Lyon Messier to lead 15U and 2004 teams 

The Washington Little Capitals are excited to announce that Lyon Messier will serve as Head Coach of the 2002 (15U) and 2004 teams during the 2017-18 season.“I’m very excited to take on this challenge, and can’t wait for the season to start up again,” Messier said.  Last season, Messier stepped in to coach the 2002 team at the USA Hockey Southeast District playoffs and led the team during its thrilling come-from behind championship victory in Huntsville.  He then led the team at USA Hockey Tier 1 Nationals.  “It was really fun, a great experience for the coaches and for the kids to play the best teams in the country,” Messier said.  “Playing in Nationals is a big eye opener.  There’s not a lot of time and space at that level.  You have to move your feet, and move the puck faster, and work as a team.  We learned a lot, and now hopefully it carries over to next season to work together as a team and support each other.”  He says the experience showed the immense potential the Little Caps have at this age group, as he is excited to help them make the transition from Bantam to Midget hockey.    “It’s a lot more physical and the game is a lot faster,” he says. “The players are hitting that maturity level where you can throw more systems at them.  You’re playing more as a group than as individuals.”  “The 2002s are very skilled,” he adds. “My goal is to have the kids play more as a team, working together and moving the puck as a unit.”   

Messier also has big plans for the 2004 team. “The 04s this year are going to be very talented and a very good team.  I’m really excited for the opportunity to coach them,” he says.   He looks forward to helping the players make the transition from Pee Wee to Bantam hockey, which is a critical development milestone in several levels. “They’ll still be working on their individual skills, but they’re also going to be exposed to systems for the first time – a system in the defensive zone, a system in the neutral zone, a forecheck – while making room for creativity as well,” he says.  “The first year of Bantams is also the first year of hitting.  You really have to teach the kids not only how to hit, but also how to take a hit and how to avoid a hit.  We plan to work on that over the summer, show them how to do it, so they’re not scared out there playing.” 

Messier grew up in the Washington area, and played youth hockey with the Northern Virginia Ice Dogs and the Little Caps.  He then played junior hockey for the Texas Tornado in the North American Hockey League (NAHL), where he won a national championship, and later with the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League (USHL). He played major junior hockey in Canada for the Kelowna Rockets (WHL) and Erie Otters (OHL), before moving on to play pro hockey for the New Mexico Scorpions of the Central Hockey League (CHL). “Then I went to the New York Rangers main camp, played an AHL game, and then went down to the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and won the Kelly Cup with the South Carolina Stingrays.”  After his playing career was over, Lyon moved right into coaching. “I was assistant coach for the U18 Connecticut Wolfpack, and then head coach of the U16s Wolfpack team that was ranked #5 in the nation.  During that time, we moved 12 kids to Division 1 scholarships,” he says.  He moved back to Washington and has been coaching in the Little Caps organization for three years now.  “It’s great to be back and give back to the community where I got my start.  There’s a lot of talent here now.  My goal is to help the kids get the recognition they deserve and help them do good things.”  Messier says that in his playing days, talented players from this area thought they had to move away from Washington to make it to the next level, but that this is no longer the case. “Today, there are cameras and video feeds everywhere, so scouts can watch the games like they couldn’t in my day,” he says.  Moreover, by the North American Prospects League (AYHL) at the midget level, Little Caps players get plenty of exposure.  “Everyone is talking and sees the games.  And we play good competition. There are kids in Florida that are getting Division 1 scholarships.  Seth Jones was in Dallas, Texas and they found him.  Wherever you are, if you’re good enough they’ll find you.”  Messier wants to help his players at both levels develop their skills so they achieve their dreams. 

“I’m really excited and up for the challenge,” he says.