New Coach for Fish

January 19, 2006 The Salmon Kings have announced they have relieved Bryan Maxwell of his coaching and GM duties and an American product by the name of Troy Ward will be heading up the bench for the rest of the season. Ward is tried and tested in the ECHL, winning Coach of the Year in 2001 and helping to run the league as VP of Hockey Operations in 2001-2002. He left that post to be assistant coach at the nationally top-ranked University of Wisconsin Badgers. Ward is a Wisconsin native and the only First Nations coach to be named Coach of the year in the ECHL. The new bench-boss also brings a few years experience from being assistant coach for the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, where he is credited for teaching Jarimar Jagh how to play both ways. Troy Ward is a defensive specialist and should have his work cut out for him as he takes on the ECHl's worst defence in the Salmon Kings. That being said, if he is able to improve that element of the team, they might have a chance of a late season run at the playoffs. Victoria starts that run under their new coach Friday night in Bakersfield.