Eagles Round Out Hockey Operations Staff
Aug 13, 2024
WINDSOR, CO. – The Colorado Eagles, proud AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, have officially announced that equipment manager Bryce Blinkhorn has joined the staff of the Avalanche as an assistant equipment manager, while strength and conditioning coach Bobby Lucas has also been elevated to a position on the Avalanche’s strength and conditioning staff.
In corresponding moves, Joe Pionk has been named the new head equipment manager for the Eagles, while Brayden Deweese has been added as the team’s assistant equipment manager. In addition, Ben Fowler will take over as the Eagles strength and conditioning coach, with Kyle Schulman now serving as a strength and conditioning intern with the club.
Pionk is entering his fourth season on the Eagles staff, after spending the previous three seasons as the team’s assistant equipment manager. Prior to making the jump to the AHL, he spent two seasons as the head equipment manager for the USHL's Omaha Lancers. In addition, the Hermantown, Minnesota native spent the 2018-19 campaign as the Lancer's assistant equipment manager before being promoted to the top spot in 2019. The 25-year-old is the younger brother of current Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk.
A native of La Crosse, Wisconsin, Fowler attended the University of Wisconsin, where he received a BS degree in Kinesiology. During his tenure at UW-Madison he interned with the school’s Olympic strength and conditioning department. From there, Fowler moved on to Boston College where he served as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant, working with both the men's and women's hockey teams. During his time at Boston College, he also received his master's degree in exercise and sport science.
Deweese is entering his first season in the AHL after spending the past three seasons as the head equipment manager for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL. A Fairbanks, Alaska native, Deweese attended the University of Alaska-Anchorage, where he joined the hockey program as a student volunteer, working with both the equipment staff and hockey operations department.
Schulman grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado and is a graduate of Fort Collins High School. He enjoyed a football career at Colorado Mesa University where he would also begin working as a strength and conditioning intern, working with several different sports including hockey, football, lacrosse, soccer, rugby, and track and field. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, Schulman joined the private sector working for private strength and conditioning facilities while also working with high school teams as a strength and conditioning coach.
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