GAVEN BICKFORD

Gaven Bickford is the current (USHL) Madison Capitols Assistant Coach and Director of Scouting. Bickford joined the Capitols following a three year tenure with the Minnesota Magicians. After two seasons as the Magicians' Assistant Coach, Bickford was promoted to General Manager and Director of Scouting with the Magicians during the 2020-21 season. Bickford has overseen 30 NCAA commitments; including 18 at the Division 1 level and three NHL draft picks.
 
 As General Manager and Director of Scouting, Bickford oversaw all aspects of hockey and business operations including managing the coaching staff, leading recruiting efforts and player movement, as well as operating off-season hockey programming and strategic plan for the overall growth of the organization.
 
Throughout the years, Gaven has developed a passion for all levels of hockey and gives back through coaching. He has directed and counseled numerous hockey camps around the Midwest. Gaven is from Crosslake, Minnesota where he played his youth and High School hockey for the Northern Lakes Lightning.

"I coach because I love the game and love helping kids reach their goals whether that's making their top youth team, the varsity team, playing juniors or even college hockey, I want to mentor and advocate for them through the process"
-Gaven Bickford

 Bickford played his youth and High School hockey for the Northern Lakes Lightning. After High School, Gaven attended Siena College in Albany, New York, where he earned a degree in Marketing and was a member of the Club Hockey Team (ACHA).

The native of Crosslake, Minnesota currently resides in Madison, WI with his girlfriend, Emily.

EMILY ERICKSON

The last few seasons Emily has coached for various associations and programs across the Twin Cities. Currently, she keeps busy as the Head Coach for Gentry Academy Girls High School Team. In previous hockey seasons she has worked for Minneapolis and Blaine youth hockey associations as both a coach and girls hockey coordinator + mentor. She continues to stay involved with the MN district Tier One Spring and Fall programs, CCM High Performance coaching and evaluations, many AAA summer teams and USA Hockey Clinics. In addition to the Northerner Hockey Camp, she also work for MAPSouth hockey training program as the High School tier director and continue to play (for fun!) with WHAM (Women's Hockey Association of Minnesota).

"I consider my coaching style as very competitive yet holistic. I coach to build up young, resilient women to find successes in their athletics but also in their academics, relationship and futures." -Emily Erickson

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Growing up in northern Minnesota (Crosslake, MN) her youth hockey was played at the Breezy Point Ice Arena, in junior high she played for her high school hockey team formerly known as the Pequot Lakes Patriots (now, Northern Lakes Lighting) before transferring to a hockey prep school in 10th grade in Stowe, VT (NAHA- North American Hockey Academy). From there she would go on to play D1 hockey and D3 golf for Union College (ECAC) in Schenectady, NY.

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Emily graduated from Union College in 2017 with a double major in Economics and Entrepreneurship and currently works across the twin cities for an international commercial real estate company and very much looks forward to hosting a camp in her hometown to give back to all of the local, aspiring hockey players in the BLA!