KEARNEY, NE. – Tri-City Storm is proud to announce the hiring of Mark Abalan as the ninth Head Coach in franchise history. Abalan brings more than twenty years of coaching experience and success to the organization. He joins the Storm after spending the last three seasons with the Northstar Christian Academy Knights 16U AAA organization in Alexandria, Minnesota. Abalan previously served as Head Coach of the Chicago Steel (USHL) during the 2017-2018 regular season. He replaces Anthony Noreen, who was named the Head Coach of the Miami University RedHawks (NCAA) on April 1st, 2024, following seven years behind the Storm bench.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity and excited to build upon a rich Storm tradition. My goal is to provide an environment for our players to learn and grow as young men both on and off the ice. Tri-City has a rich tradition, sustained success over the last decade, a passionate fan base, and is always a hard place to play for an opponent. I’ve heard great things about Kearney, and I’m looking forward to getting involved in the community and meeting the people. I would like to thank my wife Missy, and my three children for supporting me and loving me through this process. I want to also thank Dave Vennetti, Mark Jalcovik, Andrew Bloomer, Anthony Noreen, and Jason Koehler for trusting me to lead this hockey club. I’ve had many people influence me along the way and many great men who have helped me get to this point. To all the men I’ve coached with, I want to say thank you. Finally, I want to thank my Northstar family, I’ve had a great three years of growing and doing life with you all.”- Head Coach Mark Abalan
“Mark Abalan is the perfect fit to take over as the next Head Coach of the Tri-City Storm. In my conversations with him this week, he has shown that he is a person of the highest integrity who cares deeply about his players and is committed to their success on and off the ice. I am excited to welcome him as our new Head Coach of the Tri-City Storm.” – President of Business Operations Mark Jalcovik
