COACHING STAFF
JOEY HISHON
Joey Hishon grew up in Stratford Ontario playing all of his minor hockey with the Stratford Warriors hockey organization. When Joey was 15 years old, he was drafted 8th overall by the Owen Sound Attack where he went on to have a standout junior career. His career junior highlights included setting the underage scoring record at Owen Sound (which still stands); winning gold with Team Ontario at the 2008 U17 World Hockey Championship; leading Team Canada with 10 points in 6 games at the 2009 U18 World Hockey Championship; being voted best stickhandler and best playmaker in the OHL coaches poll in consecutive years in 2009-10 and 2010-11; and being named a OHL First Team All Star in 2010-11. Joey concluded his junior career by leading the OHL playoffs in scoring and taking Owen Sound to its first and only OHL championship. In 2010, Joey was drafted in the 1st round (17th overall) at the NHL Entry Draft. He went on to play 8 seasons of professional hockey with stops in the NHL, AHL, KHL and the SHL.
After retiring as a player, Joey simultaneously pursued coaching, management and skill development. During the hockey seasons, Joey worked for the Owen Sound Attack, first as a Regional Scout and then as Assistant Coach and Assistant General Manager. During the off-seasons, Joey worked as a skills development coach at Hishon Skills Corp, which he founded in 2018. During those years, he provided on-ice development and video review for numerous junior, college and NHL players.
Joey was introduced to Adam Oates in 2018. Joey and Adam stayed in touch and talked hockey on a regular basis. Over the course of time, Joey developed a deep respect for Adam’s hockey mind and his unique approach to developing hockey players. In the summer of 2022, Joey came to the realization that his true passion was player development and made the decision to pursue this passion on a full-time basis. Joey concluded that the best way for him to help players reach their full potential would be to join forces with Adam at Oates Sports Group.
At Oates Sports Group Joey will work closely with players at all stages of their hockey journey, from minor hockey to junior and college and all the way through to the NHL. He will provide on-ice skill development, video coaching and mentorship based on Adam’s core principles and philosophies.
TAYLOR WILLIAMSON
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Taylor Williamson grew up in Edina, MN where she spent her youth playing boys hockey. She played for the Edina High School Girls Varsity team where she still holds the Edina High School’s all-time scoring and points records. She was a member of the Minnesota Junior Whitecaps from 2008-2015. Taylor’s international hockey career included competing on the USA Under 18 National Team from 2012-2014. In 2014, they won the silver medal at the IIHF Women’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. In 2015, she was named Minnesota’s Ms. Hockey and USA Today “All-USA Girls Hockey First Team Player”.
Taylor attended the University of Minnesota from 2015-2019, and graduated with a double major in Business Marketing and Human Resource Development. She was a member of the 2015-2016 NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey National Championship Team. During her time with the Gophers, Taylor earned a spot on the USA Under 22 National Team, where the US faced Canada in a 3-Game Series in Calgary. As Taylor’s collegiate career came to an end, she capped her hockey career off as an AHCA All-American Scholar, WCHA Scholar-Athlete, All-Big Ten Honoree, and Minnesota’s Big Ten Conference Outstanding Sportsmanship Award Winner.
After retiring as a player, Taylor jumped right into coaching where she discovered quickly that this was her true passion. She became the head coach at Wayzata High School (the largest school and hockey association in Minnesota). Along with managing the Wayzata High School Girls Hockey program, she also ran development clinics for players at the U8 level. During the off-season she trained many elite players in the Twin Cities area as a personal skills coach, and since then has aligned with Adam to help her players reach their full potential.
Taylor comes from a family with deep roots in hockey. Her grandfather Murray Williamson coached two US Olympic Hockey Teams in 1968 and 1972, where his team won the Silver Medal in the Olympic Games hosted in Sapporo Japan. He was later elected into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005. Taylor’s father Dean, played college hockey at the University of Minnesota and has coached youth, high school and college hockey over the past 30 years.
At Oates Sports Group Taylor works closely with players at all stages of their hockey journey. From the youth level to professional players, she provides on-ice skill development, video coaching, and mentorship based on Adam’s core principles and philosophies. She is currently working with players primarily in Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, but covers all parts of the United States.
JORDAN HILL
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Jordan Hill, a Sarnia native, grew up playing minor hockey with the Lambton Jr. Sting organization. In 2007, he made the OHL as a walk on during a tryout with the Sarnia Sting. He played for the Sting for 3 years and had the honour of being named captain for his hometown team during his final season in Sarnia. In 2010 he was traded to the Saginaw Spirit where he won Saginaw Spirit Defenceman of the Year. Following his OHL career, he went on to play 8 seasons of professional hockey in the AHL and ECHL.
Following a career ending surgery in 2017, he immediately pursued coaching landing a role as Assistant Coach in the OHL with the Owen Sound Attack. After three seasons as Assistant Coach, he was promoted to Associate Coach by the Attack. Jordan’s passion has always been in player development so when the opportunity arose to work alongside Adam Oates and the rest of his team, it was an easy decision.
At Oates Sports Group Jordan will work closely with players at all stages of their hockey journey, from minor hockey to junior, college and all the way through to the NHL. He will provide on-ice skill development, video coaching and mentorship based on Adam’s core principles and philosophies.
MATT COOKE
Hailing from Stirling, Ontario, Matt Cooke is a seasoned professional who spent 17 years at the pinnacle of hockey, playing over 1,000 games in the NHL. Renowned for his tenacity, versatility, and gritty style of play, Cooke's career was highlighted by his role in helping the Pittsburgh Penguins secure the 2009 Stanley Cup.
Cooke’s impact on the ice was undeniable. Known for his physicality and work ethic, he played a key role in his teams’ successes, earning the 2003 Fred J. Hume Award as Vancouver’s “unsung hero” for his selfless play. His community efforts also stood out, earning him the Edward J. DeBartolo Community Service Award with the Penguins. Cooke’s dedication to the game and sportsmanship also earned him a Bill Masterton Trophy nomination.
After retiring in 2015, Cooke transitioned to mentoring young players, joining the Orono High School coaching staff and co-founding Perfect World Hockey Training. His focus was on skill development and character-building. In 2023, he decided to return to professional hockey and served as the head coach of the Newfoundland Growlers in the ECHL during the 2023-2024 season. When that team folded at the end of that season, Cooke reflected on his time behind the bench and realized that his true passion was working closely with players on the nuances of their game to help them reach their full potential. Once he came to this realization, he decided to approach Adam Oates about continuing his hockey journey at Oates Sports Group. Adam instantly recognized Matt’s hockey intellect and passion to help players improve and brought Matt into the Oates Sports Group family.
At Oates Sports Group Matt will work closely with players at all stages of their hockey journey, from minor hockey to junior and college and all the way through to the NHL. He will provide on-ice skill development, video coaching and mentorship based on Adam’s core principles and philosophies.