The Utah Grizzlies [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/players/fitze-returns-to-grizzlies-for-2025-26-season]are facing a number of challenges heading into the 2025-26 season. Earlier this month, the team announced [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/grizzlies-exploring-potential-sale-and-relocation]it was exploring a potential sale and possible relocation. After missing the playoffs this past season, the Grizzlies parted ways [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/utah-grizzlies-announce-departure-of-head-coach-ryan-kinasewich]with head coach Ryan Kinasewich and brought in John Becanic [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/becanic-becomes-new-utah-grizzlies-bench-boss]as the ninth head coach in team history. In May, Grizzlies CEO and ECHL Board of Governors chairman Kevin Bruder passed away at age 56, having served with the Elmore Sports Group, which owns the Grizzlies, since 1997. Those who face adversity can use it as a motivator or shrink from it. Grizzlies director of hockey operations Erik Hudson has made it very clear how his team would approach its challenges over the coming months. “2025-26 is going to be the year that the Grizzlies are going to make a run at the Kelly Cup,” Hudson said at Becanic’s introductory press conference July 2. WORKING IN CONCERT While Becanic isn’t outwardly making bold predictions, he likens the Grizzlies’ players to an orchestra, with everyone working in concert to create a successful piece. “Each of them play an instrument,” Becanic said during his presser. “Some play instruments that are more significant to the music that comes out, the sound that comes out. Nonetheless, they each play an instrument. I’m the maestro with the baton; that’s all I am. I’m the person waving the baton, trying to make this beautiful music among this group of players.” Becanic has proven adept at making great music with his teams in his 30-plus years of coaching. He led the 2003 Pittsburgh Force to a USA Hockey Junior A National Championship. He spent four years as the associate head coach with the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/], serving under former NHL [https://thehockeynews.com/]head coach, Kevin Constantine. In their first year as an expansion franchise, the Silvertips became the first and only Canadian Hockey League team to make it to the league finals in their first season. Promoted to head coach of the Silvertips in 2006, Becanic won 66 games in two seasons before making stops in the WHL as an associate head coach in Seattle and Vancouver, serving under former NHL and Grizzlies coach Don Hay. Becanic stepped away from coaching for several years to concentrate on player development. In 2016, he founded Pyramid Hockey, focusing on player/coach development through Hockey IQ. In 2019, Becanic started The Prospect Exchange, a video and analytics platform, where he served as CEO. After acquiring ICEBERG Sports Analytics and growing TPE, Becanic sold and stepped away from the company so that he could get back to working with players on the IQ side. In 2023, he partnered with Minnesota Advancement Program (MAP), to design and implement an online virtual IQ program for youth hockey in Minnesota. BACK BEHIND THE BENCH The lure of being back behind a bench was strong, however. In January 2024, Becanic returned to the bench to serve as head coach for the National Collegiate Development Conference's Idaho Falls Spud Kings, who won the 2024-25 Dineen Cup Championship in their second year of existence. Now, he is tasked with bringing the Grizzlies back to prominence. He believes he has a solid foundation to work with. “The city of West Valley has supported this organization for 30 years,” he explained. “In those 30 years, they have seen a lot of great players and coaches come through the doors… They’ve created this platform, this foundation for me to step into.” Becanic wants to build a culture players will want to be a part of. At the same time, he realizes the high expectations that come with playing and coaching at this level. “We also have to make an environment where they get better,” Becanic said. “This is not the end destination for these players. This is the start or middle of their journey. But in getting better, there’s expectations. (They) come in practice, they come in video meetings, how we prepare, how we work out.” Earlier this month, the Grizzlies named Ryan Anderson as Becanic’s assistant coach and Jack Skille as assistant coach/director of skill development. The club has also signed a number of players for their 2025-26 roster, including former Hobey Baker Award winner Dryden McKay, who became only the third goaltender to win the honor. They also signed forward Griffin Ness, who appeared in 14 games with Utah last season, and traded [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/komets-and-grizzlies-swap-defensemen-in-trade]defenseman Grant Gabriel to Fort Wayne for blueliner Noah Ganske. Utah will kick off its 31st season of professional hockey in 2025-26. While they are far removed from the 1996 IHL team that won the Turner Cup with former New York Islanders Stanley Cup Champion Butch Goring as head coach, they are certainly not lacking in confidence. That, combined with a new direction behind the bench, will give the Grizzlies a new lease on life as they navigate a future of questions off the ice, including where they will call home after the season. (Photo Courtesy of the Utah Grizzlies)
