When the Kansas City Mavericks fell to the Florida Everblades in the 2024 Kelly Cup Finals, associate head coach Riley Weselowski began mapping out a strategy to eventually become a head coach.
Most of the vacancies around the ECHL and elsewhere had already been filled, but the idea was to get his name in front of as many teams as possible for the future.
His patience finally paid off when the Cincinnati Cyclones parted ways with head coach Jason Payne this past April. Cincinnati had been on Weselowski’s target list for some time after having spent one season there as a player during the 2015-16 season.
Earlier this month, the Cyclones named Weselowski as its new head coach.
“I was talking to a few different teams in the process,” the 40-year-old Weselowski explained. “Cincinnati was definitely number one on my list. When it came down to it and I had the opportunity at a few different organizations, it was an easy choice for me. I’m excited to be back here.”
fWeselowski becomes the seventh head coach in franchise history after spending the previous four seasons as an assistant in Kansas City, the last two as head coach and general manager Tad O’Had’s associate head coach.
Learning From The Best
Over the past two seasons, Weselowski helped lead Kansas City to two division championships, and back-to-back appearances in the Western Conference Finals. He primarily handled the defensive corps, and teams under his tutelage ranked second in the ECHL in goals allowed (380).
"Riley has been a tremendous asset to the Mavericks," O'Had said in a statement following Weselowski’s announcement. "His impact has been integral to our success — from capturing the Brabham Cup to reaching two Western Conference Finals and making a Kelly Cup Finals appearance. His dedication, character, and work ethic have helped elevate this organization in every way."
Weselowski gives O’Had a lot of credit for preparing him for his role as a first-time head coach.
“He gave me a lot of responsibilities and a major voice,” Weselowski explained. “There was no part of that organization or any decisions made that I wasn’t a part of. I really had a front-row seat and an important hand in a lot of those decisions. To be with him for four years and to grow together has been invaluable.”
A native of Pilot Mound, Manitoba, Weselowski played four years of NCAA hockey at Bemidji State University. He totaled 39 points (8-31-39) over 124 games.
His professional career consisted of over 700 games as a defenseman across 13 seasons between the ECHL and CHL. During his lone season with the Cyclones, Weselowski scored 14 points (2-12-14) with 44 penalty minutes and a +7 plus/minus in 69 games.
In 446 ECHL games spread over five different organizations, Weselowski recorded 115 points (25-90-115).
Weselowski’s leadership qualities stood out, having been named a team captain in each of his final 11 professional seasons. He was awarded the 2012 CHL Top Defenseman Award and the 2012 CHL Man of the Year Award for his community involvement. The Rapid City Rush retired his number six at the conclusion of his playing career.
Building A Winner
Maintaining relationships with ECHL and AHL affiliates was a primary off-ice responsibility for Weselowski in Kansas City, and he’s committed to maintaining that in Cincinnati with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization.
“The Toronto affiliation is very impactful,” he said. “Having a very supportive ownership group that’s committed to winning, having that support of front office staff is critical. That’s the thing I’m most excited about coming back here.”
After getting off to a slow start in the first three months of 2024-25, the Cyclones finished strong with a 29-32-11-0 regular-season record. Despite being eliminated from the Kelly Cup Playoffs in early April, Weselowski believes the club is positioned to win moving forward.
“Your staff in the ECHL is so important,” he said. “A big part of (the process) is what you want to keep around and the things that worked. That’s where I’m at, taking stock of everything that’s in place and being able to make decisions on what needs to be improved and also what we need to build off of as an organization.”
Along with working with the Mavericks defense, Weselowski also handled the power-play and penalty-kill units as well as extra attacker situations.
“When you have your hands in a little bit of everything, you really are able to look at things from different perspectives,” Weselowski explained. "I have a lot of confidence going into this role that nothing is going to be thrown my way where (it) is new for me.”
Cyclones fans can expect a fast-paced style of play, so speed is a major quality Weselowski will be looking for when recruiting players. Above all else, however, he wants players with good character and a love for hockey.
“If you have a roomful of players who absolutely love the game, they’re talented and they have high character, a lot of things will work out for you as a hockey team,” he said.
Weselowski and his wife, Kelly, are excited about settling in the Cincinnati area. They have two sons: seven-year-old Collin and one-year-old Corbin. Collin plays multiple sports, including hockey.
“He loves to compete,” Weselowski said. “He’s into everything.”
Weselowski is committed to building a team players want to play for. He hopes to attract some of the best young talent in North America.
“We want to become good and win right away just like everybody does,” he said. “But the larger goal is that a year, two years from now, as players understand the culture and expectations here, we continue to build this up for not only short-term success but long-term. I want to put together a team and program our fans are extremely proud of.”
(Photo Courtesy of the Cincinnati Cyclones)