Max Gratchev

Max assumed ownership of the Boston Stars Hockey Club in 2015. Max’s playing career started in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Quebec Remparts and Rimouski Oceanic. He was drafted in the 4th round (106th Overall) by the New York Islanders in the 2007 NHL entry draft.

After playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), American Hockey League (AHL), Max dedicated his considerable skills and knowledge to teaching and developing young hockey players.

Max is considered one of the premier hockey coaches in the New England area and beyond. His MaxPro Elite Hockey skills program and philosophy is recognized by hockey organizations around the world as a model approach to hockey development.

Max also served as the Skills and Development Coach and Regional Scout for the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Junior Hockey league.

Max also currently serves as an Assistant Coach at Arlington Catholic High School.

Igor Gratchev
Owner/Director of Development

U-15 MaxPro Jets (Head Coach) - League Champions 2018
2005 Boston Stars (Head Coach)
U-16 Boston Stars (Head Coach) 
Ten Steps Hockey Skills (Coach)

The Boston Stars Hockey Club was founded by Igor Gratchev to help young hockey players pursue their dreams of playing hockey at the very highest levels of international competition. At 18 years old Igor played for the Russian Central Red Army team and then went on to play in the Super Hockey League in Russia for several years where he competed with many of the world’s most accomplished hockey professionals. His professional career spanned fourteen years as a premier Russian Hockey player.

Igor founded the Ten Steps methodology and started the “Igor Hockey” program while his son Max was growing up.

Kristin McKenzie is in her first year as Girls Director for the Club. 

McKenzie will coach the High School MaxPro Jets Girls team and also serves as Women’s Head Coach at Arlington Catholic High School.  Kristin, is from Arlington and grew up playing four years’ varsity ice hockey for Arlington High School.  She went on to play for Salem State University Vikings and was captain and leading goal scorer in her senior season. 

Rich Heap
2006 Boston Stars (Head Coach)

Rich Heap was a former standout player at Norwich University and has enjoyed a heralded  coaching career coaching the following teams to respective championships:

DJ Pinkham
2004 Boston Stars (Head Coach)
U-16 Boston Stars (Head Coach)

DJ joins MaxPro Hockey school and the Boston Stars in 2016. A graduate of Arlington Catholic, DJ was a star goaltender who helped his team to the MIAA Division 1A Super 8 Finals in 2005.  He was a 2005 Boston Herald All-Scholastic and a Hockey Night in Boston All Star.  DJ eventually went on to play for Assumption College from 2005-2009.

DJ has coached middle school programs in Saugus and Winthrop, Boston Brahmas Bantams, North Shore Stingrays, and the New England Future Stars program in 2015.

DJ has also coached at the college level at Salem State University where he was the Women’s Varsity Ice Hockey Program, Assistant / Goaltender Coach from 2010 – 2013.

Currently he is the Goaltender Coach for the Lynn Jets High School Boys Varsity Team, and  a coach for the NE Future Stars Summer league.

Anna McDonough, Asst. Coach 2007 Boston Stars

Anna enters the second year in our program after running the Tiny Stars program last season.

Growing up in Portland, Maine, Anna’s love for hockey started at a young age, skating on a homemade rink in her back yard. She began playing organized hockey for Biddeford Youth Hockey Association at the age of eight and continued on to play youth hockey for the Casco Bay Girls Travel Team from ’06-’11.

Anna also played four years for the Cheverus High School Girls Ice Hockey team and was a key player in winning the 2010 State Championship after a perfect 21-0 season. She finished her hockey career at Cheverus as captain for the ’10-’11 season before moving to Boston to attend Emmanuel College.

A lifelong Bruins fanatic, Anna maintains a strong connection with the sport, color announcing for the 2015 Mayors Cup Youth Hockey Tournament at Boston College and playing in the MA Hockey League.

Victoria also has served as a USFSA Basic Skills judge at Nutmeg State Games in 2012 and 2013 and has a long list of successful coaches who have trained her including former Olympic Champion Ilia Kulik (1998 Olympic Champion). 

Her other coaches and mentors have included Michael Sklutovsky; U.S.Junior National Ice Dance Champion, Elena Sklutovsky; Ukrainian National Speed Skating Champion, and Chantal Lefebvre; former Olympian and Canadian ice dance national medalist

Her coaching experience is extensive, including most recently as Learn to Skate Instructor/Private On Ice and Off Ice Coach/Choreographer in Malden and before that at Champions Skating Center and the Newington Ice Center in CT.

Matt MacIsaac
MaxPro Skills Assistant 

Matt is a Boston Stars and Ten Steps alum and has been in our program for many years. He is currently a member Malden Catholic High School hockey team. Matt started playing hockey at a very young age and is looking forward to helping younger players develop their skills and teamwork abilities. 

Matt has played in many different leagues and divisions, from Recreational, Tier I Selects, Tier I Elites, and now his Division I High School team.

Mike Doherty
MaxPro Skills Assistant

Mike is currently a Winchester High School Junior looking to work with kids that have an interest in hockey. Mike has had the fortune to work with a number of skilled coaches since he started to skate, all the way from Mite level to High School.

Mike is looking forward from taking what he learned from those coaches and hopes to pass on his knowledge of hockey in order to develop young players who are looking to be the best they can be.