KEARNEY, Neb. – As the 2014-15 season inches closer, Tri-City Storm Head Coach Jim Hulton has added another name to his staff, hiring Neil Breen as an assistant coach.

Breen won a Clark Cup Championship with the Omaha Lancers in 1998 before playing collegiately at Quinnipiac University from 1998-2002. Most recently, he had an assistant coaching role with the Springfield Jr. Blues in the North American Hockey League (NAHL).

But what makes Breen different is what he did once his playing career was over.

“When I was a player, I always stayed in pretty good shape,” Breen said. “After I stopped playing hockey I got involved in mixed martial arts and got myself certified as a personal trainer. As an MMA fighter you learn what your limits are physically, and that really sort of opened some doors up for me.”

In addition to helping Hulton behind the bench and assisting in recruiting efforts, the 36-year-old will work with the team’s players as a strength trainer.

“I started training hockey players at all different levels both on and off the ice and realized the potential for the convergence of the two sports,” Breen said. “The way that mixed martial artists train is explosive work. It’s cardio, core, and balance, everything that a hockey player needs.”

“Using the methods I’ve learned training myself as a hockey player, and the methods mixed martial artists use, I’ve put them together and it’s really worked. I’ve had a lot of success with it and it’s something that I’ve been doing with teams for a few years. It’s something I take a lot of pride in and I look forward to working with the players and getting them in tip-top shape.”

A Spokane, Wash. native, Breen spent parts of three seasons in Omaha, playing in 131 games with the Lancers.

“I’m very excited to come back to Nebraska,” said Breen. “The USHL is a league I was very fond of as a player, and now that I’m coming back as a coach, it’s pretty awesome. The last time I was in a USHL rink in Nebraska was when we won the Clark Cup in Omaha.”

The hire is the first Hulton has made to his staff since taking over behind the bench last November.

“We are pleased to add Neil to our staff,” said Hulton. “As a former captain and Clark Cup Champion, he is both a proven winner and a leader. Neil’s background in playing, coaching and off-ice training made him our ideal candidate. We look forward to his arrival in Kearney.”

The Storm’s full 60-game schedule for the 2014-15 USHL season is posted on the team’s website, stormhockey.com. Tri-City will host the Sioux Falls Stampede to open their home schedule on Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.