Duck Profiles

Thomas Mele has been part of the University of Oregon Hockey program since1997. Thomas first started out in the program as a player for two seasons (97-99). Mele was known for his hardworking and gritty play at center. He was part of one of the best teams in Duck hockey history which finished 5th in the western national rankings barely missing out a spot in nationals (98-99). Mele now continues his commitment to the program via his no-nonsense approach to coaching.
Mele's hockey involvement began when he started playing youth hockey at the age of three. He attended and played high school hockey at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa. Following high school, Mele began coaching youth hockey in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After two seasons with the Ducks, Mele decided to switch his focus back to coaching. Last season (99-00), Mele served as an on ice practice-assistant for the ducks. This season, he will be serving as the assistant to head coach Garreth MacDonald. Mele plans to stay at Oregon through the 01-02 season, at which point he'll reevaluate his future coaching plans.