Bismarck Bobcats Announce Hockey Operations Staff
The Bismarck Bobcats recently hired Garrett Roth to be the next head coach to take over the reigns from Layne Sedevie, who has been the bench boss for 15 years. In addition to hiring Garrett, Bobcat Hockey is pleased to introduce its Hockey Staff,
Niko Kapetanovic has recently been promoted to Bobcats General Manager. In his role he oversees player recruitment, retention and player movement as well as player college placements. Niko was a Bobcat during the 2007-08 season and has had an allegiance to the program ever since. He went on to play for the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire where he was part of a team that won a National Championship. He began his coaching and scouting career in 2012 and has been coaching and scouting a number of Midget aged teams and scouting, including his time as a scout with the Bobcats in 2018. He has since moved up as the Director of Scouting and now General Manager. In his time in junior hockey he has been instrumental in finding and placing numerous players in D1 schools.
“I am ecstatic to work with Garrett again and to have him lead our group of young men” Says Kapetanovic, “Garrett is an exceptional coach and will do wonders for our team success and individual player development. I am also very pleased to have Layne stay on board to develop our goalies. as the goalie coach. I am also excited to work with our new staff members, Wade Chiodo who is rejoining the Bobcats as Director of Player Personnel and Mike Gibbons, one of the best college coaches and player development talents in the country. ” Niko concludes by saying that today is a great day for Bobcat hockey as I feel we have one of the strongest staffs in Junior Hockey, and the program provides great training and terrific player experience in Bismarck -Mandan, a great community
Here is a familiar name to us all! Coach Sedevie will be staying on board part time as the Bobcats Goalie Coach. Layne of course has been the head coach since 2010, the year after he was the assistant coach with Byron Pool’s 2010 Robertson Cup Champions. As the winningest coach in Bobcat history, Layne has also developed more D1 Goaltenders than any coach in Junior Hockey in the last 14 years with 15 of them.
“I am really happy that the culture and winning tradition that we have built here will continue on with my teammate, roommate and fellow coach of the Bismarck Bobcats!” says Coach Sedevie, “I am also appreciative to BHB to allow me to continue in the capacity as the Bobcats Goalie Coach.”
The Bismarck Bobcats have added Wade Chiodo as Director of Player Personnel. His role will be to work closely with GM Niko Kapetanovic and Head Coach Garrett Roth to scout, recruit and place high end talent. Wade hails from Thief River Falls and played his college hockey at the University of Anchorage-Alaska and transferred to Bemidji State his last three college years. Wade’s hockey career continued on post college as he was the head coach at Bemidji High School from 2008 to 2016. He was the head coach of Grand Rapids High School from 2019-2023 and is currently the assistant coach with Grand Rapids High School.
Wade was a Bobcat Scout from 2017-2020 and then followed Coach Garrett Roth to Wichita Falls and Oklahoma City where he was the Director of Scouting and Player Personnel. He served as the President of the Oklahoma Warriors during the 2023-24 season.
“Having played and worked with Coaches Roth and Sedevie, and scouting alongside GM Niko Kapetanovic, I am really excited to be reunited with them in Bismarck I genuinely feel that the player and fan experience in Bismarck is second to none in Junior Hockey in North America”.
The Bismarck Bobcats are pleased to have hired one of the premier hockey talents in North America with the addition of Mike Gibbons as Director of Player Development. Mike has a very storied career in hockey starting with his youth days in White Bear Lake. Mike’s grandfather was one of the best middle weight fighters of all time and Mike inherited his grit and great competitive sense. Mike went on to play college hockey at Bemidji State and also had a professional stint in the ECHL.
Mike’s Coaching career began at Bemidji State in 1981. During his highly successful coaching career Mike coached at Northern Michigan, Colorado College, the University of Denver, and the Baltimore Bandits in the AHL. To give more attention to his young family, Mike and his wife Nancy moved back to Minnesota where he taught physical education and was the Head Coach at Eastview High School Boys Hockey team from 1997 to 2008. He then went back to College Coaching as an assistant coach at St Cloud State for thirteen years. He then spent his last three coaching years at Bemidji State before retiring in 2023.
Mike is particularly known for his eye for talent in both North America and Europe. He is published as well and is known for his attention to detail in hockey skills development in young players. He will spend the preponderance of his time working with the players individually and as units to hone their skills to prepare for a successful college career.
“I have known Thom and Brenda for a long time, having coached both their daughter and son at Eastview and am happy to join the Bobcat Team, which is steeped in tradition’’ says Gibbons.