Ken Martel
Senior Director, Player & Coach Development
With over 30 years of experience in player development and a long history as a coach with USA Hockey, Ken Martel was named senior director of player and coach development in November 2022. He is charged with helping provide a framework for associations nationwide to follow for optimal athlete development.
From 2009-22 Martel served as the technical director of USA Hockey’s American Development Model after spending two years (2006-08) at USA Hockey’s national office in Colorado Springs, Colo., working on coaching education and player development initiatives. For his efforts using science to advance sport, Martel received the USOPC "Doc" Councilman Award for Ice Hockey in 2004. In 2019, the USOPC’s also recognize him as their National Coach Educator of the Year.
Prior to arriving in Colorado Springs, Martel was a part of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program staff as an assistant coach for eight years (1998-2006), including a dual role with responsibilities for player personnel his final five seasons.
Martel has made appearances behind the bench of nine U.S. teams that have competed in International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships, including four times with the U.S. National Under-18 Team (2000-04), four times with the U.S. National Junior Team (2004, 2006, 2008-09) and once with the U.S. Women’s National Team (2007). He has been part of two gold medal-winning teams, including the first-ever U.S. gold medals in the IIHF Men’s World Under-18 Championship (2002) and the IIHF World Junior Championship (2004).
Among his additional coaching stops, Martel served one season (1997-98) as an assistant coach for the men’s ice hockey program at the U.S. Air Force Academy and seven seasons (1990-97) as an assistant men’s ice hockey coach at Michigan Tech University. He also spent one year (1990-91) as a graduate assistant for the men’s ice hockey program at St. Cloud State University.
A four-year (1985-89) letter-winner as a defenseman at Lake Superior State University, Martel helped the Lakers to the school’s first-ever NCAA D1 national title in 1988. He holds an M.Sc. degree in Exercise Physiology from Eastern Michigan University.
Martel and his wife, Dawn, reside in Monument, Colorado.
