(Photo Courtesy of the Maine Mariners)
The American Hockey League's Lehigh Valley Phantoms have named former ECHL player and coach John Snowden as the team's head coach.
The club also named Maine Mariners head coach and general manager Terrence Wallin as an assistant coach.
Snowden has served as an assistant coach for the Phantoms in the previous two seasons after spending two seasons as an assistant for the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
Prior to joining Toronto, Snowden was head coach of the Newfoundland Growlers for one-plus seasons, leading the team to a 62-27-7 record and the 2019 Kelly Cup title.
Snowden's first coaching experience was as an assistant coach with the Orlando Solar Bears for three seasons from 2015-18.
During his playing career, Snowded tallied 210 points (106-104-210) in 305 career ECHL games with Texas, Greenville, Reading and Idaho. He also suited up for teams in the AHL, Central Hockey League, International Hockey League and in Germany's Oberliga.
Snowden becomes the 11th active AHL head coach to have spent time coaching in the ECHL.
Wallin departs the Maine Mariners after three seasons as Head Coach, four seasons on the coaching staff, and seven years in the organization. He has also been General Manager of the Mariners since April of 2023.
The 33-year-old Wallin joined the Mariners organization as a player in September of 2018, when he was a part of the first trade in team history after being acquired from the Adirondack Thunder. He spent two seasons in a Mariners uniform as an assistant captain before retiring from his five-year pro playing career in 2020.
Prior to the 2021-22 season, Wallin was named Assistant Coach of the Mariners, joining the staff of new Head Coach Ben Guite. After Guite’s departure to Bowdoin College the following summer, Wallin was promoted to Mariners Head Coach and was also made General Manager two years later.
"It’s a bittersweet feeling,” Wallin said in a news release. “I’ve obviously spent a long time in Maine as a player and coach and this organization means the world to me. This felt like a really exciting step and opportunity for me to continue my coaching career at the next level."
Wallin led the Mariners to their best season in franchise history in his first year at the helm in 2022-23 with a 42-27-2-1 record. One season later, they made their third consecutive Kelly Cup Playoffs appearance, taking the top seeded Adirondack Thunder to seven games of the North Division Semifinals.
Wallin leaves the Mariners as the longest tenured head coach in team history, behind the bench for 216 regular-season and 13 playoff games.