The AHL Coaching Carousel: New Faces, New Opportunities

The American Hockey League has served as one of hockey's most important development leagues. It doesn’t only serve as development for players, but for coaches looking to establish themselves at the professional level. Seeing that come about during the 2026 offseason was evident.

As all AHL teams prepare for the new horizon of the 2026-2027 season, AHL benches experienced significant turnover. Ten AHL coaches received their own call-up to the NHL, with two earning the Head Coach title. Several assistant coaches earned their first opportunity to lead an AHL club. This movement isn’t surprising; at the end of the 2025-2026 season, 21 NHL Clubs were led by coaches who had served in the AHL. This demonstrates the league’s importance as a ground for the future of the NHL bench.

One of the more notable movements was for the Vancouver Canucks organization. Manny Malhotra was named the 23rd head coach of the Vancouver Canucks on June 1st. Malhotra led the Abbotsford Canucks to a Calder Cup Championship in 2025 and developed a number of prospects who eventually reached Vancouver. This left an opening in Abbotsford.

The eyes turned to rookie ECHL head coach Ryan Papaioannou. Papaioannou went 46-20-3-3 during his lone season with the Wheeling Nailers. Papaioannou helped the team earn its first division title in 20 years and reached the third round of the playoffs.

The 2026 Calder Cup Champions Toronto Marlies were no strangers to a coaching change. John Gruden guided them to the Calder Cup, then moved to the Maple Leafs as an assistant coach. In turn, the Marlies brough back Steve Sullivan, who previously worked as an assistant coach with the team, to take over as head coach. Sullivan is inheriting a team coming off a championship while working with a revamped coaching staff. Greg Moore, Denver Manderson, and Mark Giordano were added to the coaching staff.

Iowa Wild entered the chat promoting Stu Bickel to head coach. Bickel spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. This will be Bickel’s first time behind the bench as the head coach.

Trent Vogelhuber was promoted to assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Vogelhuber won the division title in the 2023-2024 season and, in four seasons, took the Monsters to three playoff appearances. Cleveland hired first-time AHL head coach Nick Bootland. Bootland served as an assistant with the Hershey Bears.

Another team awarded a first-time head coach, and that would be the Laval Rocket.  Daniel Jacob was promoted to head coach of the Rocket after working as an assistant with Laval, Syracuse, and San Diego. Being familiar with the organization allows him to build on the foundation already established within the Canadiens' system.

Eyes turn to the Providence Bruins. Ryan Mougenel spent five seasons as the Bruins' head coach who moved to the Vancouver Canucks as an assistant. This departure opened the door for Trent Whitfield. Whitfield spent 10 seasons as the Providence assistant, and he will take the helm at the bench. He brings a unique perspective as a former player. He served four seasons as Providence’s captain and played in 812 AHL regular-season games before heading into the coaching world.

The new kids on the block: Hamilton Hammers. They begin their inaugural season with Jay McKee behind the bench. McKee has worked with the organization’s prospects during development camp, which gave him an early look at the players who will be at the foundation of the new franchise.

In the West, the San Diego Gull hired head coach Dave Manson. The Colorado Eagles went through their second head coach change in as many seasons. Rookie coach Mark Letestu is going to serve as the Assistant Coach for the Vegas Golden Knights alongside former Henderson Silver Knights head coach Ryan Craig. The Eagles have hired Jussi Ahokas to lead the Eagles, who are fresh off a trip to the conference finals.

While some organizations are handing the reins to rookie coaches, others are continuing with the same at the bench. Steve Ott signed a two-year extension with the Springfield Thunderbirds after serving as interim since January.

Balancinc change and continuity is one of the themes that plays this off=season. A coaching change represents the chance for a new system to develop players. For others, it could mean promoting someone who is already familiar with the culture and the prospects of the organization.

The coaching carousel is a reminder of the AHL’s importance with the NHL’s development structure. Players aren’t the only ones who are evaluated in the American Hockey League. Coaches are given the opportunity to develop, adjust, and prove they are ready for the next level.

With the 2026-2027 season knocking on the door and set to begin on October 2nd, the next chapter of AHL coaching is about to begin.