NCDC 2024-25 Awards: Idaho Falls’ Anthony Bohn Named Mountain Division Ryan Frew Memorial Coach Of The Year
By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com
The National Collegiate Development Conference congratulates Idaho Falls Spud Kings Head Coach Anthony Bohn on winning the 2024-25 Mountain Division Ryan Frew Memorial Coach Of The Year Award. The award is given to the top coach of each NCDC division, as voted by their peers, and is given in memory of late NCDC New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs head coach Ryan Frew (1980-2020).
“I am extremely grateful to be selected for the award, especially by my coaching peers and on behalf of our entire Idaho Falls Spud Kings organization and our players,” said Coach Bohn, who joined the Spud Kings during the 2023-24 season. “Our team would not have been able to have the type of success we had this season without many special people, from my assistant coach Joey Strada, director of player development John Becanic, and goalie coach Shane Clifford, to our GM Erik Hudson.”
The Spud Kings won the Mountain Division regular season title with a 38-10-4-1 record, just pulling away from the rival Ogden Mustangs late in the season. They went back up against the Mustangs in the division championship series and won Game 4 in overtime to win their first Mountain Division playoff championship and earn their berth in the Dineen Cup Championships.
In Wayne, N.J., it all came together perfectly for the Spud Kings, as they went 3-0 and won the championship against the then-defending Dineen Cup Champion South Shore Kings.
“Winning both the Mountain Division and Dineen Cup championships was a huge accomplishment for our young franchise and division. For us in Idaho Falls, and as my first full year being part of the organization, we wanted to establish the right culture and standards that align with our coaching staff and organization,” said Bohn. “We had tremendous leadership inside that dressing room from the returning players to get us started and as we added pieces. Many of these new players stepped up and added to that leadership.”
The Spud Kings had the Dineen Cup Championship as really their only goal this year, and they never wavered from that commitment. They also had the drive to win big for their 4,000 fans per game, one of the best average attendances for any junior hockey team in the U.S. The players want to get better – to develop towards a college or higher-level junior opportunity; for wins; and to put on a great show for these loyal fans.
“Player development is a process every year and it starts with recruiting and getting the right people in the right seats. We then implement a development model starting from Day 1 of the season and if we stay on track, we expect to see players improving gradually and by doing that, our team steadily improves and sees success,” said Bohn.
So much goes into coaching a junior team in this day and age, and the hours seen by fans are the small tip of a very large iceberg. Dedication to the young men who are entrusting their hockey futures to a coaching staff is absolutely essential for any success.
“I think it varies from coach to coach and year to year, but the most important thing is being yourself and always putting the players first and empowering them,” said Bohn.
It’s never difficult to reach the Spud Kings’ goals, as management and ownership make sure Coach Bohn and his staff have what they need to attain their multiple goals.
“The Spud Kings organization, from ownership to front office, is incredible and it trickles down to the players,” Bohn added. “This organization operates as a professional business and they provide our players and staff with absolutely everything needed to be successful on the ice with player development and wins, but also with an environment where every single player knows they will be taken care of in every facet on and off the ice to improve their junior hockey experience and development.”