Nöelle Needham has been a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs and an assistant general manager in the USHL. She grew up on her parents’ ranch in Elkton, S.D., starred at Shattuck-St. Mary’s Academy and Minnesota State University and about a dozen years ago, created Legend Hockey in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Shortly after that, she started the Sioux Falls Power Tier 1 program, which today boasts elite hockey teams at the U13, U14, 15O, U16 and U18 levels and is committed to skill development with an emphasis on skating, physical training, team play and the highest levels of competition.
Not bad for a 37-year-old woman who is the only female coaching Tier 1 U16 hockey in the entire United States.
“I’ve had a unique experience. I was at Shattuck at a unique time and was a pretty good player, but I’ve just always been around elite people in the game. I’ve benefited from that. I think player development is my strong suit. That’s why we have so many players who come here to play and are successful at the Junior level, the college level and even the pros. Just because of the approach we take every single day.
“It’s really hard to be consistent for eight months and I believe I have the ability to help players do that. We’ve developed a very structured program here. They get programs here on-ice and off-ice that is comparable to any high-end NCAA Division 1 program. We have the amenities, the facilities and the community is fantastic. There is a lot of exposure through here.”
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The Sioux Falls Power exists to develop and promote players to the NAHL, USHL, NCAA Division I, and the NHL. The program provides its players with opportunities to grow as a player, as a member of a dedicated team made up of similarly committed players and exposure to the highest levels of competitive hockey in the United States and Canada.
In the off-season, players from Tier 1 hockey to the pros find their training home with Legend Hockey. Operating on the same state-of-the-art Sanford Sports Complex, Legend Hockey provides athletes with an innovative, comprehensive and well-rounded approach to mental and physical elite-level skill development and training. But there are plenty of good elite development programs in Canada and the United States. What sets Legend apart?
“It’s our experience, first and foremost,” Needham said. “And it’s also how we approach things with the variety of training woven into each session. An approach trending and seeing tangible results in the highest levels of the game. We build a player’s game using constraints. Not necessarily isolating one skill, but by putting players in difficult situations where they have to use each skill as part of an element to be rewarded.
“A big part of it is how we approach the ice sheet. We do a lot of things with angles. We do a lot of things to work to create diagonal lanes.
“We watch video before every ice session. Our video sessions are more of a discussion, a sequence vs. examples. We’ll do examples sometimes, but more so, we talk about the video and what they saw, and what different options they have. We want to build a full understanding of the game.”
"Probably most importantly, and something very special to me, is hearing the players who come back each summer tell us they feel like they're coming home. Player development will always be what we do, but the players are why we do it. We care about them. They love coming back and training hard with their buddies, and they have a great time. They'll always have a home here."
Needham also has close ties to some important names in Manitoba hockey.
"I am fortunate to work with a lot of coaches and hockey development personnel currently working in the CHL and MJHL, making connections that provide players with excellent opportunities for development and advancement."
“We’re sending a couple of our teams up to Winnipeg to play RHA this year. We’re excited to go up there to develop that relationship, too.”
Power has had plenty of success developing young Manitoba players. Jayden Perron is a perfect example. An undersized 5-foot-9, 165-pound forward who is gifted, fast and smart. Perron played for the Power in 2020-21, moved on to the USHL’s Chicago Steel, is committed to the University of North Dakota this fall and was the third-round selection of the Carolina Hurricanes (94th overall) in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
“We’ve had Jay (Perron) and Brayden Thompson from Winnipeg (U14 AAA) is here and we have another Winnipeg kid, 16-year-old Brenden Espenell (U18 Winnipeg Wild) who is coming in this season.
“We’ve had real success with our Canadian players and not only have we had players become successful in the USHL, but we’ve moved players on to the Western Hockey League, as well. Dawson Pasternak and Alex Thompson (both with the Portland Winterhawks), both from Winnipeg, are playing in the WHL.”
Power and Legend work for Manitoba players for a number of reasons. For one thing, the Sanford Sports Complex provides comprehensive and innovative training resources all on one state-of-the-art sports campus. Needham’s teams practice and play out of the Scheels Iceplex, which opened in October 2014 and features three sheets of ice. The teams train off-ice approximately 200 yards away at the Sanford Fieldhouse under the direction of Sanford Power Training.
“It’s only 6 1⁄2-hours away so it’s a pretty easy commute and there are a lot of college coaches who have ties to Canada, especially to Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta,” she said. “They’re always looking at those Western Canadian kids so there are always great opportunities for those kids coming down here. We have had really good success with developing our Canadian players.”
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