"We are super excited to have Brad back with the program," said head coach Adam Nightingale. "We have put a premium on player development and feel hiring Brad in this role will help our players reach their potential. As a former Spartan captain who went on to the NHL, Brad will be able to mentor our student athletes having already lived it. He is very well respected in the hockey community, which is reflected by the number of NHL players he trains in the summer."
Fast has a considerable background in player development in addition to his own experience as a high-level collegiate player and professional athlete. Previously the Director of Hockey Operations at MSU (2015-19), Fast comes back to his alma mater after a year and a half at Honeybaked Hockey Club in Detroit. There, he was the club's Director of Athlete Development where he worked alongside specialized professionals and coaches to create, implement, and oversee player development plans and best-practice teaching protocols.
The former Spartan defenseman has been involved in hockey skill development and coaching at every level, from youth hockey through working with professional athletes. He founded the East Lansing-based Elevation Hockey in 2011, a training organization that mentored players of all ages to enhance their skills and performance. He owned and was the head skills coach at Elevation while also serving as the hockey director of the Lansing Hockey Club. In that role, Fast oversaw the selection and education of coaches as well as planning the development of individual and team advancement.
A standout blueliner at Michigan State from 1999-2003, Fast compiled 114 career points in 164 career games and helped lead MSU to the Frozen Four in 2001. As a senior and team captain, he garnered both All-America and Academic All-America honors that season and was also named the CCHA's Best Defensive Defenseman. Fast's team-leading 35 assists in 2002-03 ranks as the seventh-highest single-season total by a defenseman in school history. Additionally, he was selected as the winner of the Dr. James Feurig Achievement and Service Award, honoring an MSU senior student-athlete who carries a minimum 3.0 GPA and is active in community service initiatives.
Fast was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the third round of the 1999 NHL Draft, played one game for the club and a total of three seasons in the organization. In 2006, he moved overseas and played in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and South Korea until his retirement in 2011.
Fast, a native of Fort St. John, British Columbia, earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in general management and psychology from MSU in 2003. Fast and his wife, Lindsay reside in East Lansing with their three children, Riley, Beckett and Gavin.
Fast Joins Hockey Staff In Player Development Role - Michigan State Athletics
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