Syracuse Stars Mission Statement
It is our promise to the players in our program to do our best to provide the education, structure, and means necessary to advance them to the next level. It is also important to us to develop the person, not just the hockey player. Character, commitment, work ethic and determination are all words that are best used to describe the Syracuse Junior Program and its players. We take immense pride in assisting players achieve their goals, be it the NHL, Major Juniors, or College hockey. The Syracuse Stars has a rich tradition of developing topnotch talent, and we look forward to continued success with each year.
Founded over twenty years ago by Don Kirnan, the Syracuse Stars Junior Hockey Club has developed into one of the best junior hockey programs in the United States. Under the guidance of Don Kirnan, the Syracuse Stars has developed and advanced hundreds of young hockey players to the next level. Some of the program's success stories include 5 players in the NHL, countless players in the AHL, and OHL; 2 players on the USA Hockey Under 18 Team, One member of the US Olympic Team, 3 current National Junior Team Members; numerous players in the USHL and NCAA Division I, and Division III college programs, as well as boasting the first American Born hockey player to ever be drafted #1 in the OHL. In addition, during each of the past eight years the Stars have placed at least one player on the US National development team.
The Syracuse Stars have a rich tradition of moving players into the collegiate and pro ranks. In fact, in the 28 years of the program, over $100 million dollars have been earned in collegiate scholarships and pro contracts. Just to name a few: Tim Connolly, Brian Gionta, Dustin Brown, Robert Esche, Tom and Tim Sestito all got their start with the Syracuse Stars. In fact, no one has developed more players to the National Development Program in NY State than from this program.
In all of Central New York, there is no other avenue that has experienced a fraction of the success in developing and placing players. What has always differentiated the Stars from other teams is the ability to develop from within the organization. There are countless stories of players who started out on the “B” team and ended up as top “A” players, moving on to collegiate and pro teams in just a matter of a year.
Don Kirnan, the Founder/President of the Syracuse Stars will be stepping back into the Head Coaching position of the Junior “A” team. Kirnan finds in necessary to reenter the coaching ranks due to the competitive nature of the Eastern Junior Hockey League. “This league is a hybrid of two combining leagues that will represent some of the best Junior “A” programs in the East. We need to get back to our roots and grow this program based on the same principles we have had success on for decades.” He began the team in 1985 with the mission of allowing players to remain close to home by bringing the highest level of junior hockey to Central New York. Coach Kirnan was at the helm until the last couple of seasons and was responsible for putting the Syracuse Stars on the worldwide hockey scene by personally coaching most of the players who have advanced from the program.
John Walsh, Sean Walsh, and Paul Kelly will be involved in coaching the two teams, in addition to several coaches to be named in the near future. John Walsh will be entering his thirty-first year of coaching, most of which was at the junior level. In 1994 and 1995, Coach Walsh worked with the AHL Syracuse Crunch for head coach Jack McIllhargy. Sean Walsh has played and coached in the Syracuse Stars Junior program for nearly a decade. In addition, he played at the pro level for several seasons. Paul Kelly played over 400 pro games over eight seasons following a collegiate career at Boston College and Plattsburgh State.
The Syracuse Stars are seeking players who are committed to improving their games. Moving forward, we will have a full time staff that will be breaking down the game on a daily basis leading up to and throughout the season. This includes off ice training, video analysis, and private lessons to break down skills such as skating, shooting, and specific offensive/defensive aspects of the game.
We look forward to meeting with you to answer any questions you may have. Thank you for your time.
Don Kirnan
(315) 254-5229(315) 254-5229
Nicole Kirnan-Kelly
(914) 299-3831(914) 299-3831
