Coach, Player Selected for Mid-States Hockey Honors

By day, Derek Stephens teaches financial security through his practice with Northwestern Mutual.

But when he’s not crunching numbers, the 32-year-old Oakville hockey coach teaches his team to be successful, on and off the ice.

Only in his second year as head coach, Stephens led his team to the semifinals of the Challenge Cup, the most difficult playoff bracket in the Mid-States High School Hockey Association.  

Though his team did not play in the final game, Stephens attended the contest March 7 at the Scottrade Center and was surprised to find out he had been voted Coach of the Year by his fellow coaches.

“I didn’t expect it at all. You can get awards and honors, but when you get chosen by your peers who compete against you and they respect you, that’s such an honor,” Stephens said. “I’m so blessed the way it turned out.”

Stephens is humble, and said the team’s success this season was not due entirely to him. 

“I think the organization in itself, from our coaching staff to our parents to the people that are involved to all the players—it’s amazing what happens when everybody’s on board with the same goal and wants to see everybody succeed,” Stephens said. “When you put the team first, great things happen.”

“I’m so thankful for all the people that help out and the parents pitching in and wanting to help out. I think that makes a huge difference,” he said. “The accolades are nice, but I know I couldn’t have done it on my own.”

Stephens, who lives in Oakville, has been playing hockey since he was 3 years old. He grew up in the area and played at the Affton Ice Rink and with the Jr. Blues, attending CBC for high school.

The coach then went on to play in the North American Hockey League before being recruited by the University of Connecticut to play hockey.

Stephens returned to the Midwest after graduating in 2004 with degrees in economics and financial services. He played minor league hockey for the Missouri River Otters and started coaching 12-year-olds for the Jr. Blues.

Longtime friends with former Oakville hockey head coach Ben Lamperti, Stephens started helping out with the team and served as the assistant coach for four years. He took over the team last year with sights set on the Challenge Cup.

Benjamin Seah Awarded Mid-States Hockey Scholarship

Oakville senior Benjamin Seah was also honored Wednesday night when he received the Mid-States High School Hockey Association Scholarship.

The scholarship is awarded to a senior who performs well both academically and during games. Seah has a 4.0 GPA and plays right wing for the Tigers.

He said his favorite memory of Oakville hockey was leading the team prayer and game plan for two games as captain. The team won those two games, 7-2.

Seah plans to major in aerospace or electrical engineering at either the University of Missouri-Columbia or at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Outside of hockey, Seah likes snowboarding, paintballing and basketball.

The senior said he’d like to thank his principal Brian Brennan and counselor Martha Honaker for recommending him for the honor as well as Debbie St. John from Mid-States Hockey.