Digital coaching app Propel Pro adds HOFer Martin Brodeur to oversee hockey

Republished with credit · Original at Sports Business Journal

Propel Pro, a digital coaching platform, has added Hockey Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur as its chief of athlete development for hockey.

Brodeur, one of the best netminders in NHL history, will recruit hockey coaches to participate and help shape the curriculum and instruction methodology. Some of the first few coaches to join are Manny Legace, a former NHL All-Star, as well as his sons, Anthony and Jeremy Brodeur.

The goal of Propel Pro, which has its strongest presence in soccer and hockey, is to connect youth players with higher quality instruction through technology. The product includes video analysis, live calls and automated reports that help outline each athlete's individual development program. That functionality is managed by an AI tool called Darwin.

"Something that I really cherish throughout my career is having good coaches around me," Brodeur said. "The technology wasn't there. I wish it could have been there at times, regardless if it's for a mental approach, workout, nutrition, you name it. A lot of kids, they're left by themselves. Their parents are probably not knowledgeable enough to push them to the next level. And I think that's where we come in play."

Coaches run their own business through Propel Pro and can set their own pricing, whether as a subscription or single session. Typically a training session would start around $125.

Propel Pro's founding story is exactly that. CEO Daniel Levy had played some high school hockey, but when his teenage son eclipsed his ability, he struggled to find local resources. The idea crystallized one night at a rink in New York's Long Island City when Levy wanted to assist his son with a particular technique that he wasn't able to communicate. That led to the Coach on Call feature, in which coaches enrolled in Propel Pro can toggle their availability on to receive on-demand requests for counsel.

"You could be in your home, you could be on vacation, you could be anywhere, and you have access to the people that are there to help you," Brodeur said.

Mostly, however, Propel Pro seeks to connect coaches for ongoing work with athletes, knowing how important relationship building is in that process. Brodeur has helped his son Anthony with the Brodeur Hockey School and has gained an appreciation for the art of catering messaging to the age and ability of each player, a trait he'll prioritize in recruiting coaches.

Rich Dalatri, a well-known basketball skills coach, has joined Propel Pro as its director of player performance. One of the company's biggest undertakings to date is a collaboration with the Vermont Soccer Association on the development of statewide programming. First announced in late 2025, the two sides expanded the work over the summer.

Levy added that the reports in the app will help record each athlete's progress and inform parents of key milestones.

"It's really the first time that parents get this close of visibility into their child's development because it doesn't put the burden to report on the coach because it's done through the app," Levy said.