Staff

The 2026-27 season will mark the fourth season in the BCEHL and third as head coach for Bronson Sharp. He joins the U18 Thunderbirds this season, after serving as head coach with the U15 Thunderbirds during the 2025-26 season. 

Sharp brings four seasons of Major Junior experience to Fraser Valley, playing with the Portland Winterhawks and Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League from 2015-2019. Sharp grew up in Mission and got his start in hockey with Mission MHA. He is a graduate of the University of Fraser Valley and currently owns his own hockey skills business where he works with players at the NHL, AHL, Collegiate, WHL and AAA levels.

Chris Helm enters his first season as head coach of the U17 Fraser Valley Thunderbirds and his fifth season in the BCEHL. Helm spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach with the U17 Thunderbirds after serving two seasons as an assistant coach with the program’s U15 team. He has also coached at several levels with Mission Minor Hockey Association and has served as the association’s vice-president of rep hockey since 2022.

The New Westminster, B.C., native played junior hockey with the Abbotsford Pilots of the Pacific International Junior Hockey League and senior AA hockey with the Powell River Regals. Helm is a Red Seal plumber and Red Seal refrigeration mechanic and works as an industrial refrigeration mechanic.

Riley Emmerson is entering his fourth season with the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds and seventh in the BCEHL. He is entering his first season as Manager, Hockey, overseeing the U18 AAA, U17 AAA and U15 AAA programs, while also serving as head coach of the U15 AAA Thunderbirds. Emmerson previously served as head coach of the U18 AAA Thunderbirds and spent three seasons with the Valley West Giants.

Emmerson began his coaching career as a player-coach with the Edinburgh Capitals of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) in the U.K. during the final season of his playing career. Before transitioning to coaching, he enjoyed a 10-year professional playing career. In 2005, he was selected by the Minnesota Wild in the NHL Draft and went on to play in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), American Hockey League (AHL), Central Hockey League (CHL) and EIHL.

Riley Emmerson is entering his fourth season with the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds and seventh in the BCEHL. He is entering his first season as Manager, Hockey, overseeing the U18 AAA, U17 AAA and U15 AAA programs, while also serving as head coach of the U15 AAA Thunderbirds. Emmerson previously served as head coach of the U18 AAA Thunderbirds and spent three seasons with the Valley West Giants.

Emmerson began his coaching career as a player-coach with the Edinburgh Capitals of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) in the U.K. during the final season of his playing career. Before transitioning to coaching, he enjoyed a 10-year professional playing career. In 2005, he was selected by the Minnesota Wild in the NHL Draft and went on to play in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), American Hockey League (AHL), Central Hockey League (CHL) and EIHL.

Leichel Duerksen enters her first season as manager of operations with the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds and her first season in the BCEHL. Duerksen has been involved in minor hockey for 10 years, beginning as a volunteer in 2016 before becoming a team manager in 2018. She joined the Abbotsford Minor Hockey Association board in 2020 and has since held roles as U15 director, U18 director, second vice-president, U7 co-ordinator and U9 director.

Duerksen helped introduce the Buddy Check for Jesse program to the association and organized its first Every Child Matters Orange Jersey Hockey Game. She holds an honours diploma in community support work and social services and works as an education assistant program co-ordinator at Vancouver Career College. Duerksen is passionate about inclusion, mental health awareness and creating positive environments that support the development and well-being of athletes.