Mike Pereira is back in New England prep hockey. After two seasons as an assistant coach at UConn, Pereira was hired as the next boys hockey head coach at Choate. He takes over for Jesse Minneman, who began in 2021. Pereira has a background in prep. The New Haven, Conn., native played for South Kent...
Mike Pereira is back in New England prep hockey.
After two seasons as an assistant coach at UConn, Pereira was hired as the next boys hockey head coach at Choate. He takes over for Jesse Minneman, who began in 2021.
Pereira has a background in prep. The New Haven, Conn., native played for South Kent from 2007-09 and then did one season at Avon Old Farms in 2009-10, scoring 28 goals and totaling 64 points in 29 games.
He went straight to UMass from prep, embarking on a four-year career in which he posted 53 goals and 107 points in 135 NCAA games. He followed that up with some time in the East Coast Hockey League, playing for the Stockton Thunder, Reading Royals and Utica Comets. He also played three games in the AHL for the Worcester Sharks upon graduation.
His coaching career kicked off in a familiar place — at Avon Old Farms. From 2017-22, he spent time on the bench next to longtime head coach John Gardner.
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Now, the two will be on opposite benches.
Pereira, at 32 years old, has quite the project in front of him at Choate. The Wild Boars went 3-22-0 this past winter. Since 2015-16, the program is 42-135-23.
It will take a lot of work and it might not always be pretty. But this hire is a perfect fit for both sides.
