The Esmark Stars AAA Hockey Club are pleased to announce the addition of Chris "Sluggo" Stern as head coach of their U15 Only AAA Tier I National Bound team (2007) beginning with the 2022-2023 season.

Stern, who most recently served as Director of Player Advancement for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite program, returns to a role he has excelled at ... coaching.

Stern has enjoyed success as a coach at every age group of youth hockey, both boys and girls, including winning a USA Hockey Tier 1 National Championship as well as guiding multiple teams to the USA Hockey National Championships ... including 8 of his past 11 seasons as a coach ... where he guided teams to a National Championship, a National runner-up finish and three third place finishes.

Players under Stern's tutelage have gone on to attain success in all levels of hockey ... including NCAA Division I, NCAA Division III, Junior A Hockey and the NHL.

Stern has also served as a scout over the years, working in both the USHL and NAHL Junior A leagues. He has also served as a coach and evaluator for USA Hockey player development camps and as a presenter at USA Hockey coaching clinics.

"We are very excited to add Chris to our coaching staff," offered Dave Kosick, General Manager of the Esmark Stars AAA Hockey program.

"Sluggo and I have known each other for a long time and had an opportunity to compete against each other often over the years.  I am extremely happy to have him join the Stars program and I look forward to the energy he will bring to both our program and our U15 AAA squad," Kosick added.

The Esmark Stars AAA Hockey Club has previously announced their coaching staffs for their non-National Bound AAA teams (2009, 2010 and 2011) and their U18 and U16 Tier I AAA National-bound teams, as well as their organizational skills instructors and their administrative team for the 2022-2023 season.

A new head coach for the National Bound Esmark Stars AAA Hockey teams 14U (2008) will be announced shortly.