Miles Koules Explained

Miles Koules
Birth Date:25 June 1994
Birth Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lb:192
Position:Right Wing
Shoots:Right
Played For:Ontario Reign
Cleveland Monsters
HIFK
Bakersfield Condors
Binghamton Devils
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2015
Career End:2021

Miles Koules (born June 25, 1994) is an American former professional ice hockey winger and film producer. He has played for the Binghamton Devils of the American Hockey League (AHL) and for HIFK in the Finnish top tier league Liiga. Internationally, he has represented the United States at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge.

Koules is the founder of Koules Productions, a film production company where he partnered with his father Oren Koules.

Playing career

Amateur

Koules was born in Los Angeles, California to parents Risa Shapiro and Oren Koules. Growing up in California, he stated that he felt there were limited opportunities to develop as an ice hockey player. After his father became a part owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Koules enrolled at Shattuck-Saint Mary's in Minnesota to further his development. After completing three seasons at Shattuck-Saint Mary's, Koules joined the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP).[1] At the age of 16, Koules verbally committed to play collegiate hockey for the University of North Dakota.[2]

On January 10, 2012, Koules' Western Hockey League (WHL) rights were traded to the Medicine Hat Tigers in exchange for Reid Petryk.[3] On April 30, 2012, Koules committed to leave the USNTDP and join the Tigers for the 2012–13 season, thus foregoing his collegiate eligibility. The Tigers general manager Brad McEwen credited this change to Koules' personal connections to members on the team, such as Emerson Etem and Hunter Shinkaruk.[4]

He stayed with the Medicine Hat Tigers for nearly three seasons, recording career highs in his second season with the team and accepting invitations to NHL Development camps. On September 29, 2014, Koules was traded to the Portland Winterhawks in exchange for a 2017 4th round draft pick.[5]

Professional

After his major junior hockey career concluded following the 2014–15 season, Koules joined the Quad City Mallards of the ECHL.[6] He was later traded to the Wichita Thunder in exchange for future considerations after playing in 44 games for the Mallards.[7]

On October 15, 2016, Koules was traded to the Atlanta Gladiators.[8] His playing rights were later traded to the Tulsa Oilers.[9] He was again traded on January 24, 2017, to the Elmira Jackals[10] but it was short-lived as his playing rights were moved to the Indy Fuel days later.[11]

On February 2, 2017, Koules was signed to a professional tryout agreement with the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League (AHL).[12] After playing in two games for the Reign, he was returned to the ECHL before signing a 25-game professional tryout with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL in March 2017.[13] His contract evolved into an AHL contract for the 2017–18 season on July 26, 2017.[14] After attending the Columbus Blue Jackets NHL training camp on a tryout contract, Koules was reassigned to the AHL for the 2017–18 season.[15]

After spending the entire 2017–18 season in the AHL, Koules joined the HIFK in the Finnish top tier league Liiga during the 2018-19 season.[16] He returned to North America after agreeing to an AHL contract with the Monsters on January 11, 2019[17] after playing in 13 games. He scored his first two goals of the season in a 6–3 loss to the Syracuse Crunch on February 2.[18]

After a one-year stint with the Bakersfield Condors in the COVID-19 affected 2019–20 season, Koules extended his career in the AHL, joining the Binghamton Devils on a professional tryout contract prior to the pandemic delayed 2020–21 season on February 1, 2021.[19]

International play

While playing at St. Mary's, Koules was named to the U.S. Under-17 Select Team to compete in the 2010 Five Nations tournament.[20] Koules scored his first goal of the tournament on August 18, 2010, in a 5–3 win over Team Czech Republic.[21]

He helped lead Team USA to the 2010 Under-17 Four Nations Cup with seven points in four games.[22]

He won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2011 World U-17 Hockey Challenge.[23]

He is slated to play for Greece in the upcoming Amerigol LATAM Cup.

Business career

Koules partnered with his father Oren Koules in 2022 to form the film production company Koules Productions.[24]

Personal life

Koules is the son of talent agent Risa Shapiro and entrepreneur Oren Koules.[25] Koules and Shapiro separated in 2005 and eventually divorced in 2007.[26] Oren remarried in 2008 and as a result, Miles has two younger half sisters.[27]

Career statistics

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2009–10Shattuck St. Mary's U16Midget5320385826
2010–11USNTDP JuniorsUSHL263471820000
2010–11USNTDP U17USDP4214122624
2011–12USNTDP JuniorsUSHL2869153221014
2011–12USNTDP U17USDP1545926
2011–12USNTDP U18USDP424121643
2012–13Medicine Hat TigersWHL691921401881340
2013–14Medicine Hat TigersWHL702526513418461010
2014–15Medicine Hat TigersWHL21010
2014–15Portland WinterhawksWHL672632584717211132
2015–16Quad City MallardsECHL44310138
2015–16Wichita ThunderECHL1549132
2016–17Atlanta GladiatorsECHL111340
2016–17Tulsa OilersECHL253131614
2016–17Ontario ReignAHL20000
2016–17Cleveland MonstersAHL71016
2017–18Cleveland MonstersAHL6813142710
2018–19HIFKLiiga132022
2018–19Cleveland MonstersAHL194046
2019–20Bakersfield CondorsAHL3114511
2020–21Binghamton DevilsAHL120222
AHL totals13919203937
Liiga totals132022

