At PUCK-IT, we are dedicated to transforming hockey training through personalized coaching and expert guidance. Our mission is to help players of all levels reach their full potential on and off the ice. With a team of experienced athletes and coaches, we offer tailored programs, cutting-edge training, and a commitment to excellence. Whether you’re looking to refine your skills, join a development program, or find the right equipment, we are here to support your journey and elevate your game.
INSTRUCTOR
Jake Taylor is the founder of PUCK–IT Development and has spent more than two decades immersed in the game of hockey as a player, coach, instructor, and mentor. His passion for player development and commitment to helping athletes reach their full potential are at the core of everything he does.
Jake’s hockey journey began at the age of four in Warkworth and progressed through a successful competitive career that included stops with the Quinte Red Devils, Campbellford Rebels, Cobourg Cougars, Port Hope Predators, Norwood Vipers, and Whitby Dunlops. Along the way, he earned Empire B League Rookie of the Year honours and served in leadership roles throughout his career, including Team Captain and Assistant Captain positions at the junior level.
Since beginning his coaching career in 2005, Jake has worked with thousands of athletes through teams, camps, clinics, private instruction, and development programs. As the driving force behind PUCK–IT Development since 2015, he has built a reputation for creating positive, challenging environments where players are encouraged to develop confidence, hockey IQ, work ethic, and a genuine love for the game.
Known for his strong communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to connect with players of all ages and skill levels, Jake takes pride in helping athletes understand not only how to perform skills, but why and when to use them. His approach combines technical development with game awareness, decision-making, and compete habits that translate directly into game situations.
Beyond the ice, Jake’s background in leadership, operations, and business management allows him to bring structure, organization, and long-term planning to every program he develops. He believes that successful player development goes beyond hockey skills and includes building confidence, accountability, resilience, and character.
Whether working with a player taking their first strides or an athlete striving for the next level, Jake’s goal remains the same: provide meaningful development, honest guidance, and an experience that helps every player become the best version of themselves both on and off the ice.
Fun Fact: If there’s a hockey game, practice, tournament, camp, or development session happening nearby, there’s a good chance Jake has either played in it, coached it, organized it, or volunteered at it at some point over the last 20 years.
Darryl Lloyd brings more than 15 years of professional playing experience and over a decade of player development expertise to the ice. A Pickering, Ontario native, Darryl developed through the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires before earning an NHL Rookie Camp invitation with the Nashville Predators.
His professional career spanned North America and Europe, including time in the AHL, ECHL, and five championship-winning seasons with the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). Along the way, he earned recognition as Team MVP, Forward of the Year, and Hardest Working Player—awards that reflect the compete level, leadership, and work ethic that defined his career.
Today, Darryl shares that experience with the next generation of athletes through a development philosophy built around seven core pillars of the game: skating, puck control, passing, shooting, hockey IQ, compete level, and body positioning. His coaching focuses on developing efficient habits, improving decision-making, and helping players understand how skills transfer into real game situations.
Known for his energetic approach and ability to connect with players, Darryl creates a challenging and positive environment where athletes are encouraged to compete, think the game, and build confidence. He believes that long-term success comes from mastering the details—whether that’s puck protection, body positioning, awareness, or making the right play under pressure.
Having experienced every stage of the hockey pathway—from minor hockey and junior hockey to professional hockey and championship teams overseas—Darryl understands what separates talented players from successful players. His goal is to help athletes become not only better hockey players, but more confident, resilient competitors both on and off the ice.
Fun Fact: Darryl’s professional career took him across two continents and multiple leagues, where he captured five championships and built a reputation as one of the hardest-working players on every team he played for.
