CT RoughRiders Announce Inaugural NCDC Coaching Staff
Longtime RoughRiders Coaches Piątek and Brown Set to Lead NCDC Team
Norwalk, CT – The Connecticut RoughRiders are excited to announce their inaugural National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) coaching staff for the 2026-27 campaign. Connecticut’s coaching staff is led by Head Coach Tomasz Piątek and Director of Player Personnel & Associate Head Coach Steven Brown.
Piątek will be entering his third season as the Head Coach for the RoughRiders. Before transitioning to coaching, he enjoyed a distinguished professional career in Europe as a defenseman. A native of Poland, he was a key member of the Polish National Team and spent much of his professional career with Unia Oświęcim, where he was a multiple-time Polish Champion and earned a gold medal at the IIHF World Championships (D1|A). Over the last 20 years, he has worked with the top Tier 1 youth hockey organizations, helping players advance to the NHL, European Pro Leagues and NCAA programs.
“I am excited to take on this next chapter with the NCDC’s Connecticut RoughRiders,” said Piątek. “We have a new team with new goals, and we are dedicated to making this hockey community proud. My coaching staff and I stand ready to lead, develop, and win.”
Brown has 44 seasons of coaching experience and has been with the RoughRiders since 2012. During Connecticut’s tenure in the Eastern Hockey League, they won one league championship and four divisional titles under his tutelage. Brown also has international expertise, coaching professional hockey in Sweden & Finland. He assisted the Soviet National Ice Hockey Team as they prepared and the competed for several Winter Olympics, IIHF World Championships and tournaments. He also served as a scout living in Sweden for the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to continue my role as the Associate Head Coach for our NCDC team this season,” said Brown. “Having been a part of the RoughRiders family, I’ve seen firsthand the dedication and culture that defines this organization. I’m looking forward to working closely with our coaching staff to push our players to the next level in the NCDC and continuing our tradition of developing elite talent here in Connecticut.”
Connecticut will release its 2026-27 schedule in the coming months ahead of its first NCDC home game at SoNo Ice House this September. Stay up to date with the CT RoughRiders for their upcoming 28th season by logging onto ct-roughriders.com along with Facebook, Instagram, X (
The CT RoughRiders have been affiliated with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the United States Hockey League (USHL) since 1999. The RoughRiders number one goal is the development of our players not only on the ice but also off the ice and advancing them to the next level.
Story via CT RoughRiders