Mike coached four freshman championship teams, five varsity championship teams, and the first Long Island Team to win the NYSCHSAA Championship.    Mike also coached with the Royals Midget National team and is a level 4 referee.

Mike is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.

Steve Castriota

Assistant Coach

New York Bobcat alumni Stephen Castriota  joined the Jr Royals coaching staff in the 2015-16 season.    In the 08-09 season Stephen played for the Jr Royals and was an MJHL All-Star, and finished 4th overall in league scoring. Prior to joining the Junior Royals, Stephen was a key player for the Long Island Rebels.   As a Rebel, he earned a Bantam and Midget Minor NYS Tier II State Championship, which respectively led to Final and Semi-final appearances in the U.S. Nationals.   In addition to his travel youth hockey accomplishments, Stephen earned a Silver Medal with Team Long Island in the 2008 Empire State Games and was a High School Vytra Cup All-Star during the 07/08 and 08/09 seasons.

Stephen was recruited by Fredonia State where he was voted to the SUNYAC All-Academic Team for 2014.   Stephen graduated with a Major in Business Administration.

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