A native of Montreal, Quebec, François Methot was a 3rd round NHL draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 1996 out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).  He began his QMJHL career as a 16-year old with the St. Hyacinthe Lasers for the 1994-95 season.  In just his 2nd QMJHL season, Methot registered 94 points in 68 games and led the Lasers in scoring as a 17-year old.  Following that season, the Buffalo Sabres made Methot their 3rd round pick in the 1996 entry draft and made his professional debut with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL) during the 1998-1999 season at the age of 20.

Methot spent the the first five seasons of his professional career with the Amerks, playing in 334 regular season games with the club and another 39 Calder Cup playoff contests.  After a season with the Portland Pirates in the AHL, Methot moved on to a very successful career in Europe until he retired from playing professionally.

Upon retiring following the 2014-2015 season after a 17-year professional playing career he returned to Rochester full time and immediately was brought on by the Rochester Monarchs AAA Hockey Club as their Director of Hockey.

Methot has continued to develop his knowledge of the game even after completion of his playing career.  This past summer he spent time in Arizona at the elite skating camp of renowned power skating coach Boris Dorozhenko of Next Generation Hockey schools.  Methot has brought this system and philosophy back to Rochester to work with players of the area.  Dorozhenko’s reputation became known nationally this spring as one of his longtime students, Auston Mathews, was selected overall #1 by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL draft.  Dorozhenko worked with Mathews from the time the Leafs prospect was seven years old until Matthews moved onto the US National Team Development program U-17 and U-18 teams.

Coach Methot is excited to bring an expanded set of skating and hockey skill instruction and development to players of all ages throughout the Rochester area.

Dave has spent a lifetime developing his craft. Here in Rochester, Dave has been coaching, teaching and doing skill and skating development for nearly 30 years. Personally he has taught more than 50,000 private lessons and has worked with hundreds of thousands of hockey players of all ages.

Dave is a USA Hockey Level 5 Master certified coach. He is a USA Hockey Select Festival Head Coach and Goaltending Coach. He has also had the opportunity to be a speaker at several USA Hockey Coaching Certification seminars from Level 1 to Level 4. In his years in Rochester, Dave has coached well over 50 teams from Mite to Junior A and college. Throughout his playing and coaching life, Dave has won 6 State Championships and 3 National Championships. Dave played youth hockey in Michigan culminating with a National Championship with the Little Caesars hockey program as a midget. He went on to play D1, D3, and 2 seasons of professional hockey in the minor pro leagues.

Dave is excited to bring his nearly 3 decades of experience back to the Rochester Ice Center, where it all began for him back in the early 90s.  Dave teaches Skating, Shooting, Puckskills, Goaltending, Game Situations and much more.  However, he specializes in building confidence and cultivating a lifetime love for the game.

Dave is currently available for private instruction of all ages and abilities for on ice lessons and off ice lessons in RIC's new shooting area.

Sleasman joins the Rochester Ice Center Hockey Academy staff after an impressive hockey career, both as a player and recently as a coach. Raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, Sleasman is one of the first women from Raleigh to become a professional ice hockey player.  She is currently an Assistant Coach with the Rochester Jr Americans NAHL team.

In 2015, Sleasman joined the Boston Pride of the new National Women’s Hockey League. That season, Sleasman was selected to participate in the first ever NWHL All-Star Game. The Pride would win the inaugural Isobel Cup, the championship of the NWHL. Prior to her professional career, Sleasman played NCAA college hockey at Cornell University. During her four years with the team, she accumulated 89 points with the Big Red and was a part of four ECAC championship teams. She would serve as assistant captain for the team in her junior year, and co-captain in her senior year.

Most recently in 2019, she was hired by the Carolina Hurricanes where she organized and lead women’s hockey initiatives and grassroots efforts in the Carolinas. Sleasman also developed season-long curriculum focused on technical and tactical on-ice development.

A native of Rochester, NY, David Powlowski grew up playing for Jr. Americans youth teams and won 3 state titles and Nationals bronze at the AAA level. David appeared on NHL Central Scouting in 2012 and was drafted in the USHL. He played 3 seasons in the NAHL for the Wenatchee Wild where he served as assistant captain. He went on to play his NCAA hockey at Nazareth College where he led the team in scoring in 17-18 and 18-19. David signed his first pro contract in the ECHL with Dallas Stars affiliate Idaho Steelheads and finished with the Macon Mayhem in the SPHL. He has been coaching youth travel teams in Rochester and is currently the Rochester Jr. Americans NAHL team assistant coach.

