Our People
Who we are and who we work with is as important as what we do. We identify with people whose professional and ethical choices we admire. We have a team of instructors who are genuinely committed to developing the individual hockey player. Our team consists of three detail oriented instructors who share similar values, and similar professional experiences in their chosen sport. Each instructor applies a different focus of instruction -- together, these focus areas complement each other and provide building blocks to overall progress and future learning.
CLAUDIA STEINKE
R.N., B.Sc., M.Mgt., Ph.D
Focus: Analysis and deconstruction of skating skills
Breaking down of skating skills to their most simplest form
Claudia Steinke directs The Skating Company and has specialized in skating analysis and technique training for hockey players since 1992. She has coached all levels from novice to pro, and alongside some of the leading technical skating instructors in North America. She is a Skate Canada triple gold medalist, nationally certified (NCCP) in both hockey and figure skating, CanPowerSkate certified, and skated professionally on the international circuit with Hermanos Fuentes Gasca and Feld Entertainment’s Disney on Ice.
TRAVIS HILLIER
Focus: Analysis and reconstruction of skating skills
Rebuilding of skating skills to a more efficient form
Travis Hillier serves as a skating skills instructor with The Skating Company. He was a national level competitive skater and is a Skate Canada quadruple gold medalist. After his competitive career, Travis skated professionally on the international circuit with Feld Entertainment’s Disney on Ice. He currently serves as co-founder and figure skating coach with Southern Alberta Skating Academy and a hockey skating instructor with The Skating Company. Travis is a Certified Provincial Coach and CanPowerSkate certified.
SEAN GILLAM
Focus: Application of reconstructed skating skills to game-like situations
Sean Gillam serves as a hockey skills instructor with The Skating Company. He is a former third-round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings, who has been involved in hockey since 1992 with over 1000 games of experience playing and coaching at the professional level (AHL, IHL, ECHL, CHL, and SPHL). Sean has also coached at the amateur levels of USport and the LMHA. During the 2018-2019 season, In 2018, he served as Head Coach for Val Matteotti Bantam AAA Golden Hawks, and 2019-2023 as Head Coach for the U18 AAA Lethbridge Hurricanes. In 2023, Sean took on the role of Director of Hockey Development for the Lethbridge Minor Hockey Association.