{"time":1788361032640,"blocks":[{"id":"yU7WQ5Ieme","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The American Hockey League has served as one of hockey's\nmost important development leagues. It doesn’t only serve as development for\nplayers, but for coaches looking to establish themselves at the professional\nlevel. Seeing that come about during the 2026 offseason was evident."}},{"id":"dpvCmO1gAA","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"As all AHL teams prepare for the new horizon of the 2026-2027\nseason, AHL benches experienced significant turnover. Ten AHL coaches received\ntheir own call-up to the NHL, with two earning the Head Coach title. Several\nassistant coaches earned their first opportunity to lead an AHL club. This\nmovement isn’t surprising; at the end of the 2025-2026 season, 21 NHL Clubs\nwere led by coaches who had served in the AHL. This demonstrates the league’s\nimportance as a ground for the future of the NHL bench. "}},{"id":"UgkMhPGZqN","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"One of the more notable movements was for the Vancouver\nCanucks organization. Manny Malhotra was named the 23rd head coach\nof the Vancouver Canucks on June 1st. Malhotra led the Abbotsford\nCanucks to a Calder Cup Championship in 2025 and developed a number of\nprospects who eventually reached Vancouver. This left an opening in Abbotsford.\n"}},{"id":"08B_PTxEZl","type":"image","data":{"caption":"Photo Credit: Wheeling Nailers","withBorder":false,"withBackground":false,"size":"full","alignment":"center","linkUrl":"","file":{"url":"https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/a9b6858b-ac01-4c1c-b402-22296f88e418.jpeg","width":640,"height":427}}},{"id":"_rttTxRolx","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The eyes turned to rookie ECHL head coach Ryan Papaioannou. Papaioannou went 46-20-3-3\nduring his lone season with the Wheeling Nailers. Papaioannou helped the team\nearn its first division title in 20 years and reached the third round of the playoffs. "}},{"id":"Nh2FwMbBoo","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The 2026 Calder Cup Champions Toronto Marlies were no\nstrangers to a coaching change. John Gruden guided them to the Calder\nCup, then moved to the Maple Leafs as an assistant coach. In turn,\nthe Marlies brough back Steve Sullivan, who previously worked as an assistant\ncoach with the team, to take over as head coach. Sullivan is inheriting a team\ncoming off a championship while working with a revamped coaching staff. Greg\nMoore, Denver Manderson, and Mark Giordano were added to the coaching staff. "}},{"id":"tZsmnJN6A4","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Iowa Wild entered the chat promoting Stu Bickel to head\ncoach. Bickel spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Coachella\nValley Firebirds. This will be Bickel’s first time behind the bench as the head\ncoach. "}},{"id":"CcwbRUQ96a","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Trent Vogelhuber was promoted to assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Vogelhuber won the division title in the 2023-2024\nseason and, in four seasons, took the Monsters to three playoff appearances.\nCleveland hired first-time AHL head coach Nick Bootland. Bootland served as an\nassistant with the Hershey Bears. "}},{"id":"VDE04GCPQA","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Another team awarded a first-time head coach, and that\nwould be the Laval Rocket. Daniel Jacob\nwas promoted to head coach of the Rocket after working as an assistant with\nLaval, Syracuse, and San Diego. Being familiar with the organization allows him to build on the foundation already established within the\nCanadiens' system."}},{"id":"Vu-lGbSTUP","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Eyes turn to the Providence Bruins. Ryan Mougenel spent five\nseasons as the Bruins' head coach who moved to the Vancouver Canucks as an\nassistant. This departure opened the door for Trent Whitfield. Whitfield spent\n10 seasons as the Providence assistant, and he will take the helm at the bench.\nHe brings a unique perspective as a former player. He served four seasons as Providence’s\ncaptain and played in 812 AHL regular-season games before heading into the coaching\nworld. "}},{"id":"8SXDbFrv2M","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The new kids on the block: Hamilton Hammers. They begin\ntheir inaugural season with Jay McKee behind the bench. McKee has worked with\nthe organization’s prospects during development camp, which gave him an early\nlook at the players who will be at the foundation of the new franchise. "}},{"id":"VGeMdm0Bz6","type":"embed","data":{"service":"twitter","source":"https://x.com/TonyAndrock/status/2060352171976106122","embed":"https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?id=2060352171976106122","width":600,"height":300,"caption":"","meta":{"title":"Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) on X","site_name":"X (formerly Twitter)","description":"AHL-Hamilton has their head coach for their first season back in the AHL in 2026-27.\n\nNY Islanders announced they've hired Jay McKee (formerly HC of @BulldogsOHL) to the bench boss of the Hamilton Hammers.\n\n(No, seriously. That's the team's name.)\n\n@InsideAHLHockey","image":{"url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1355620724220768256/ZvYiQ-wJ_200x200.jpg","type":"image/jpeg","width":"200","height":"200"}}}},{"id":"dHtgwjw2s0","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"In the West, the San Diego Gull hired head coach Dave\nManson. The Colorado Eagles went through their second head coach change in as\nmany seasons. Rookie coach Mark Letestu is going to serve as the Assistant\nCoach for the Vegas Golden Knights alongside former Henderson Silver Knights head\ncoach Ryan Craig. The Eagles have hired Jussi Ahokas to lead the Eagles, who\nare fresh off a trip to the conference finals. "}},{"id":"vbvFXDiQxa","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"While some organizations are handing the reins to rookie\ncoaches, others are continuing with the same at the bench. Steve Ott signed a\ntwo-year extension with the Springfield Thunderbirds after serving as interim\nsince January. "}},{"id":"I3_T6-nFsc","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Balancinc change and continuity is one of the themes that plays\nthis off=season. A coaching change represents the chance for a new system to develop\nplayers. For others, it could mean promoting someone who is already familiar\nwith the culture and the prospects of the organization. "}},{"id":"_0edkqQ5iE","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The coaching carousel is a reminder of the AHL’s importance\nwith the NHL’s development structure. Players aren’t the only ones who are evaluated\nin the American Hockey League. Coaches are given the opportunity to develop, adjust,\nand prove they are ready for the next level. "}},{"id":"EFbV_ZMg-E","type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"With the 2026-2027 season knocking on the door and set to\nbegin on October 2nd, the next chapter of AHL coaching is about\nto begin. "}}],"version":"2.31.6"}

Bridgeport’s Rick Kowalsky Becomes 26th AHL Head Coach to win 300 Games

American Hockey League Connections to the Major NHL Trades of the Past 24 Hours