Kevin is from Penfield NY, and grew up playing most of his youth career in Rochester and Buffalo before going to prep school in Salisbury CT. Where he spent two years at one of the top prep schools in all of New England. He then went on to play in the BCHL for the Chilliwack Chiefs and was their leading scorer and the team MVP.Kevin was able to be drafted in the summer of 2019 by the Carolina Hurricanes. Then continued his career at the NCAA Division I level at Penn State University. Kevin then went on to have a great 4 years, being a Hobey Baker nominee for three of his four years, and led his team in points for his final two years. He was fortunate enough to be an assistant captain his senior year, and take his team to the NCAA regional finals. This past summer Kevin signed his first professional contract and played for the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL who is the minor league team for the Nashville Predators. Kevin played 50 games with the admirals and recorded 11 points in his first year pro. 

Kevin has had 4 summers of experience working for the RIC academy. He has run camps and given lessons. His care for giving back to his community is unmatched and he loves being able to help in any aspect that he can. 

Casey currently resides in Penfield, NY and is playing D1 hockey for Harvard and going into his Junior season.  As a Sophmore he recorded a career high 13 points (8 goals and 5 assists) in 32 games.  During his Freshman season, he appeared in 27 games with the Crimson, recording 8 points (2 goals and 6 assists) and had a +8 rating.  

Before going to Harvard, Casey skated with the Madison Capitols of the USHL during the 2021-22 season, serving as team captain. He finished the season with 43 points (16 goals, 27 assists) in 48 games.  Previously starred at Noble and Greenough School, where he served as team captain in 2019-20.

Casey has trained with RIC Academy for the past 4 years.

Blake Humphrey (Penfield) started his youth hockey
career as a proud member of the Rochester Jr Americans
at age 6, it’s where he developed his passion for hockey.
From there he went on to play for the next 7 years for
the Syracuse Nationals and the Buffalo Jr Sabres
(National Championship) before heading off to Boston to
play prep hockey for the Lawrence Academy Spartans.

It was during his 14U year that he started his training
with Francois Methot and that relationship continues to
help develop Blake into a successful player.

In 2020 he was drafted by the Sioux Falls Stampede in
the USHL and the New Jersey Titans in the NAHL. During
his two seasons in the highest levels of junior hockey in
the USA he compiled 62 points in 103 games.

He is currently a member of Lake Superior State D1
Men’s Hockey Team after playing his first two seasons of
college hockey at Sacred Heart University.

Every summer is the time to take that next step as a
player and Blake looks forward to helping others do the
same!

Conor Humphrey (Penfield) spent the majority of this
youth playing hockey in Rochester. He began at age 6
with the Rochester Jr Americans and then moved to play
for the Rochester Monarchs under coach Scott Nichol
and Francois Methot. He was a member of 2 State
Championship teams at Pee Wee and Bantam. From
there he went on to Brewster Academy in New
Hampshire for two years where he further developed as
a player.

Conor started his pursuit of his college hockey dream by
playing juniors for the Charlotte Rush in the USPHL in
2022-23. After a successful season in Charlotte, Conor
was able to live out a dream and return to play at home
for the Rochester Jr Americans- NAHL team in their
inaugural season. Conor was recruited by a few schools
but he was thrilled when SUNY Cortland (DIII) offered
him a spot for the 2024-25 season. He can’t wait to start
his freshman season.

Conor has a super strong work ethic and his ability to
keep pressing forward and only worrying about
controlling the things he can control has served him well.

This past season he spent much of his free time helping
out with the Junior Americans youth teams and he really
enjoyed helping players see success in their own
development. He looks forward to helping the next batch
of local players achieve their dreams!

Coach Simpson is originally from Frisco, TX.  She was recently drafted by PWHL New York with the 16th overall pick.  She has an extensive youth playing career in TX with the 10U Dallas Scots, 12U Alliance Bulldogs, and 14U Hockey Club of Dallas.  At 16U and 19U, Coach Simpson made the move to Shattuck-St, Mary's where she was a member of the National Championship team in 2015 and 2016.  

Coach Simpson played her college hockey at D-1 Colgate and graduated in 2024.  She plans to head to her PWHL New York team in November of 2024.  

Coach Simpson also has an extensive International Career with Team USA.  She was a member of the U-18 National team for 2 years and won World Championship Gold twice, in 2017 and 2018.  She was also a member of the 2019 U-22 team for the rivalry series with Canada.  In 2023 she participated in the Collegiate series vs Canada.  In 2023-24 she was a member of team USA for the rivalry series with Canada once again.

She has extensive training with the RIC Academy and has been coaching for the past couple of seasons.  She is excited to expand her role with the RIC Academy and to start working one-on-one with the local Rochester talent.