ECHL: South Carolina Stingrays Say Goodbye to Assistant Coach

Although the South Carolina Stingrays have yet to announce any player signings, they have announced a departure. The assistant coach of the Stingrays, Ryan Bourque, has been officially named the assistant coach of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.

Bourque coached the Stingrays through two seasons, 2021-22, of which he became interim assistant coach on March 7 and 2022-23. Alongside head coach Brendon Kotyk, they led the Stingrays to the Kelly Cup playoffs and won the Southern Division championship.

Bourque comes from a family of hockey. His father, Raymond Bourque, holds the record for most career goals, assists, and points by a defenceman in the NHL. His brother, Chris Bourque, played for the Washington Capitals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Boston Bruins, as well as several stints in the AHL. 

Bourque played for the New York Rangers for a season. In the AHL, he wore both the “A” and “C” with the Hartford Wolf Pack. He’s also played for the Connecticut Whale, the Hershey Bears, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and the Charlotte Checkers. In 2020, he officially retired from playing professional hockey. However, in 2022, the Washington Capitals named him an interim coach, and the Stingrays officially took him for the entire 2022-23 season.

Bourque is an alumnus of the National Team Development Program, having played for Team USA from 2007-09. Through 2007-11, he won several medals, including Most Assists, two Bronze, one Silver, and two Gold. 
He joins head coach Nick Fohr and assistant coach Matt Gilroy as they look to lead the team to victory in the 2023-24 season.