...Still, he’s most proud of making the T-Birds, now in their 14th season, one of the most respected and recognizable AAA programs in not only the Rocky Mountain region but the country. The T-Birds have seven levels of youth hockey — 11U, 12U, 13U, 14U, two 16U teams (American and National) and 18U — as well as a 20U Tier III team in the first-year, six-team, Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League.

“The biggest thing we have with the Thunderbirds is the culture we’ve created,” Ricci said. “That’s the best word I can use to describe it because it embodies the mentorship, the coaching, development, success and environment, but don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t happen overnight. We’re always learning new things and we want to integrate those things into our program.

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