Tyler Deis
Head Coach and General Manager
The longest-serving head coach in franchise history, Tyler Deis enters his ninth season as Head Coach and General Manager of the Okotoks Oilers in 2024-25, and his 12th overall with the organization.
A two-time AJHL Coach of the Year (2018, 2020) and CJHL Coach of the year in 2018, Deis has overseen the growth of the Oilers into a perennial top-tier contender in Alberta, as well as one of its best producers of NCAA Division I talent.
During Deis’ tenure, the team finished first overall for the first time in franchise history in 2017-18, winning a South Division championship, and finished first in its division in 2019-20.
He began with the team in the 2013-14 season as an assistant coach before being named its fourth head coach on June 6th, 2016.
He crossed the 200-win mark in the 2021-22 campaign, and has now recorded a 243-102-21 (.693) regular season record with the team, with a playoff record of 40-24 (.625). 27 players have committed to NCAA Division I schools while playing in-season with the team during his tenure, which has also included six alumni being drafted into the NHL, two of which were first round selections.
Prior to his team with Okotoks, Deis was instrumental in building the hockey programs at the Edge School, while also serving as its midget team’s head coach until 2013. As a player, he played three years in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League with Melfort and Yorkton before a four-year tenure with NCAA Divison I Minnesota State University Mankato. Subsequently he played a five year ECHL pro career before moving into coaching and teaching.
In August of 2022, the Oilers announced that Deis had signed a long-term contract extension with the team, securing his services potentially to the end of the 2029-30 season.
Derek Purfield
Assistant / Goaltending Coach
Derek Purfield enters his 12th season with the Okotoks Oilers in 2024-25.
Purfield spent six seasons with the Calgary Buffaloes organization before joining the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League for five seasons. Simultaneously to the latter assignment, he served on the coaching staff of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.
Purfield also consults for Hockey Alberta with their regional goaltending development and Under-16 programs. He won a silver medal at the 2017 WHL Cup as goaltending coach of Team Alberta, and served on the coaching staff of Team Alberta at the 2019 and 2023 Canada Winter Games.
His tenure with the Oilers has included a win by Riley Morris as AJHL Top Goaltender in 2017-18, as well as top goalie nominations for Morris in 2016-17, Brady Parker in 2018-19 and 2019-20, and Jack McNaughton in 2021-22.
Reid Hnatowich
Assistant Coach
Reid Hnatowich enters his seventh season with the Okotoks Oilers in 2024-25.
Hnatowich has worked with players at nearly all levels, from professionals in the NHL, AHL, and ECHL to high-end performers in the NCAA, WHL, and CJHL, to the earliest ages of hockey development. Certified HP1 by Hockey Canada, he serves as both an on-ice instructor with Tanbridge Academy and owner of Push It Hockey Ltd, which operates development camps throughout the year in Southern Alberta as well as partnering with both the Calgary Northstars and Calgary Buffaloes.
His other bench roles have included assistant and head coaching roles with the Bantam AAA Airdrie Xtreme (2014-19), winning the AMBHL championship in 2017-18, assistant and skills coaching for the Midget AAA Strathmore Bisons (2016-17), and Coach Mentor/Association Skill Development Coach with the Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association (2019-20).
Brody Hailwood
Assistant Coach & Equipment Manager
Brody Hailwood enters his fifth season with the Okotoks Oilers in 2024-25 as Assistant Coach and Equipment Manager.
A team alumnus, he suited up in 40 games for the Oilers in the 2015-16 season before beginning his coaching career with the South East Athletic Club (SEAC) in Medicine Hat, for whom he played prior to his junior career. He served as an assistant coach for the U16 AAA Tigers for 3 years, and subsequently moved to Okotoks for an assistant coach role with the U18 Okotoks Oilers of the AEHL.
Certified HP1 by Hockey Canada, Hailwood also serves as a lead on-ice instructor with Push It Hockey Ltd.
Brady Pupp
Business Manager
Brady Pupp enters his second season with the Okotoks Oilers in 2024-25 and his first as Business Manager after serving as Business Operations Lead during the 2023-24 season.
An AJHL alumnus with the Calgary Mustangs and Bonnyville Pontiacs, Pupp joined the Oilers in 2023 after four years at Marian University in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, where he earned a degree in Sport and Recreation Management and Marketing, while tallying 20 points in 69 games for the school’s NCAA Division III hockey team. Prior to his college hockey career, he played 156 games at the Junior A level in both the AJHL and Manitoba Junior Hockey League after being recruited out of the Calgary Buffaloes.
Ryan Kanten
Business Operations Lead
Ryan Kanten enters his first season with the Okotoks Oilers in 2024-25 as Business Operations Lead, working under the guidance of the Business Manager.
Ryan grew up playing hockey locally in Okotoks for both OMHA and OOAA, continuing his career in Junior hockey with the Okotoks Bisons and High River Flyers of the Heritage Junior Hockey League, as well as the Kelowna Chiefs in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. He attended the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus for two years before transferring to Mount Royal University, where he earned a degree in Sports and Recreation Management with a minor in Finance.
Mike Gould
Coordinator, Game Operations and Communications
Mike Gould enters his fourth season with the Okotoks Oilers in 2024-25 and his first on staff as the club’s Coordinator, Game Operations and Communications. He also serves as the radio voice of the Oilers for all road games on The Eagle 100.9.
Mike joined the Oilers in 2021 as the club’s public address announcer. He spent the following three seasons serving in various off-ice capacities with the team, including as play-by-play announcer and social media coordinator. Mike is also a writer for popular hockey websites Daily Faceoff and FlamesNation and has called games for the Okotoks Dawgs, Calgary Dinos, Hockey Alberta, and Hockey Canada.
Keegan Kanzig
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Keegan Kanzig, owner and head trainer, brings six years of experience as a professional hockey player along with five years in major junior hockey. Throughout his athletic career, Keegan prioritized strength and conditioning. Leveraging this background, he is dedicated to helping clients achieve their fitness and performance goals. He is a certified Specialist in Strength and Conditioning, as well as a certified Strength Training Specialist.
Scouting Staff
Head scout: Brad Cobb
Alberta scouts: Jason Johnstone, Jason Abramoff, Jason Reinhart, Nick Symon
Arizona scout: Gord Jones
Minnesota scout: Jessie Willis