JACKSONVILLE, FL – The Jacksonville Icemen, proud ECHL Affiliate of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild and the AHL’s Iowa Wild are pleased to announce that the team has hired as Stephon Thorne as the team’s new assistant coach. In addition, the team have also hired Brian Roller as the team’s new Strength & Conditioning Coach.   

Thorne joins the Icemen after spending last season as an assistant coach for the Indy Fuel. Prior to Indy, Thorne served multiple seasons behind the bench in the Ontario Hockey League, continuing a steady progression through elite junior and professional hockey.  Thorne served as Assistant Coach of the Brampton Steelheads during the 2024–25 OHL season, after spending the 2023–24 campaign with the Mississauga Steelheads. His time in the OHL followed a successful 2022–23 season in junior hockey, where he held dual roles as Head Coach of the Mississauga Senators U14 AAA team and Assistant Coach of the Senators’ U16 AAA program in the GTHL, while also serving as an Assistant Coach with the Toronto Patriots of the OJHL. As a player, Thorne played six professional seasons including five ECHL seasons with the Fort Wayne Komets, Toledo Walleye and Brampton Beast. 

“Stephon is a huge addition to the Icemen family his ability to communicate and relate to players is unmatched,” said Icemen Head Coach Sean Teakle. “Having a relationship with Stephon for over 20 years I know our players are in good hands with their development. Not only did the coaching staff get better but the entire organization is better with this hire because of his passion for the game and the people in it.” 

Roller brings a wealth of performance training experience to the Icemen staff.  Roller has served as the Director of Sports Performance at Jacksonville University since 2021.  From 2019-202, he worked as the Assistant Strength & Conditioning coach at High Point University.  Roller completed his master’s degree in Sports Management at St. John’s University in 2019, while earning a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from SUNY Cortland in 2016, where he also played hockey for three seasons.  Roller also has earned over a dozen athletic and performance training certifications. Roller is also owner of Lighthouse Performance Systems based in Jacksonville. 

“Brian is huge addition to hockey operations staff,” said Teakle.  “His knowledge and passion for strength and conditioning is something we were searching for.   His love for the Jacksonville community and knowledge of the Icemen stuck out through the interview process and he wants to be a part of bringing a championship to Jacksonville.”  

The Icemen’s Hockey Operations Staff is now set for the 2026-27 Season: 

Head Coach: Sean Teakle
Assistant Coach: Stephon Thorne
Goaltending Coach: Charles Williams
Video Coach:  Joey Pezzino 
Strength & Conditioning Coach:  Brian Roller
Head Equipment Manager:  Andrew Dvorak
Head Athletic Trainer:  Jeff Haft

The Jacksonville Icemen open their 10th Anniversary Season on October 31st against the Atlanta Gladiators. Full and Partial Ticket plans are available by calling 904-602-7825, or by visiting www.jacksonvilleicemen.com