ECHL Coaching Change

ECHL: Wheeling Nailers Hire Ryan Papaioannou as Head Coach

The Wheeling Nailers, in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Penguins, have announced that they have hired Ryan Papaioannou as the team’s 21st head coach in franchise history. He replaces Derek Army, who took a job with the Colorado Eagles earlier this Summer. Assistant coach Mitch Giguere and goaltending coach Karel Popper will both be back with […]

ECHL: Maine Mariners Hire Rick Kowalsky as Head Coach

The Maine Mariners announced their new Head Coach this afternoon as ECHL Hall of Famer Rick Kowalsky. He has had a successful hockey career as both a player and a coach. The Mariners also announced that Zach Tolkinen will stay on as the team’s assistant coach. Playing Career A Memorial Cup Champion in 1993 with the […]

ECHL: Alden Hirschfeld Steps Down After Six Seasons With Toledo Walleye

The Toledo Walleye will be on the hunt for a new assistant coach after Alden Hirschfeld announced he’s stepping down after six seasons behind the bench to pursue opportunities outside of hockey. During his time with the Toledo, the team would make the playoffs in five of its six seasons, and won the Central Division […]

ECHL: Derek Army Leaves Wheeling Nailers For AHL Gig

It was a busy day for coaches in the ECHL, as Terrence Wallin would leave the Maine Mariners to join the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and later in the day, Derek Army would leave the Wheeling Nailers to join the Colorado Eagles. Army, 34, spent led the Nailers to a 43-25-4 mark during the 2024-25 season, […]

ECHL: Ben Holmstrom Rounds Out Adirondack Thunder Coaching Staff

The Adirondack Thunder have rounded out their coaching staff, naming Ben Holmstrom as the Associate Coach, following the announcement of Sylvain Coutier as the head coach earlier today. Like Coutier, Ben Holmstrom has ties to the Adirondack community as he spent the first five seasons of his playing career with the Adirondack Phantoms. In 256 […]

ECHL: Sylvain Cloutier Named Head Coach of Adirondack Thunder

The Adirondack Thunder have named Sylvain Cloutier as the team’s fifth head coach in team history. Cloutier replaces Peter MacArthur, who stepped down in May after three seasons as Adirondack’s head coach. He becomes the sixth former Adirondack Red Wing to coach a team in Glens Falls. It has not yet been announced whether he […]

ECHL: David Warsofsky Named South Carolina Stingray Head Coach

The South Carolina Stingrays have announced David Warsofsky as their new Head Coach, marking the team’s third coaching change since 2022. The news comes as a surprise to many, especially after the Stingrays’ historic 2024 season under Jared Nightingale. Nightingale not only led the team to win the Brabham Cup but also helped the Stingrays […]

ECHL: Rapid City Rush Announce New Head Coach

The Rapid City Rush have announced that Dave Smith has been named the head coach of the Rapid City Rush starting in the 2025-26 season. Smith is Rapid City’s fifth head coach since becoming a team in the 2007-08 season. Scott Burt was the previous head coach for the Rapid City Rush, coaching the team […]

ECHL: Reading Royals Name Anthony Peters Head Coach

The Reading Royals have named Anthony Peters as the team’s 10th Head Coach in Franchise History. He will also hold the title as General Manager. Peters, 34, joins Reading after spending the last two seasons as the assistant coach with the Florida Everblades and winning a Kelly Cup with the Everblades in 2024. Florida also […]

ECHL: Cincinnati Cyclones Name Riley Weselowski Head Coach

The Cincinnati Cyclones have named Riley Weselowski as the team’s seventh head coach in franchise history. Weselowski had spent the previous four seasons with the Kansas City Mavericks as an assistant and associate coach. During his time in Kansas City, the Mavericks made it to back-to-back Western Conference Finals and won the Brabham Cup in […]