Notes and References

  1. News: Prewitt . Alex . Miles Koules scripted a new path towards his hockey dreams . February 19, 2019 . The Washington Post . July 11, 2014.
  2. News: Brad Elliott Schlossman . UND HOCKEY: Koules commits to Sioux . February 19, 2019 . September 3, 2010.
  3. Web site: HURLEY ACQUIRED FROM ICE; PETRYK DEALT TO EVERETT . tigershockey.com . February 18, 2019 . January 10, 2012.
  4. Web site: COUP FOR TIGERS AS KOULES PICKS MEDICINE HAT . tigershockey.com . February 18, 2019 . April 30, 2010.
  5. Web site: TIGERS MAKE TRADE WITH PORTLAND . tigershockey.com . February 19, 2019 . September 29, 2014.
  6. Web site: ECHL TRANSACTIONS - OCT. 13 . ECHL.com . February 19, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151015161558/https://www.echl.com/echl-transactions-oct-13-p199851 . October 15, 2015 . October 14, 2015.
  7. Web site: THUNDER ACQUIRE ROOKIE FORWARD FROM QUAD CITY . wichitathunder.com . February 19, 2019 . February 27, 2016.
  8. Web site: ECHL TRANSACTIONS – OCT. 14 . ECHL.com . February 19, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180630191703/https://www.echl.com/echl-transactions-oct-14-2016 . June 30, 2018 . October 14, 2016.
  9. atlgladiators. 801551810376978432. November 23, 2016. TRANSACTION NOTE: The Gladiators have traded Miles Koules' Playing Rights to the Tulsa Oilers. #battletogether.
  10. JackalsHockey. 823938420422504448. January 24, 2017. NEWS: The Jackals acquire defenseman Jacob Poe and forward Miles Koules from @tulsa_oilers..
  11. IndyFuel. 824398644480790528. January 25, 2017. Also, the #IndyFuel added D Jacob Poe and the rights to F Miles Koules from Elmira in exchange for D Matt Stanisz and cash considerations..
  12. Web site: REIGN ADD FORWARD MILES KOULES . ontarioreign.com . February 19, 2019 . February 2, 2017.
  13. Web site: Monsters Sign Forward Miles Koules to PTO Contract . clevelandmonsters.com . February 19, 2019 . March 4, 2017 . November 19, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181119051549/http://www.clevelandmonsters.com/team/news/monsters-sign-forward-miles-koules-pto-contract . dead .
  14. Web site: Monsters Sign Forward Miles Koules To One-Year AHL Contract . clevelandmonsters.com . February 19, 2019 . July 26, 2017 . November 19, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181119051552/https://www.clevelandmonsters.com/team/news/monsters-sign-forward-miles-koules-one-year-ahl-contract . dead .
  15. Web site: Columbus Blue Jackets trim training camp roster by 17 players . NHL.com . February 26, 2019 . September 26, 2017.
  16. Web site: HYÖKKÄÄJÄ MILES KOULES SIIRTYY IFK:HON . hifk.fi . February 19, 2019 . Finnish . November 15, 2018.
  17. Web site: Cleveland Monsters Announce Four Roster Movers . clevelandmonsters.com . February 18, 2019 . January 11, 2019.
  18. Web site: Svoboda . Jeff . Monsters Monday: Koules makes impactful return to Cleveland . NHL.com . February 26, 2019 . February 4, 2019.
  19. Web site: Miles Koules sign PTO with Binghamton . . February 1, 2021 . February 1, 2021.
  20. Web site: Under-17 Five Nations Tournament All-Time Roster . teamusa.usahockey.com . February 19, 2019.
  21. Web site: U17's win Five Nations opener over Czechs . nahl.com . February 19, 2019 . August 18, 2010.
  22. Web site: U17s win Four Nations Cup . nahl.com . February 19, 2019 . November 14, 2010.
  23. Web site: ONTARIO WINS GOLD MEDAL AT 2011 WORLD UNDER-17 HOCKEY CHALLENGE . hockeycanada.ca . February 19, 2019 . January 4, 2011.
  24. Web site: Grobar . Matt . Former Pro Hockey Player Miles Koules Launches Koulest Productions, Will Develop ‘Ski Weekend’ Thriller With Oren Koules . Deadline.
  25. Web site: Sepich . Scott . Winterhawks' Miles Koules 'loving it' in Portland, hoping his pro hockey dream has Hollywood ending . oregonlive.com . February 18, 2019.
  26. News: Horn . John . Split of Hollywood couple unfolds like a horror film . February 19, 2019 . Los Angeles Times . June 25, 2007.
  27. News: Consigilo . Alex . Top Chef Canada judge Shereen Arazm Koules always makes it home for dinner . February 19, 2019 . Toronto Star . June 3, 2013.