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The Vegas Golden Knights are still enjoying their Stanley Cup championship victory as the NHL offseason rolls on. However, if you thought winning a Stanley Cup would prevent changes to the team's coaching staff, you thought wrong.
The Golden Knights have hired Dominique Ducharme and Joel Ward as assistant coaches, the team announced Wednesday. Both coaches have rather interesting experiences that likely appeal to the Golden Knights.
Ducharme last coached in the NHL as the head bench boss for the Montreal Canadiens. He led the Canadiens to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1993. In fact, Ducharme's Habs defeated Vegas to advance to the final in 2021.
“Dominique brings a wealth of coaching experience into our organization and has proven to be a successful leader at multiple levels,” Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, Ward has spent the last three seasons with the team's AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. Prior to that, the 42-year-old played in the NHL. He skated in 726 games, spending most of his time with the Washington Capitals. Ward scored 133 goals and 304 points in his career.
“Joel has excelled in Henderson during the first three years of his promising career as a coach and we're excited for him to be taking his next step with us,” McCrimmon said of Ward's promotion.
These hires replace the departures of Ryan Craig and Misha Donskov. Vegas named Craig as head coach of the Silver Knights earlier this offseason. And the team recently announced Donskov's departure after spending the last six years in the Sin City.
The Golden Knights won their first-ever Stanley Cup in five games over the Florida Panthers back in June. Only time will tell if Vegas can successfully defend that championship this upcoming season.
