The Calgary Wranglers have filled an open coaching staff position by hiring a former Soo Greyhounds coach
Former Soo Greyhounds coach John Dean has landed an assistant coaching position in the American Hockey League.
The Calgary Wranglers announced this afternoon the hiring of Dean to an open spot on the staff of head coach Brett Sutter.
The Greyhounds announced in late April that the team and Dean had “mutually agreed to part ways.”
Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis said at the time that “it’s just the right time on both sides that a change is made.”
“It’s always tough when you know someone like I know John and he’s a great person,” Raftis also said. “That’s the unfortunate side of it, but I think he’s going to go on to do good things.”
Dean joins the Wranglers staff as he fills a role left open by another former member of the Greyhounds bench in Joe Cirella, who was with the club for six seasons between 2012 and 2018 where he held the role of assistant coach for two seasons along with four more as an associate coach on the staffs of Sheldon Keefe and Drew Bannister.
Cirella had been with the Wranglers since the 2022-23 season.
Dean was hired by the Greyhounds in July 2018 and had a record of 245-178-31-18 in seven seasons in the Sault with the 2020-21 season being wiped out due to COVID.
A pair of members of the Wranglers roster this season played for Dean with the Greyhounds in forwards Morgan Frost and Rory Kerins.