The head coaching carousel is in motion every offseason in the American Hockey League. With the NHL going through turnover, the AHL followed suit, and many of the best coaches in the league moved to the next level either as head coaches (Manny Malhotra and Ryan Craig) or as assistants. 

All in all, 11 head coaches were hired this summer. It’s hard to rank them considering many of them are unknowns or first-time hires at the AHL level. So, the big thing is the fit with where each team is and what the coach might bring to the bench. 

Stu Bickell checks off the boxes to coach in the AHL as a former defenseman who played multiple roles in his career. The problem he faces is that he’s getting thrown into the fire, with the Iowa Wild being one of the toughest jobs in the league. Greg Cronin is a proven coach at this level, and after missing the playoffs, he left for the NHL. So, expect some growing pains for Bickell as he learns the job with a depleted farm system but it will work out in the long run. 

Dave Manson has been in hockey for a long time and coached at multiple stops, from an assistant in Edmonton to a head coach in the Western Hockey League. At 59, he’ll be one of the older coaches in the AHL, a contrast in a league where teams typically hire younger coaches who are making their way towards the NHL. 

It’s why the San Diego Gulls might be looking at a short-term hire. Typically, when teams bring in an experienced coach, it’s to bridge the gap before hiring another younger coach from within. Manson will keep the Gulls competitive, and it makes him a good short-term option. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs are shuffling things around (chairs on the decks of the Titanic, as the cynics say). With John Gruden joining Jim Hiller’s staff, Steve Sullivan moves to the AHL to coach the Toronto Marlies. It’s not a big hire or one that looks like a home run by any stretch for the reigning Calder Cup champs. The plus is they kept Mark Giordano on their staff, someone whom Gruden and the Marlies spoke highly of and who is a head coach in the making. 

If there’s one coach who will give us writers a tough time, it’s him (mainly because this is a tough name to type out). With this in mind, we’ll call him Ryan P. for short. Anyhow, Ryan P. is an interesting hire for the Abbotsford Canucks, who replaces Manny Malhotra. He comes from the ECHL and off an impressive season with the Wheeling Nailers, and that experience translates to the AHL (with the roster turnover and call-ups). That said, he lacks experience, with only one season in Wheeling, and is an unknown as a head coach. 

Daniel Jacob was the young assistant under the experienced Pascal Vincent, who can pick up where he left off. It’s not a splashy hire, which was expected by the Laval Rocket. However, it’s the right one, with Jacob looking to maintain the standard for the Montreal Canadiens affiliate. 

If there was any team that would make the out-of-the-box hire and look for a high-ceiling coach, it’s the Colorado Eagles. Jussi Ahokas is a creative coach with a Finnish background who won the Memorial Cup with the Kitchener Rangers. Ahokas brings new ideas to hockey, from puck movement to systems to positionless hockey, which might change the game. 

The question is whether his success from the Ontario Hockey League will translate. For the first time in his career, Ahokas must work with a roster that is always in flux and has a significant age gap. That said, Ahokas is the right fit for the Eagles and is on track to coach in the NHL soon enough. 

Trent Whitfield was an assistant for the Providence Bruins for a decade before becoming the head coach. He did his time and will bring new ideas to a rebuilding team. The timing for this hire couldn’t have been better, with Ryan Mougenel going to the NHL and the team moving on from its veteran core. Whitfield is the bridge into the new era in Providence as he brings new ideas but knows the team and organization better than anyone else. 

After finishing 2025-26 with the worst record in the AHL, the Hartford Wolf Pack needed to bring in someone who could change the culture and clean things up; Jay Leach will do just that. While he’s a polarizing figure as the former Boston Bruins assistant, he’s a winner at the AHL level, with success in multiple stops. Leach can bring stability and help develop the prospects for the New York Rangers at a time when they need them. 

Like Ahokas, Jay McKee was one of the up-and-coming OHL coaches who will face similar obstacles. Also like Ahokas, he’s a great hire as an innovative coach who can step in from day one and lead a competitive team. 

The Hamilton Hammers are looking for a coach who can take the prospects a step further, and McKee, who coached plenty of stars with the Brantford Bulldogs, will do just that. The added benefit is that McKee is from the area, making Hamilton a great stop before he takes an NHL job. 

This is a home run hire for the Henderson Silver Knights. Joel Ward is highly regarded throughout hockey, from his playing days to his time as an assistant with the Vegas Golden Knights. The only question is whether he can be a head coach, and he’ll answer that with his time behind the Silver Knights bench. 

Ward brings the combination of a player-friendly coach and, at the same time, holding them accountable. With the way things are trending, he might be a head coach in the NHL soon enough and become the second Black head coach in league history in the process. 

Nick Bootland was the assistant for the past four seasons behind the Hershey Bears bench. He won the Calder Cup in 2023 and 2024 under Todd Nelson and learned a lot from the great AHL head coach. It also speaks volumes that Bootland stayed on the staff when the Bears hired Derek King. He was mentored to become the next great coach in the AHL. 

It’s why the Cleveland Monsters pounced on the opportunity to bring him in to replace Trent Vogelhuber. Bootland will maintain the high standard, and his background in Hershey only helps, as he has firsthand experience with an organization where winning matters just as much, if not more than development. The Columbus Blue Jackets will likely call up their prospects and push to win this season but Bootland will keep the Monsters competitive while allowing the remaining prospects in the AHL to develop. 

Which coaching hire do you think was the best? Let us know in the comments section below!