Jerome Dupont

FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT

“I tell all my clients, if you want to become a professional hockey player it is critical to play with and up against bigger, stronger and more experienced players. Immerse yourself in a challenging, competitive and intense environment and I like your chances.”

BIOGRAPHY

From his years playing in the NHL, coaching USports, Major Junior, Junior A and “AAA” hockey, Jerome Dupont is an expert when it comes to teaching talented young hockey players.

HOCKEY EDUCATOR

In 1996, Jerome established the Center of Hockey Excellence as a premiere hockey development company. Jerome has an outstanding track record as a head coach of several championship junior teams, helping hundreds of elite players reach their goals in junior, college, and professional play. His knowledge of the game and experience in player development has allowed him to create innovative and accessible programs for clients looking to bring their game to the next level, while getting an education.

Jerome is one of few coaches in Canada to earn a Hockey Canada Certification HP2.

NHL CAREER

As a professional hockey player Jerome was a 1st round draft pick (15th overall) of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1980 NHL Entry Draft. His NHL career includes playing a total of 221 games for the Hawks and 13 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

RECENT COACHING CAREER

Jerome is currently an Assistant Coach at Wilfrid Laurier University in the OUA.

During the 2022-23 season Jerome served as Director of Hockey Operations, GM and Head Coach of the Trenton Golden Hawks in the OJHL. He took the team to their first OJHL Final since 2017. He previously held these positions between 2011-2017. During this time the Golden Hawks had the best winning percentage in the OJHL, including winning the Buckland Cup once and the Dudley Hewitt Cup twice. In these two seasons, the team participated in the RBC Cup finishing in the top 5 teams in CJHL (made up of 134 teams at that time).

Prior to his return to Trenton, Jerome was the head coach of the Cobourg Cougars in the OJHL. In the second year under his direction the team finished first in the highly competitive East Division for the first time in the organization's 53 year history.

COACHING HISTORY

Following his professional career Jerome started on a successful career in coaching, where he now boasts a .700 wining percentage in well over 1200 games in Major Junior and Junior A hockey.

In the summer of 2021 Jerome was appointed as the Assistant Coach of the Brock University Badgers Men’s Hockey team. He worked alongside CHE VP of Player Development and friend Kevin Forrest to bring the team to Nationals.

In 2008, Dupont became Head Coach of the then struggling Gatineau Olympiques in the QMJHL, only to turn them around as well, winning at a rate of .583 over his two-year tenure.

In 2007, as General Manager and Head Coach of the Aurora Tigers Junior A Hockey Club, Jerome saw his team win the league championship, the Dudley Hewitt Cup and the coveted Royal Bank Cup to become Canada's best among the 142 hockey teams in the country at that time.

In 2005 and 2006, he was selected by Hockey Canada to be Head Coach of Team Canada East in the World Junior Hockey Challenge, an international Junior A tournament. In both years, his team won silver medals.

Coach Dupont has an abundance of minor hockey experience as well having coached with the Richmond Stars for 8 years leading the team to win the OMHA, Quebec Pee-Wee, Silver Sticks and Big Nickels tournaments. In the Minor Midget year, 16 players on his team were drafted to the OHL, which is the most in the history of the OHL Priority Selection.