About
Propel Hockey Development focuses on skating stride efficiency, stick-handling, shooting, and passing. The program offers goalie coaching through goalie camps, clinics, private sessions, small group sessions, and classes. Propel Hockey Development also runs a tournament team called Bad To The Bone - Propel Hockey's Tournament Team.
• Schedule: Clinics, private sessions, small group sessions, classes, and goalie camps are offered.
Propel Hockey Development states that class sizes are small so mistakes can be addressed and corrected in the moment, and that each skater is given individual attention during class. The program’s stated coaching philosophy is rooted in the quote, “Do, or do not. There is no try,” and it states that its goal is to help participants reach their goals.
The leadership team includes David McGowan (Founder & Skills Instructor), Levi Velick (Skills Assistant), Jack Hickey (Goalie Instructor), Oliver Freij (Goalie Instructor), and Eric Schlomann (Media Coach). David McGowan has spent more than 30 years coaching hockey, speed-skating, and lacrosse, is a former AA, AAA, and Juniors player, and has coached for the Falcons, Chicago Young Americans (Pee Wee Majors), Team Illinois (Pee Wee Majors), Chicago Blues, and various high school and club teams in Winnetka, Wilmette, Barrington, and Lake Forest. He began his career in sales and served as Director of Sales for Apple in Cupertino, California. Jack Hickey has served as an assistant coach for Team Illinois u18, works with Bridgedale Academy as a goalie instructor, and since 2015 has been a goalie coach for GDI USA, a national goalie institution that runs goalie camps and offers services for other hockey camps and clubs around North America; he grew up playing most of his youth hockey at Team Illinois and then moved on to junior hockey, including time in top junior leagues such as the USHL. Oliver Freij has been coaching goalies since 2007, spent four years as Falcons Goaltending Director for the CSDHL Falcons Hockey Association, and during that time moved 19 goalies on to higher levels (Tier 1, Prep, Juniors) and had two goalies make the Chicago Brick team; he helped the Falcons win their first USA Hockey National Championship and finish as finalist two other times, is the Goaltending Development Coordinator for USA Hockey in Illinois, serves as an assistant coach for the Chicago Mission Bantam Major team (2006) and Pee Wee Majors (2008), and helps various high schools including Highland Park and Lake Forest High School. Eric Schlomann serves as Media Coach.
Coach Dave’s teams have won State and NIHL Championships. One parent from Northbrook, IL, states that “Dave breaks down the game in a way that makes sense to kids and gives them context about how to think and understand, not just do.” Another parent from Highland Park, IL, describes the “Coach Dave” hockey experience as “a nurturing, positive, challenging and uplifting environment.” A parent from Evanston, IL, states that “Dave has a true passion for coaching and for developing these young players to their true potential.”
Last updated May 23, 2026.
• Schedule: Clinics, private sessions, small group sessions, classes, and goalie camps are offered.
Propel Hockey Development states that class sizes are small so mistakes can be addressed and corrected in the moment, and that each skater is given individual attention during class. The program’s stated coaching philosophy is rooted in the quote, “Do, or do not. There is no try,” and it states that its goal is to help participants reach their goals.
The leadership team includes David McGowan (Founder & Skills Instructor), Levi Velick (Skills Assistant), Jack Hickey (Goalie Instructor), Oliver Freij (Goalie Instructor), and Eric Schlomann (Media Coach). David McGowan has spent more than 30 years coaching hockey, speed-skating, and lacrosse, is a former AA, AAA, and Juniors player, and has coached for the Falcons, Chicago Young Americans (Pee Wee Majors), Team Illinois (Pee Wee Majors), Chicago Blues, and various high school and club teams in Winnetka, Wilmette, Barrington, and Lake Forest. He began his career in sales and served as Director of Sales for Apple in Cupertino, California. Jack Hickey has served as an assistant coach for Team Illinois u18, works with Bridgedale Academy as a goalie instructor, and since 2015 has been a goalie coach for GDI USA, a national goalie institution that runs goalie camps and offers services for other hockey camps and clubs around North America; he grew up playing most of his youth hockey at Team Illinois and then moved on to junior hockey, including time in top junior leagues such as the USHL. Oliver Freij has been coaching goalies since 2007, spent four years as Falcons Goaltending Director for the CSDHL Falcons Hockey Association, and during that time moved 19 goalies on to higher levels (Tier 1, Prep, Juniors) and had two goalies make the Chicago Brick team; he helped the Falcons win their first USA Hockey National Championship and finish as finalist two other times, is the Goaltending Development Coordinator for USA Hockey in Illinois, serves as an assistant coach for the Chicago Mission Bantam Major team (2006) and Pee Wee Majors (2008), and helps various high schools including Highland Park and Lake Forest High School. Eric Schlomann serves as Media Coach.
Coach Dave’s teams have won State and NIHL Championships. One parent from Northbrook, IL, states that “Dave breaks down the game in a way that makes sense to kids and gives them context about how to think and understand, not just do.” Another parent from Highland Park, IL, describes the “Coach Dave” hockey experience as “a nurturing, positive, challenging and uplifting environment.” A parent from Evanston, IL, states that “Dave has a true passion for coaching and for developing these young players to their true potential.”
Last updated May 23, 2026.
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