About Richard Bercuson

Hockey background

Coaching experience:

  • Minor hockey: AAA & other competitive levels (U11-U18) in Montreal, Ottawa, and Oshawa – Head coach, high school hockey teams
  • Junior: A, B, and C in Montreal, Ottawa, France
  • Europe: Head coach of ACBB, Paris, France – Guest coach, Metz hockey club, Metz, France
  • Ass’t coach: Concordia University + Head coach junior varsity
  • Head coach: Almonte Centennials – senior Hardy Cup semi-finalists
  • Hockey Canada Program of Excellence: Guest coach Team Canada – research project
  • Team Ontario U17 at World U17 tournament
  • Team Ontario U17 camps for HEO: Player evaluations and conducting practice sessions

Program Director/Mentor/Instructor

  • Mentor coach, Coaches Association of Ontario (CAO)
  • Member of organizing committee for 2027 international hockey research conference, Ostrava, Czech Republic
  • Participant at 2025 International Conference on Scientific Hockey Research, Quebec City
  • Technical Director: Whitby Girls Hockey Association: Developed a High Performance program and a comprehensive coach development and mentorship structure.
  • Technical Director: Oshawa Minor Hockey: Created a unique development and mentoring program for all ages and levels, AAA to AE.
  • Director of Coaching/Head mentor: Hockey Eastern Ontario
  • Hockey Canada National Coaching Program: Instructor, Presenter, HP and Dev 1 Evaluator – Montreal (HQ), Ottawa (HEO), OMHA, OWHA, OHF
  • Development head/mentorships: Various organizations in Montreal and Ottawa
  • Presentations: High Performance I & Advanced 1/2 seminars, coaching clinics
  • Author/Co-author: Hockey Canada programs – Initiation, PlayRight offensive team play, checking, developing defencemen
  • Hockey schools: Owner/Director/Head instructor – Montreal, Ottawa, U.S.
  • Instructor: Skating, skills, etc. with Gaston Marcotte, Howie Meeker and others

Awards

  • Hockey Eastern Ontario: Branch Development Award – Richard T. Sennott Coaching Development Award – Various Appreciation awards
  • Hockey Canada: Certificate for contribution to coaching development
  • Coaching staff of the year: Pee Wee in TMR (Montreal) and Junior C (Ottawa)

Media

  • Author: Dead Run and other shortcomings: an anthology of short stories – coming in April, 2026 – The Shadows of Doubt – a novel and the sequel to The Burden of Guilt – available on Amazon, Kindle & Kobo
  • Co-author: The Burden of Guilt – a novel – available on Amazon, Kindle, & Kobo
  • Editor/Writer: Editor Brooklin Town Crier; columnist for Bounder magazine; sportswriter Montreal Gazette; columnist Ottawa Citizen; writer The Hockey News & Hockey World magazine; columnist numerous magazines
  • TSN 1200 radio, Ottawa: Co-host, Grassroots, the minor hockey show (pre-cursor to this podcast)
  • Rogers TV, Ottawa: AAA hockey telecasts
  • Author: Inside Coaching Hockey – Assume the position – Various short stories and plays – Numerous magazines