One of the things that the LA Kings had to do this offseason find a new head coach for their AHL-affiliate Ontario Reign. The past few seasons that is a role that Marco Sturm filled but he would head east to join the Boston Bruins as their next head coach.
On Friday, the team announced who that person would be replacing Sturm and it is Andrew Lord, who has never coached in the AHL but has plenty of coaching experience. Let's take a closer look at the new coach and what fans need to know.
Andrew Lord was very successful in the ECHL
While Lord might not have been a coach discussed much during the search, he is one that the LA Kings know well from his time in the ECHL. He was the head coach of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits for four seasons from 2020 through 2024.
During that time, he would have a 155-94-39 record and was named the league's best coach in the 2023-24 season. The Swamp Rabbits are the official ECHL affiliate for the Los Angeles Kings, which started in the 2022-23 season so the Kings are well aware of what Lord has been able to accomplish at that level.
Andrew Lord led the Halifax Mooseheads to an improbable playoff victory
This past season, Lord was the head coach of the Halifax Mooseheads, and in his one season, the Mooseheads went 19-35-8-2. However, he made a big impact as the Mooseheads would make the playoffs as the 16th seed, and for the first time in QMJHL history, a 16th seed would advance with a seven-game series upset.
Reign expected to keep the rest of the coaching staff in place
According to Mayor's Manor, the Reign are going to keep the rest of their coaching staff in place, but included a promotion for Chris Hajt, who goes from Assistant Coach to Associate Coach.