Karlander, Van Drunen join Grand Rapids CoE team

TPH is proud to announce the additions of Kory Karlander and David Van Drunen to the Grand Rapids Center of Excellence for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year.

In their new roles of player development coaches and mentors, the two bring a combined 32 years of professional hockey playing experience to the growing staff at the new CoE at the Southside Ice Arena on Michigan’s west side.

“Both Kory and David have a passion for helping the next generation of hockey players, and we’re excited to have them join our team for our inaugural school year,” said TPH GR director of hockey Joel Kwiatkowski. “From playing such extensive professional careers and now both coaching in the youth ranks, they know from experience what it takes to reach the highest levels of hockey, and how to communicate those lessons to our young student-athletes.”

Karlander, a co-hockey director for the Fox Motors Hockey Club, coaches two youth teams after a 18-year professional hockey career. A Northern Michigan alum, Karlander played for the Grand Rapids Griffins in five different seasons, and seven seasons with the Kalamazoo Wings. He served as an assistant captain for the Wings from 2005-13 before retiring from professional hockey.

Other hockey stops for Karlander included the Detroit Vipers (IHL) and two years with the Belfast Giants in the British Ice Hockey Superleague.

Van Drunen, a coach of Fox Motors midget teams, played for the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL for junior hockey before embarking on a 14-year professional career that brought him to Michigan.

He played five seasons for the Griffins, and four for the Muskegon Fury, before concluding his career with the Odessa Jackalopes in 2010-11.

Along the way, Van Drunen also played for the Detroit Vipers and the Saginaw Gears as he made his way around the Great Lakes State.

Both work for the Southside Ice Arena, extending their roots in the Grand Rapids hockey community.

For more information about the TPH Center of Excellence in Grand Rapids, click here.

About Total Package Hockey: Founded in 2001, it is TPH’s vision to become the world leader in positively impacting the lives of student-athletes through the game of hockey. Through academics, mentorship and athletics, TPH prides itself on operating at a standard that exceeds expectations of student-athletes, families, coaches, advisors and all other entities of the hockey world. With platforms that include association management, elite prospects programs, tournaments and showcases, camps and clinics and its hallmark Center of Excellence academy model, Total Package Hockey has assisted in the academic, athletic and hockey development of over 600 players who have advanced to junior, collegiate and professional hockey. Since inception, 45 #TPHTrained student-athletes have been selected in the NHL Draft, while 280 have committed to the NCAA level – 189 of which are Division I. In addition, 99 players have been selected in the OHL Priority Selection and 353 have signed tenders or been drafted in the USHL and NAHL. While TPH is proud of its student-athletes who have achieved success on-the ice, it is the process of developing young men and women as people, first and foremost, that our world-class team of coaches and mentors take the most amount of pride in. While it is our responsibility to prepare each individual for success on the ice, it is our mission to prepare each and every individual for success in the ultimate game – the game of life! To learn more about TPH, visit www.totalpackagehockey.com.