Staff Directory
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- Phone:
- 401/863-1913
Mike Souza joined Brendan Whittet’s ’94 staff as anassistant coach in 2011. Souza came to Brown after asuccessful professional playing career, having competed in both theAHL and internationally.
“He’s someone that our guys will lean on becausehe’s played at such a high level,” said Whittet.“From my side of it, he’s an unbelievably personableguy, he knows everybody. He’s well-connected in the hockeyworld. I’m very excited. I don’t think we’regoing to miss a beat.”
Souza spent the last five seasons playing in Italy, mostrecently with Bolzano after four seasons with SG Cortina. In hisfirst season with Cortina (2005-06), Souza helped lead the Sharksto the team’s first Championship dating back to 1975. From2008-2011, he was also on the Italian national team, participatingin the IIHF World Championship all three years and wining theDivision I gold medal in both 2009 and 2011. In 2010, Souza andTeam Italy participated in the Elite Division at the WorldChampionships, as Souza led Team Italy in scoring with 5 points(1g, 4a).
A graduate of New Hampshire with a B.S. in Kinesiology, Souzawas a four-year member of the Wildcats’ hockey team, where hefinished with 156 career points (66g, 90a) in 156 games. A teammateof Brown Associate Head Coach Mark White at New Hampshire, Souzawas a part of two NCAA Frozen Four teams, scoring a key goal in thethird period of the 1999 National Championship against Maine. Hewas named to the All-Regional Team in 1999 as well as the 1999All-Tournament Team after leading the Frozen Four in scoring withsix points.
As a senior in 2000, Souza captained the Wildcats and was aHockey East Second Team All-Star that same year, while also earningNew England All-Star honors. He finished his senior season secondon the team in scoring with 40 points (15g, 25a) and won both theCharles E. Holt Coaches Award and the UNH Jim Urquhart Award, givento a UNH senior student-athlete who excels in both athleticcompetition and the classroom, as well as possessing greatcharacter, sportsmanship, and a passion for sports.
Following his playing career at UNH, Souza played in the AHL forthree full seasons with the Norfolk Admirals (2000-2003) and theBridgeport Sound Tigers (2002-2003). From 2003-2005, Souza spenttime in both the AHL and ECHL, playing for the Portland Pirates,Sound Tigers, and Hersey Bears. From 2002-2004, Souza was the SoundTigers’ player representative for the Professional HockeyPlayers’ Association.
A 1997 draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks (67thoverall), Souza began playing in Europe in 2005, competing for theCologne Sharks of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, EHC Basel of theSwiss National League A, and EHC Olton of the Swiss National LeagueB. In 2006, he moved to Italy to play in the Serie A, where hespent the next five years, finishing with 194 points (90g, 104a) in183 games.
A native of Wakefield, MA, Souza was inducted into the WakefieldHigh School Hall of Fame in 2009. He is the cousin of PaulThompson, who was the 2011 Hockey East Player of the Year, while atUNH and is currently playing in the AHL.
Souza and his wife, Kelly (formerly McManus), have two youngdaughters, Ella and Ava. Kelly captained the Boston Collegewomen’s hockey team in 2001 and is the older sister of Brownalumnae Krissy, a four-year member of the Bears’women’s hockey team, and Kim, who is married to ChrisBourque, son of Ray Bourque and current member of the WashingtonCapitals.
