7 First-Time Names to Watch for the Next NHL Head Coach Openings

The NHL's tendency to recycle a short list of head coaches when vacancies appear is well-documented, and it isn't always necessarily a bad thing.

For one, if you're in the front office making the decision, your job is safer if you go with a tried-and-true option and it doesn't work out, as opposed to swinging for the fences and missing.

Secondly, experience is a plus when filling such an important position, and there are certain things you'll never know about being an NHL head coach until you've been in the position.

Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette is having success in his first year with the Blueshirts, and his style has worked pretty well with teams that already have the pieces and need a little more camaraderie or cohesiveness—just ask the 2006 Hurricanes.

After walking away from the Jets, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice is having success in Florida. His experience in the league allowed him to understand where his voice would work and where it wouldn't.

But for every Laviolette and Maurice, you've got a failed recycling experiment leaving us to wonder who could be the next, new great NHL coach.

The Islanders' surprising hiring of Patrick Roy, who hasn't coached in the NHL in over a decade, leaves one to reflect on where we're at in terms of the coaching carousel.

While those already riding it may still hold more weight in upcoming coaching searches, who are the up-and-coming names who could hop aboard for the first time in the near future?

Ryan Warsofsky

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MONTREAL, CANADA - JANUARY 11: Assistant coach of the San Jose Sharks Ryan Warsofsky, handles bench duties during the second period against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on January 11, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The San Jose Sharks defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Sharks assistant coach Ryan Warsofsky has been on the "potential future NHL coach" radar for a while now, and he made his latest big step yet jumping from AHL head coaching to NHL assistant coaching in 2022-23 with San Jose.

His coaching career has been as linear as it gets from the start, moving from ECHL assistant coaching to head coaching, then from AHL assistant coaching to head coaching, and now he's arrived behind the Sharks' bench at a transitional period for the club.

Warsofsky won the Calder Cup as a coach with the Chicago Wolves in the Hurricanes' system. He won as the youngest AHL head coach at the time, he's translated well behind an NHL bench handling the Sharks' penalty kill, and he's well-respected around the league.

It's only a matter of time until the 36-year-old finds the right opportunity and a front office takes a chance on him.

Jay Leach

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 31: Assistant coach Jay Leach of the Seattle Kraken skates during practice for the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken at T-Mobile Park on December 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images)

Kraken assistant coach Jay Leach has been a name to watch since his first North American pro coaching stint as an assistant coach for the Wiles-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2015-16.

He then started turning heads when promoted to head coach for the Providence Bruins in 2017-18, and he served in that role for four years before joining the Kraken.

The former defenseman had a positive hand in getting Charlie McAvoy, Connor Clifton, and Jeremy Lauzon among other NHL blueliners ready for the NHL.

The 44-year-old was on the short list of names to replace Bruce Cassidy before the Bruins went with Jim Montgomery.

Leach is a great communicator and thinker of the game, and the experience with a new team like the Kraken should only make him a better head coach when the time comes.

Jessica Campbell

Coachella Valley Firebirds assistant coach Jessica Campbell is racking up accomplishments, as the first woman to coach full-time in the AHL and one of the first to work a game behind an NHL bench. She's also very good at what she does.

Before joining the Firebirds staff in 2022-23, the 31-year-old ran her own skating business out of Kelowna, British Columbia, providing skating sessions for NHL players such as Matt Barzal during the pandemic.

The former Canadian women's national team and Cornell forward also served as assistant coach for Germany at the 2022 IIHF Men's World Championship, coached in the DEL and played three seasons in the now-defunct Canadian Women's Hockey League.

Campbell's expertise in skating and skill training is exactly what a contemporary NHL coach needs to succeed in today's game.

Marc Savard

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MONTREAL, CANADA - NOVEMBER 14: Assistant coaches Marc Savard (L) and Cail MacLean (R) of the Calgary Flames handle bench duties during the third period against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on November 14, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Calgary Flames defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Few are more well-loved in the hockey world than Marc Savard, and many fans were delighted when he was named head coach of the OHL's Spitfires in 2021.

As much as we've enjoyed the feel-good aspect of Savard's return to the game after his playing career was cut short due to concussions, it's more than just a good story.

Under Savard, the Spitfires and their high-octane power play were the highest-scoring offense in the OHL for two consecutive seasons. He coached the Blues' lethal power play in 2019-20 before seeking a head coaching job with the Spitfires.

The Calgary Flames hired him at the beginning of the season as one of new head coach Ryan Huska's assistants, and for as up-and-down as they have been, you can't deny the offense's growing improvement, especially compared to last year and even the beginning of this season.

Savard is an old-school fan favorite, who has the hockey sense and understanding of the contemporary game and skill level needed for productive offense.

Joel Ward

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QUEBEC CITY, QC - SEPTEMBER 20: Look on Montreal Canadiens right wing Joel Ward (72) during the Washington Capitals versus the Montreal Canadiens preseason game on September 20, 2018, at Centre Videotron in Quebec City, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Former NHL player Joel Ward joined the AHL's Henderson Silver Knights as an assistant coach in 2020 and has since earned a promotion to the Vegas Golden Knights as Bruce Cassidy's assistant coach this season.

The 43-year-old coached the Silver Knights to the Calder Cup playoffs in his first two seasons. An 11-year NHL veteran, he is highly respected among former teammates, and he's played recently enough to have an unmatched feel for the contemporary game.

We'll see how long the Golden Knights hang on to him and if they return to form, but Ward should be getting NHL head coaching job hype in the next few seasons.

Mike Vellucci

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OTTAWA, CANADA - DECEMBER 23: Assistant coach, Mike Vellucci of the Pittsburgh Penguins handles bench duties during the second period against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on December 23, 2023 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The Ottawa Senators defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Longtime developer of stars such as Tyler Seguin, Mike Vellucci has spent most of his extensive coaching career as an AHL coach many wanted to play for.

He's another name who has long been in the NHL conversation from both the front-office and coaching sides, but things came to a head when he coached the Charlotte Checkers to a Calder Cup and won AHL Coach of the Year in 2019.

Ever since, Vellucci has been an assistant coach under Mike Sullivan for the Penguins, where he has overseen the forwards, specifically the penalty kill that has been near the top of the league since he joined the staff.

He's had a few NHL interviews is deserving of a shot. He's extremely well-rounded with experience in front-office and developmental roles along with his coaching.

Brad Shaw

Brad Shaw has been in the "head coaches to look for" conversation for a while now, as he continues to make a name for himself as an associate coach for the Philadelphia Flyers.

The 59-year-old had a half-season stint as New York Islanders head coach in 2005-06, but other than that, he has been consistently behind the bench as an assistant or associate coach in the NHL for the last 15 years.

Shaw started off behind the bench for the Blues' including their 2015-16 conference finals run, spent five seasons as the assistant coach of the Blue Jackets, coached one year for the Canucks, and he is now reunited with John Tortorella with the Flyers.