The Erie Otters have added a familiar Ontario Hockey League face to their coaching staff, announcing the hiring of Kyle Makaric as an assistant coach ahead of the 2025-26 season.
General Manager Dave Brown and Head Coach Kris Mallette revealed the addition on Tuesday.
Makaric, 37, joins Erie after spending the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach with the Saginaw Spirit. During his lone season with Saginaw, he helped oversee one of the league’s most productive offenses and guided a power-play unit that finished among the OHL’s top five.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to join the Erie Otters organization,” Makaric said in a team release. “After speaking with Dave, Kris, Jeremy, and Ken, it became clear why the organization is held in such high regard throughout the hockey community.”
Before entering the OHL coaching ranks, the LaSalle, Ontario native established himself as one of the top coaches in the Central Canada Hockey League. As head coach of the Ottawa Jr. Senators, he guided the club to two league championships and earned CCHL Coach of the Year honors in 2023.
His coaching résumé also includes stops with the Windsor Jr. Spitfires, the University of Windsor, the Chatham Maroons, and the Leamington Flyers. Makaric has also served with Canada East and BioSteel Sports Academy.
“Kyle represents a promising young mind in hockey with prior experience as a head coach at the Tier II level, where he was responsible for coaching and assembling elite teams,” Brown said. “The combination of Kyle’s understanding of the OHL and his background in USports made him highly appealing.”
“Kyle will bring a strong work ethic and hockey knowledge that will immediately strengthen our bench and maximize our players’ potential,” Mallette said. “We are excited to add another person who shares the same team-first culture mentality both on and off the ice.”
Makaric is expected to oversee the Otters’ forwards and power-play unit as he begins his second season in the OHL and first with Erie.