Job openings in Flint
Head coach Eric Wellwood will have two new coaching sidekicks to work alongside when the 2019-2020 season gets underway for the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League.
Flint general manager Barclay Branch has confirmed to Hockey News North that neither associate coach Darcy Findlay or assistant coach Garrett Rutledge will return to the Firebirds for the 2019-2020 OHL season.
As well-respected individuals, Findlay and Rutledge both joined the Firebirds coaching staff under head coach Ryan Oulahen ahead of the 2018-2019 OHL season.
However, Oulahen and the Firebirds parted ways in October of 2018 and the 29-year old Wellwood was brought in by Branch as the new bench boss in Flint.
Branch told Hockey News North that he and Wellwood expect to announce Flint’s new associate coach and assistant coach by late June or early July of this year.
After finishing 19th overall in the 20-team OHL in 2018-2019 — and missing the playoffs for a second straight season — Flint is seen as a team on the rise for the 2019-2020 campaign.
Though the Firebirds had a woeful record of 16-46-6 for the 2018-2019 season, they were much improved over the second half.
Flint went from a record of 3-29-2 over the first 34 games of the 2018-2019 campaign to a 13-17-4 mark over the next 34 outings.