Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Atlantic Hockey America has added Cole McKenney as assistant commissioner for operations and Connor Grootenhuis as director of communications.
McKenney is responsible for the daily operations for the conference, as well as business operations and travel logistics for officials.
“Joining the AHA is an incredible opportunity, and I’m excited to contribute to the growth and success of the conference,” said McKenney in a statement. “I’m eager to get to work with both our staff and our teams to elevate our initiatives and drive meaningful progress. I look forward to working together to achieve excellence and make a lasting impact.”
McKenney comes to Atlantic Hockey America from Northeastern where he spent three seasons as the business operations coordinator after one year as a graduate assistant. He was responsible for managing the department’s daily business operations, which included invoice payments, team travel logistics, and contract submissions. In addition, he served as the liaison between the university’s main office and athletics office.
McKenney earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Northeastern in December 2020. He later earned his master’s degree in Sports Leadership from Northeastern in July of 2022.
Grootenhuis is responsible for spearheading all aspects of conference communications including media guides, news releases, statistical management, archival records, and reports of the conference office.
“I want to thank Commissioner (Michelle) Morgan for this great opportunity to join Atlantic Hockey America as director of communications,” said Grootenhuis. “I am excited to work with our staff and member institutions to grow the brand of Atlantic Hockey America.”
Prior to starting with the AHA, Grootenhuis was a content manager and managing editor for Catena Media from 2021 to 2024. He developed, produced, and edited a wide variety of digital sports content, which included coverage of the NCAA tournament and Frozen Four.
A 2017 graduate of Miami, Grootenhuis has worked in college athletics in a variety of roles. At Miami, he was a member of the sports broadcasting crew for RedHawks home hockey games at Steve Cady Arena. He also worked as a camera operator for Miami football, baseball, softball, field hockey, and men’s and women’s basketball games. In addition, he served as a graduate assistant and video coordinator for the Tulane athletic department while obtaining his master’s degree.
