A New Era of Coaching in Colorado High School Hockey
The University of Denver announced this week that two of its most decorated former players have been tapped to lead the varsity programs at Valor Christian High School and Kent Denver School, bringing a blend of playing pedigree and coaching acumen to the state’s competitive high‑school hockey landscape.
Adrian Veideman, who captained the Pioneers to back‑to‑back NCAA championships in 2004 and 2005, will now guide the Valor Christian Eagles in Highlands Ranch. After a professional stint that spanned the AHL, ECHL and European leagues, Veideman retired in 2016 and spent seven years as an assistant with the Eagles before stepping into the head‑coach role.
Jason Grahame, a four‑year defenseman for Denver from 1999 to 2003, returns to the Centennial State to coach the Kent Denver Cyclones in Englewood. Grahame’s coaching journey began in the amateur scouting ranks of the Colorado Avalanche, and he has spent the past fifteen years developing talent from youth leagues through the high‑school level.
Both appointments underscore the deep roots that former Pioneers have in Colorado’s hockey ecosystem. The state’s high‑school season, which runs from late November through early March, will see the new coaches debut on the bench at Magness Arena, the venue that hosts the championship games each March.
Fans and alumni alike are watching closely as the two coaches look to translate their collegiate success into high‑school triumphs, hoping to nurture the next generation of talent that may one day follow in the footsteps of their own families, including the Grahame lineage that boasts NHL goaltenders and Stanley Cup champions.