Hockey Operations

Head Coach & General Manager Michael Richardson joins the Lake Tahoe Blue after spending the last two seasons, (12/13, 13/14), with the Atlanta Fire Hockey Club in Alpharetta, GA. Richardson was the Head Coach and General Manager of the Atlanta Fire Midget Major (18AAA), team. Richardson also served as the Assistant Hockey Director for the Atlanta Fire. Richardson advanced his team to 2 state championship appearances during his time in Atlanta. Richardson is most proud of the number of players who advanced to junior and college hockey under his leadership, which is over 25 players in two seasons.

Prior to arriving in Atlanta, Richardson coached the Billings Bulls Hockey Club, in Billings, Montana for two seasons (10/11, 11/12). Richardson served as the Head Coach for the programs Tier 1 16AAA team and Assistant Coach with the Billings Bulls Junior A Team of the America West Hockey League. In the 2012 season, the Billings Bulls took the Bronze Medal in the National Championship Tournament. While in Billings, Richardson started the first ever U16 Tier 1 program in the Northern Plains District (Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota). Richardson was voted coach of the Year in 2011 in the NJPHL where his U16AAA Team competed. Under Richardson’s leadership, the Montana High Performance Development Program was created. With this program Richardson ran High Performance clinic weekends across the state of Montana.

Prior to moving to Billings, Richardson spent the 2009-2010 season with multiple roles coaching in his hometown of San Jose, California.  He served as the Assistant Coach with the San Jose Jr. Sharks 18AAA and 16AAA teams, and each team advanced to the Pacific District Finals. Along with his duties with both AAA hockey teams, Richardson served as a development coach for the San Jose Jr. Sharks program. As the clubs development coach, Richardson worked with every player in the program on a weekly basis during the clubs skill session practices. 

During this time period Richardson also served as an assistant coach with San Jose State University Spartans Hockey Club. The Spartans play Division II in the ACHA and advanced to the National Championship in 2010. With the Spartans Richardson was responsible for player development, practices, pre-game and post-game analysis and recruiting. After Richardson's departure the following year, the Spartans once again made the National Championship with the freshman class that Richardson assisted in recruiting. 

In 2008-2009 Coach Richardson had the privilege of working with the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. Richardson assisted the team’s video coaching staff with collecting and editing game film for the teams scouting sessions on upcoming opponents.

Richardson is very active in the summer months on the ice. He has coached at camps across the country including Minnesota Hockey Camps in Nisswa Minnesota. Coach Richardson has also worked as an evaluator at the Pacific District Camps and Northern Plains District Camps as well as state festival camps including CAHA (California), MAHA (Montana) and SAHA (Southern). 

Richardson started his coaching career in 2003 and under his guidance he has promoted players of all ages onto higher levels of hockey, from youth to junior hockey, junior to college hockey, and college hockey to professional hockey.

Richardson and his wife Lindsay are both proud to call South Lake Tahoe home year-round.

Assistant Coach Chad Olson joins the Lake Tahoe Blue coaching staff for his first year coaching in junior hockey. Olson, a California native from Valencia, started playing hockey at the age of 8. The game of hockey has taken Olson from coast to coast playing junior hockey for teams in the Empire Junior Hockey League and the Western States Hockey League. 

Olson has his degree in communications and has coached Midget AA hockey. Olson has a passion for recruiting and player development. 
 

Pat Lacelle joins the Lake Tahoe Blue serving as Head Scout. Lacelle holds years of Coaching and Scouting experience throughout Canada and the United States. Most recently, Lacelle served as Head Scout and Assistant General Manager of the La Tuque Wolves Junior AAA Hockey Club in the AAA Quebec Hockey League. Lacelle has major junior scouting experience scouting for teams in the QMJHL such as the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and Acadie – Bathurst Titan Hockey Club.

Lacelle has his Bachelor’s Degree in physical education. Lacelle resides in Quebec. 

Mickey Rhodes joins the Lake Tahoe Blue serving as a scout. Rhodes will be responsible for identifying prospects primarily on the west coast of the United States.

Rhodes grew up playing hockey in the Bay Area alongside Head Coach Michael Richardson. He played several seasons at San Jose State University ACHA DII where he served as Team Captain. After college, Rhodes played professional hockey overseas in the AIHL (Australia) and NZIHL (New Zealand).

Rhodes resides in San Jose, California where he coaches in the San Jose Jr. Sharks organization.