The Cincinnati Cyclones Foundation, in conjunction with Queen City Sportsplex, have named Matthew Michno as the Director of Goalie Development for the Cincinnati Junior Cyclones. In addition, the Kettering, Ohio native will serve as Director for Learn to Skate and Learn to Play Hockey initiatives.
This position builds on the mission of the Cincinnati Cyclones Foundation aiming to help children in the Greater Cincinnati Area discover a love and a passion for the game of hockey. The focus of the Foundation aims to help underwrite and alleviate costs associated with playing hockey while exposing children to the game of hockey.
"We are thrilled to have Matt join our Junior Cyclones coaching staff," said Team General Manager and Vice President, Kristin Ropp. "The deficit of strong, local goaltending coaches was something we sought out to rectify, and we believe Matt's experience and passion will help not only those already playing the position, but also promote and inspire other kids to try goaltending. Matt will serve as a pillar for our young goaltenders, but more importantly, for the game of hockey. We look forward to seeing Matt as one of the first faces a child will encounter when learning to skate and play hockey. Those initiatives are paramount to the success of the Cincinnati Cyclones Foundation. We want to grow the game we love and Matt's passion for this sport makes him the perfect leader to spearhead these grassroots efforts."
Michno brings a robust resume to the Junior Cyclones, having coached at the NCAA level with four different programs (Cornell University, Connecticut College, Brown University, University of Connecticut). Among the bevy of goaltenders he has coached, Michno has trained and developed several noteworthy goalies, including former Cyclones goaltender Andy Iles (2015-16) and Adam Huska, who made his NHL debut during the 2021-22 season with the New York Rangers.
"It feels good to come back home and now be a part of the Cincinnati hockey community," said Michno. "I've been working out east the last several years, so being able to return home and be a part of developing not just these goaltenders, but this game to our youth means a lot to me. There's so much room to grow here; we're looking to see how much hockey we can add and how many more players we can get invested in the game. We need to make sure hockey is something that everyone can play because it will make our sport bigger and better and we want people to view Cincinnati as a premier destination for youth hockey."
Aside from coaching at the collegiate level, Michno has also spent nine years serving as the Director of Coaching at Pro Crease Goaltending, where he was mentored and worked alongside Tampa Bay Lightning Scout, Jared Waimon. Michno has also been involved with USA Hockey since 2014 having worked in a variety of roles.
Off the ice, Michno earned his Bachelor's Degree in Sports Management and later obtained a Master's Degree in Coaching Education from Ohio University. As a graduate student, Michno posted a 12-1 record in goal for the ACHA-Division I club hockey team, leading the Bobcats to a league championship.
