Kents Hill School Announces Ice Hockey Head Coaches

Kents Hill School is pleased to announce Jake Grade and Taylor Leech as Head Coaches of our Varsity Boys and Girls Ice Hockey programs, respectively. 

Jake is a Maine native and dedicated hockey professional, bringing a wealth of experience to Kents Hill. Jake’s professional playing career spanned multiple leagues, including the French League 2, the Southern Professional Hockey League, and the Federal Hockey League. He earned recognition for his leadership on the ice, playing for and captaining professional teams both domestically and internationally. 

Prior to his professional career, Jake excelled at the collegiate level at Saint Anselm College, an NCAA Division II program, where he earned a Northeast-10 Conference Championship and garnered NE-10 First-Team recognition. There, he graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Business. Jake's passion for hockey began at Falmouth High School in Maine, where he was a two-time State Champion and a multi-year recipient of the Maine First Team All-State designation.

Following his professional playing career, Jake transitioned seamlessly into coaching youth hockey while also working as a Sales Professional at Unum in Portland. Most recently, he served as the Head Coach for the Casco Bay Mariners 16U AAA team, among other youth programs in the area. Jake is passionate about developing young athletes not only on the ice, but as respectful members of the community. "It's an honor and privilege to be named the next Head Coach," says Jake. "I'm eager to share my experience and build a program that values both on-ice success and off-ice character development. Go Huskies!"

Jake’s background, knowledge of the game, leadership style and passion to recruit will make a lasting impact on the program, and we are thrilled to have him join our coaching staff and the Kents Hill School community. In addition to Jake’s coaching role, he will be working as an Assistant Director of Admissions and will live on campus.

Taylor Leech, a native of Bowdoinham, Maine, embarked on her hockey journey at Hebron Academy, where she honed her skills on the ice. Her dedication to the sport led her to the University of Maine, where she played Division I hockey for an impressive five years. Notably, she served as the team's captain for two of those years while pursuing a degree in biology pre-med. 

Taylor's love for hockey extended beyond her collegiate career. She ventured into professional hockey, playing in Lugano, Switzerland, during the 22-23 season. Currently, she continues to make her mark in the sport as an assistant captain for Leksand IF in the SDHL. Taylor's passion for the game also translated into coaching. She spent five years contributing her expertise at UMaine hockey camps, and later, she led a weekly camp in Maine, where she mentored young hockey enthusiasts ranging from 8 to 18 years old while assisting college-level instruction.

Following her professional playing career, Taylor transitioned seamlessly into coaching youth hockey for the Connecticut Lightning where she served as the head coach and created comprehensive player development programs. “I believe with my work ethic and dedication to advancing the Kents Hill girls ice hockey program, I can provide support and value to the community,” says Taylor.

Taylor’s addition will add tremendous value to the community as a whole. In addition to Taylor’s coaching role, she will be working as the Coordinator of Student Life and will live on campus. 

Please join us in welcoming Coach Leech and Coach Grade to The Hill!