Coaches

Chris Slater, Head Coach

The Mid Cities Jr. Stars of the NA3HL are pleased to announce that Chris Slater has been named
the team’s Head Coach for the 2023-24 season.

Coach Slater is a Level 5 USA Hockey Coach with 25 years of coaching experience in College
ACHA D1, Junior A, and AAA hockey. Recently, Chris has been developing Michigan High
School hockey players as the Director of the Greater Michigan Prospects Hockey Club.
Slater’s playing experience includes a 2004 Kelly Cup Championship with the Dallas Stars
ECHL affiliate Idaho Steelheads. Chris was selected to the ECHL all-star team in 2001 and
attended the Detroit Red Wings training camp later that same year. During his 7-year
professional career, “Slats” also had stops in the American Hockey League and British Ice
Hockey Super League.

A standout collegiate defenseman at Michigan State University, and two-time United States
Olympic Festival participant, Slater was voted to the CCHA all-tournament team in 1995. Before
joining the college ranks, Chris was a 2-time Robertson Cup Champion and 1st team All-Star for
the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings of the North American Junior Hockey League, a Tier 1 Junior A
league. During this time, Slater was also a member of the USA Selects, the precursor to the
National Development Program.

“I am excited to become part of the NA3HL and the Mid Cities Jr. Stars. I believe players will
have fun playing hockey in Euless, Texas while having an excellent opportunity to develop their
game as they look to advance their hockey career.” said coach Slater.

Azat Elibol, Asst. Coach

Coach Azat Elibol joined the Mid Cities Jr. Stars in the 2022/23 season. A native of Boston, MA, Coach Azat has coached the Boston Bruins Elite and Jr. Eagles U18 AAA hockey clubs. He grew up playing ice hockey as a kid on local frozen ponds in Massachusetts. Coach Azat graduated college with a degree in History and Russian, played NCAA football and hockey, and served as an officer with US Army 75th Ranger Regiment.
He is currently a Level 5 USA Hockey Coach and a CEP Leveling Instructor for USA Hockey. In addition to the Mid Cities Jr. Stars, Coach Azat is the JV Head Coach for Grapevine Colleyville and the Head Coach for the Texas Heat U12 AA program.
During his playing career, Coach Azat had the privilege of learning and playing with some of the best hockey minds in the game of ice hockey.
A stickler for detail, Coach Azat Elibol will be a great addition to the Mid Cities Jr. Stars family.

Drew Lind, Asst. Coach

Email: dlind@starsjrhockey.com

Drew grew up in Northern Minnesota and played all of his youth hockey for the Hibbing Blue Jackets of the Iron Range Conference,  he then went on to pursue his education at Minnesota State University before moving to Texas.