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Training. Safety. Development.

Building better coaches and players through modern, proven teaching systems.

About Us

4Check Hockey helps coaches and players train smarter, safer, and with greater consistency. Our program combines innovative on ice tools, including our custom training dummies, with simple and effective teaching systems. We give organizations everything they need to build confident coaches and better players in a safe and structured environment.

 

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Our Story

4Check Hockey was built from decades of experience in playing, coaching, and working directly with hockey organizations across the country. Through this work we saw how many dedicated parent volunteers needed guidance, structure, and support to teach the modern game effectively. We created a system that gives coaches clarity, players safer training, and organizations consistent development from top to bottom. Our goal is to help every athlete grow through clear teaching, safe habits, and a strong foundation of fundamentals.

Our Values

 Information: We give coaches and players clear instruction and dependable tools.

 Education: We work directly with organizations to help them grow and succeed.

 Technology: Our online resources create consistency at home, at practice, and on the ice.

 Training: We provide programs that are easy to use, effective, and ready to implement immediately.

 

Our History

Our approach was shaped through hands‑on work with more than one third of the hockey organizations in Minnesota, widely known as the State of Hockey. Through this experience we created a solution that benefits everyone involved, including organizational leaders, coaches, parents, and players. Our focus is to make development easier while delivering training programs that immediately improve safety and skill progression.

Our Team

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JON FRANCISCO

CEO and Founder

Jon Francisco was born and raised in Hermantown, Minnesota, where he grew up playing hockey, baseball, football, soccer, and golf. He continued his hockey career at the University of Minnesota Duluth before spending eight seasons playing professionally in the UHL, ECHL, and AHL. After retiring from professional hockey, Jon served as a firefighter for ten years in California and Wisconsin. He eventually transitioned from the fire service to entrepreneurship, building Francisco Hockey and 4Check Hockey, two companies focused on improving training, skills, and safety within the sport.

Jon now lives in Michigan with his wife, and they have two older children. He believes that fundamentals are the foundation of any athlete’s development and that once those fundamentals are strong, a player can push the limits of their potential. He understands how much the game has evolved and emphasizes the importance of adapting to new trends rather than coaching from the past. Jon creates an environment where athletes and coaches are encouraged to learn, make mistakes, work hard, and enjoy the process. His favorite moments come when the light bulb turns on for a player or coach and everything clicks.

You can learn more about Jon and his story through his interview on the Youth Hockey Hub  podcast .

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Max Hayes

General Manager / Head Trainer

Max was born and raised in Anoka, Minnesota. Throughout his youth and high school years, he spent his time playing competitive hockey, football, and tennis as part of the MSHSL. Following his high school graduation, Max attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth and graduated with a BBA degree in Sales and Marketing. Max has spent the last four years coaching a few different teams as a Head Coach for Anoka Bantam AA, Hermantown Peewee A, and Northland Yeti AAA. In addition, Max has run many off-season skills trainings with associations as well as Contact, Checking, and Concussion Prevention Camps throughout the Midwest.

Since hanging up his skates as a player, Max has found passion in teaching and growing the game of hockey. Max brings high energy to the ice, as well as a drive to help develop players into the best athletes they can be. He is proud of his ability to build good rapport with these young skaters and finds deep satisfaction in helping them grow. Max is a continuous "student of the game" and consistently seeks new ways to improve the sport. Most importantly, Max emphasizes having FUN while playing and developing long-lasting skills both on and off the ice.

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Jason Becker

Lead Trainer - Western Canada

Jason has been coaching for 14 years at all levels from the WHL, BCHL and CSSHL. He started in 2009 as an Assistant Coach for the Prince George Cougars of the WHL. In 2014 he joined the Okanagan Hockey Academy as a Head Coach of the UI8 Varsity Program. 2 years later, Jason was an Assistant Coach with the Penticton Vees. In his first season the Vees captured the BCHL Championship. In 2019-20 Jason was the Head Coach of St. George's UI8 Prep Team.

For the last 4 years Jason has been a coach at the Pacific Coast Hockey Academy, coaching at the UI8 Prep, UI7 Prep and currently UI5 Prep Team. Jason is also heavily involved with the BC Hockey Male High Performance Program in many roles from coaching, Lead Evaluator and most recently a Coach Mentor. In 2013 he was the Head Coach of Team Pacific at the UI7 World Hockey Challenge. He has also been a Head Coach (2023 Team BC UI6 WHL Cup), Assistant Coach (2017 Team BC UI6 WHL Cup, 2019 Team BC UI6 Canada Winter Games) and Coach Mentor (2024) with Team BC UI6 Male Program. Jason is also a certified Hockey Canada Skills Coach.