HC RHODE ISLAND
A proud member of the Eastern Hockey League (EHL), HC Rhode Island is a player-focused organization that provides a proven pathway to college hockey. The EHL is widely regarded as the best NCAA Division II/III junior league in the country in terms of annual placements with over 1,800 commitments. With this in mind, we are proud to claim 13 NCAA placements, 7 quality ACHA placements, 2 players advancing to European leagues, and 1 player heading to the NAHL after our first two seasons.
A very unique aspect of HC Rhode Island is that we commit to just 25 players per season — unlike most of junior hockey today — and those 25 players are our HC Rhode Island family for the year. No trades, no releases (appropriate personal conduct excluded), no bringing in outside players down the stretch. We are focused on working with and growing a group of young people to help them reach the next step in their athletic, personal, and academic lives. We truly believe in the creation of a sense of ownership in our members and their families.
HC Rhode Island calls Thayer Arena in Warwick, RI home — we have a custom locker room, meeting rooms, a full-time equipment manager, and micro-training center at RI Hockey Academy available to players.
Fitness is managed by longtime Boston Bruins strength and conditioning coach Mike Macchioni and his staff at Northeast Sports Training.
Thayer Arena is very accessible from I-95 and about 10 minutes away from TF Green International Airport. We're centrally located within the EHL and within an easy distance of many NCAA schools.
The bottom line is that we aim to make your time with us some of the best in your life while growing your game, helping you to mature as a person, and preparing you for what's next.
OUR TEAM
TOBY O'BRIEN
Team President, General Manager
Toby has worked at every level of the game of hockey, from youth hockey to the NHL and many stops in between. The former director of scouting for the Florida Panthers, Toby also worked in scouting/player personnel for the Buffalo Sabres and NY Islanders, along with their AHL and ECHL affiliates. Toby was the founding team president of the Worcester Railers (ECHL) and led the storied Johnstown Chiefs of the same league for over a decade. Internationally, Toby won a gold medal in the IIHF Under-17 Five Nations Tournament and a Swedish Allsvenskan championship as a member of the coaching staff of Timrå IK. A founding member of the EJHL in 1992, junior hockey is in his blood and the EJHL went on to become the cornerstone and building block of junior hockey in the east and the current EHL.
JAMES MELLO
Head Coach, Director of Hockey Operations
James is a former Rhode Island high school standout at LaSalle Academy in Providence. James went on to play junior hockey in the Eastern Junior Hockey League with the New Hampshire Monarchs — the original franchise Toby founded years earlier. After leading the EJHL in all categories, James went on to become an all-ECAC goaltender at Dartmouth College, where he was recently inducted to the school's athletic hall of fame. Locally, James coached LaSalle to a Rhode Island State High School Championship and is the director of the Rhode Island Goalie Academy.
NICK DELGALLO
Assistant Coach
Nick and James followed similar paths through the game. Teammates at LaSalle Academy in Providence, Nick landed first with the New Hampshire Monarchs and James followed a year later. After two seasons with the Monarchs, Nick advanced to play for Norwich University. On the coaching front, Nick and James found each other again as Nick served as James's assistant at LaSalle Academy, where they won a Rhode Island High School State Championship together. A shooting and skills specialist, Nick co-founded RI Hockey Academy with James and now runs the shooting portion.
GREG PICKENS
Operations Manager
Greg is a longtime behind-the-scenes hockey guy in Rhode Island and in Warwick in particular. An off-ice official for RI High School Hockey for many years and an active member of the Warwick Junior Hockey Association, Greg is the cog that keeps HC Rhode Island moving forward. He is responsible for all player activities, serves as the team's equipment manager, and directs all game day operations.