Eduard Epshtein, CPA, CA
Owner & President
Eduard has served as Owner and President of the Delta Ice Hawks since 2017. In 2018, he was named PJHL Executive of the Year. Under his ownership and leadership, the team hosted the Provincial Championship (Cyclone Taylor Cup) in 2023, won PJHL Championships in 2018 and 2023, and earned silver medals at the Provincial Championship in 2018 and 2022. In 2025, the team achieved Junior A Tier 1 designation and moved into its new home at the 2,000-seat Sungod Arena in North Delta, featuring expanded team facilities, concessions, and beer garden areas.
Eduard is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). Before retiring from the corporate world, he spent 20 years as Chief Financial Officer of NYSE-listed Lithium Americas Corp., a company that financed and developed some of the world’s largest lithium mines in Argentina and the United States. He currently manages private businesses in real estate development, parking, and sports and entertainment. Eduard is also a proud father of three and coaches his daughter’s competitive softball team.
president@deltaicehawks.com
Tel: 604-806-0104
General Manager
Mark is a skilled professional with a long list of accomplishments, including coaching and board roles with Semiahmoo Minor Hockey, BC Floorball Board Director, founder of Diversity Athletics Society, and BC Hockey Board Director.
He has worked with the Vancouver Canucks’ “Conversation in the Locker Room”, is certified Power Edge Pro (PEP) instructor and Cognitive Sports Performance Coach, and was a finalist of the NHL’s Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award in 2024. Mark has spent years training, developing, and mentoring athletes in the WHL, NCAA, ECHL, AHL, and NHL – on and off the ice.
Mark is excited to bring leadership, marketing, and management skills to the Ice Hawks, which help continue the development of top tier Junior A programming in Delta.
Rick Lanz
Head Coach, Spring Team Coach
Rick is a former professional hockey player and is best known for his time with the Vancouver Canucks. He was selected in the 1st round (7th overall) in the 1980 NHL entry draft by the Vancouver Canucks. He played in the NHL for 12 years with the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Black Hawks, and Tampa Bay Lightning. He played for Team Canada and won a bronze medal in 1983 World Championship.
Rick has over 20 years of experience as head coach/GM in the CSSHL, IHL, WHL, and BCHL, where he received Coach of the Year honors. He coached teams to the RBC Cup twice and won it in 2006. He has coached numerous NHL players and is the co-owner of Gateway and Hockey.com. Rick has been an Amateur Scout for 10 years with the Colorado Avalanche and is currently an amateur scout for the St. Louis Blues. Rick is a Certified Hockey Canada High Performance Coach.
Jim Martin
Assistant Coach
Jim was recently a Head Coach for BCEHL U18 team and first joined Delta Ice Hawks as an Assistant Coach for the 2024-25 season. Jim grew up and continues to live in North Delta and has been involved in the local hockey community for many years with extensive coaching experience and scouting roles, including with the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL.Jim is an old school hockey coach who is a player’s coach first and embraces the modern game. He brings knowledge, experience and positive contribution to our team. Jim is also a Certified Hockey Canada High Performance 1 Coach.
Carson Hemenway
Assistant Coach & Director of Marketing
Carson grew up playing for South Delta Minor Hockey until his second year of Bantam, then moved to the Delta Hockey Academy for the next two seasons. His time at DHA was a great stepping stone for his next team, the Nanaimo Silvertips (BCEHL). There, he committed to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs at 17. He was traded mid-season to the Penticton Vees, which was unfortunately paused due to COVID. Carson spent the BCHL “bubble” season in Trail with the Smoke Eaters, before making a decision to come home and play for his hometown team, the Ice Hawks. In his first season with the Hawks, he was 13th in the PJHL in points and earned with the top defenceman award. In his final year of junior hockey, after grinding out a long playoffs and a 7-game final series, was victorious and able to bring the Stonehouse Cup back home to Ladner. Now graduated, he is looking to bring his knowledge to the teaching side of things on the bench and hopefully win another championship with Delta.
Stefan Pinto
Head Athletic Trainer
Stefan resides in North Delta and played with the North Delta Minor Hockey Association growing up. He wanted to continue his involvement in sport and got his Diploma in Sports Science and a Bachelor’s in Kinesiology. Stefan first joined the Delta Ice Hawks in the 2021-22 season, before heading to the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles to help further develop his knowledge and skills as the Head Trainer the following year. After a season away, Stefan returned back to the Ice Hawks in 2023-24 following their jump to Jr. A.
Travis Miller
Athletic Trainer
Travis graduated from Douglas College with a Bachelor of Physical Education & Coaching, along with a Post-Degree Diploma in Kinesiology. He has a strong foundation in human movement, injury prevention, exercise science, strength training, and athletic performance.Travis’ background includes working with general populations and high level athletes. He has experience as a coach and player in both high-level ice hockey and baseball.
Travis is passionate about helping athletes achieve their personal goals whether that means enhancing performance or safely returning to sport. His approach focuses on building strong connections while supporting short-term and long-term development.
Kevin Jury
Team Physiotherapist
Katie Lawrence-Balloch
Game Day Events Manager & Director of Digital Media
Katie joined the Delta Ice Hawks’ front office in 2017, after starting as the anthem singer in 2016. A graduate of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Journalism program, she has previously worked for the BC Lions Communications department and for the Richmond Review as a weekly columnist. She is a proud member of the South Delta community, a mom to two beautiful girls, and loves supporting local hockey.
katielawrenceballoch@gmail.com
Charlie Black
Public Address Announcer/Game Day DJ
Charlie joined the Ice Hawks in 2018, stepping in as the team’s DJ, later adding PA Announcer duties and penning the post-game recaps. A seasoned veteran of game day operations throughout BC’s junior hockey landscape, Charlie has also worked with the White Rock Whalers, Port Moody Panthers, and Langley Trappers of the PJHL, and the Coquitlam Express, Surrey Eagles, Powell River Kings, and Langley Rivermen of the BCHL. When not announcing hockey games, Charlie can be found announcing Equestrian sports at Thunderbird Show Park, among countless other sporting ventures.
Tav Morrison
Team Photographer
Tav is returning as team photographer for the Hawks, and he also shoots for the Langley Rivermen and the PJHL. He grew up in Ladner playing baseball and has been a long-time Hawks fan. Feel free to reach out to him through email for photo inquiries – tavmorrisonmedia@gmail.com
Greg Balloch
Play-by-Play Broadcaster
Mark Epshtein
Colour Commentator
A former captain of the Delta Ice Hawks, Mark spent 4 seasons with the team from 2016 to 2020. Part of the 2017-18 PJHL championship team, Mark went on to set the franchise record in games played and sits 4th in all time goals scored, and collected the league’s most-improved player trophy in the 2018-19 season. Mark joined the broadcast team in 2022, and has enjoyed bringing a former players insight to the home games. Outside of his junior career, Mark is an accounting professional with one of the largest professional services firms in the world and enjoys spending time skiing and cycling.
Elisa Glennon
Education Advisor & Mental Health Consultant
Elisa brings over 20 years of experience as an educator and is now a practicing school counsellor in Delta, where she has lived and worked for more than 25 years. Passionate about youth wellness, she specializes in helping athletes thrive both in school and in sport. Elisa will receive her Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) designation in Fall 2025. A lifelong sports enthusiast, she is committed to supporting the mental health, academic success, and overall well-being of Ice Hawks players as they navigate life, school, and the game of hockey.
