For Immediate Release
March 19, 2025
Saanichton, B.C. - BC Hockey is proud to announce the Male U16 Team BC staff for the 2025 Program of Excellence (POE) season led by Head Coach James Pollock.
Pollock will take the lead as head coach for Team BC after serving as an assistant on last year’s squad that competed at the WHL Cup.
"These individuals make a great leadership team." Commissioner, POE Fred Zweep said. "We are confident in the staff's skills to develop our players throughout the POE season and look forward to seeing them compete for the WHL Cup."
Identification (ID) Camps, formerly known as Regional Camps, begin later this month across the province. After the completion of ID Camps, 160 players will be invited to move on to the BC Cup, which will take place April 17-20, 2025 in Salmon Arm, B.C. Following the BC Cup, 76 players will be selected to move to the Provincial Camp stage in Chilliwack, B.C. from July 24-27, 2025. The final roster will see 20 players selected to represent Team BC at the 2025 WHL Cup in Red Deer, Alberta.
James Pollock
Head Coach
Hometown: Victoria, B.C.
2024-25 Team: Shawnigan Lake School U15 Prep Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL)
Background: James Pollock returns to the Team BC bench for the 2025 season, marking his second year on the coaching staff after serving as an assistant coach last season. Prior to joining Team BC’s staff, he was a volunteer coach at the BC Cup and Male U16 Provincial Camp in 2023.
Pollock has been a member of the coaching staff at the U15 and U18 levels at Shawnigan Lake School (CSSHL) since the 2014-15 season. At the minor hockey level, he served as an assistant coach for the Kerry Park Minor Hockey Association's (MHA) U11 Development team from 2022-2024 and at the U8 level during the 2021-22 season.
Pollock spent four seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Seattle Thunderbirds from 1995-1999. He was then chosen in the fourth round (106th overall) in the 1997 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues. His professional career began with him spending five seasons in the Blues' system with the majority of that time spent in the American Hockey League (AHL). Pollock registered nine games in the NHL with St. Louis during the 2003-04 season.
After his time with St. Louis, Pollock headed to Europe where he spent the following 10 years, minus a 16 game stint in the AHL in 2007-08, competing for teams in Switzerland, Germany, and Russia. During his time in Europe, Pollock received the opportunity to don the Maple Leaf and compete for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup in 2003 and 2004.
Away from the rink, Pollock is a house director and guidance counsellor at Shawnigan Lake School.
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Dan Cioffi
Assistant Coach
Hometown: Langley, B.C.
2024-25 Team: Burnaby Winter Club U15 (CSSHL)
Background: This will mark the second consecutive season behind the Team BC bench as an assistant coach for Dan Cioffi. Previously, he served as an evaluator and coach at ID Camps and the BC Cup since 2017.
Cioffi is currently the head coach of the U15 Prep team at Burnaby Winter Club, as well as the Director of Operations at Burnaby Winter Club.
The Langley, B.C. native has been involved in coaching for over 20 years, and has held roles with the British Columbia Elite Hockey League's (BCEHL) U18 AAA Valley West Giants from 2018-2021, the Pacific Junior Hockey League's (PJHL) Delta Ice Hawks from 2011-2013, and North Vancouver MHA from 2010-2020. He has also worked for the CSSHL's Banff Hockey Academy during the 2005-06 season and the Carleton Ravens Women's Hockey team (U Sports) during the 2004-05 season.
Cioffi is a graduate of the University of Ottawa and possesses a Bachelor's degree in Human Kinetics.
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Jackson Playfair
Assistant Coach
Hometown: Fort St. James, B.C.
2024-25 Team: RINK Hockey Academy U17 Prep (CSSHL)
Background: Jackson Playfair will make his Team BC debut behind the bench as an assistant coach during the 2025 POE season after previously volunteering as a coach at POE Camps last year.
Playfair has been with RINK Hockey Academy (CSSHL) for two seasons and is currently the head coach for their U17 Prep team. He has had coaching experience with the University of British Columbia Men's Hockey team (U Sports) during the 2021-22 season, and U15 AAA Valley West Giants (BCEHL) during the 2020-21 season.
The Fort St. James native played in the WHL for three seasons between 2012-2015 for the Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans. At the collegiate ranks, he played for Dalhousie University's Men's Hockey team (U Sports) from 2015-2019. Playfair then moved on to professional hockey, where he played for the ECHL's Orlando Solar Bears during the 2018-19 season.
Playfair graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management.
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Matt Revel
Video Coach
Hometown: Abbotsford, B.C.
2024-25 Team: University of British Columbia Men's Hockey Team (U Sports)
Background: Matt Revel will join the Male U16 Team BC staff for the first time during the 2025 POE season as a video coach.
The Abbotsford native has coaching experience as an assistant with the University of British Columbia Men's Hockey team (U Sports) for two seasons from 2023-2025 and Vancouver Thunderbirds MHA at the U15 Tier 1 level during the 2020-21 season.
Revel played five seasons in the WHL from 2012-2017, split between the Saskatoon Blades, Kamloops Blazers and Portland Winterhawks. He then went on to play for the University of British Columbia Men's Hockey team (U Sports) from 2017-2022, and played one season in Austria with the Pioneers Vorarlberg of the International Central European Hockey League (ICEHL) during the 2022-23 season.
He graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology.
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Bob Pond
Athletic Therapist/Strength & Conditioning Coach
Hometown: Penticton, B.C.
2024-25 Team: Male U16 Team BC
Background: This will be the second season with the POE for Bob Pond after serving as an athletic therapist for Male U16 Team BC in 2024.
He currently serves as the strength coach for the U15 Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association (OMAHA) South Zone Knights and Penticton MHA's U15 Tier 2 team. The Penticton, B.C. native has previously served as a safety person with Okanagan Hockey Academy (CSSHL) from 2016-2024, and as a trainer for Summerland Steam of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) from 2021-2023.
Pond has a Bachelor's degree in Science in Athletic Training from Minot State University in North Dakota, and is currently obtaining a Master's degree in Rehabilitation Science from the University of British Columbia.
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Glen Klassen
Equipment Manager
Hometown: Colwood, B.C.
2024-25 Team: Victoria Royals (WHL) & Juan de Fuca MHA
Background: Glen Klassen returns to Team BC as equipment manager for his second consecutive season after serving in 2024.
The Colwood native has been a trainer assistant for the Victoria Royals (WHL) since 2011. He also served as assistant equipment manager for the Victoria Salmon Kings (ECHL) during the 2010-11 season, and was their dressing room attendant from 2004 to 2007.
Klassen is currently the sports bookings clerk at the Westshore Parks and Recreation Society.
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