Don Hay announces retirement from Kamloops Blazers | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
Subscribe

Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Kamloops News

Don Hay announces retirement from Kamloops Blazers

Don Hay is retiring from the Kamloops Blazers.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Kamloops Blazers

KAMLOOPS - Some big team changes are coming to Kamloops's major junior hockey team.

In a news release, the Kamloops Blazers say head coach Don Hay has announced his retirement from coaching, and will remain with the club in an advisory role.

General manager Stu MacGregor is also leaving, after being reassigned within the Dallas Stars organization.

Director of player personnel Matt Recchi and assistant coach Mike Needham will not have their contracts renewed.

“Don Hay is a legend and it is only fitting that he is able to retire with his hometown Kamloops Blazers as the winningest coach in WHL history,” said Blazers owner Tom Gaglardi in the release. “Don leaves a storied legacy within junior hockey circles. His accomplishments are astounding and he will be forever regarded as one of the greatest coaches in junior hockey history. We are extremely grateful to have had Don return to the Blazers and be able to end his coaching career where it all began.”

Hay began as an assistant coach with the Blazers in 1986, and after seven seasons under Ken Hitchcock and Tom Renney, he was named head coach in 1992.

In three seasons, he led the team to two WHL championships and two Memorial Cups in 1994 and 1995. 

He spent seven seasons coaching AHL and NHL hockey between 1995 and 2004, and had stints in the WHL with the Tri-City Americans and Vancouver Giants.

Last season, Hay was named the winningest coach in WHL history with 750 wins.

According to the release, Hay will be in the new role of senior advisor of hockey operations with the Blazers.

MacGregor will be in the amateur scouting department for the Dallas Stars. He's been the Blazers' general manager since October 2015.

“We’d like to thank Stu for his leadership with the hockey club over the past three seasons,” Gaglardi said in the release. “Stu has had a wonderful career as a scout and he will be a valuable resource at the NHL level.”

Before being re-hired in 2015, MacGregor spent years with the Blazers, and spent 17 seasons scouting with the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers.

The search for a new manager will begin immediately, the Blazers say.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Ashley Legassic or call 250-319-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2018
iNFOnews

  • Popular vernon News
View Site in: Desktop | Mobile