Spokane Chiefs name Brad Lauer coach; WHL’s all-time leader in win percentage
From wire reports
The Spokane Chiefs named Brad Lauer, the Western Hockey League’s all-time leader in winning percentage (.742), as the team’s head coach ahead of the 2024-25 season on Thursday. Lauer signed a multiyear contract and becomes the 16th full-time head coach in franchise history.
“I would like to thank owner Bobby Brett, president Mark Miles and general manager Matt Bardsley for this opportunity to be the next head coach of the Spokane Chiefs,” Lauer said. “I’m grateful and excited to lead a team with such a rich hockey history. During this process, I had great conversations with Matt regarding the organization, community and direction of the team. I’m looking forward to working with our players and staff to reach our full potential.”
The Humboldt, Saskatchewan, native has spent the past two seasons with the Winnipeg Jets of the NHL as an assistant coach. Prior to that, Lauer spent four seasons as the coach for the Edmonton Oil Kings, where he led the team to a WHL Championship in 2021-22 – their third Ed Chynoweth Cup in franchise history.
Under Lauer’s guidance, the Oil Kings posted a 154-46-13-10 record, highlighted by a 2021-22 season that saw franchise records for longest winning streak in a single season (14 games) and best winning percentage (.765). During the abbreviated 2020-21 season, the Oil Kings finished with the best record in the WHL, going 20-2-0-1 (.891) in the 23-game season. Following the 2019-20 season, Lauer was named the WHL’s Coach of the Year, becoming the first Oil Kings coach in franchise history to win the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy.
The Oil Kings were Central Division champions in the Eastern Conference in each of Lauer’s four seasons in Edmonton.
“We are very excited to have Brad lead our team as the next head coach for the Spokane Chiefs,” Bardsley said. “He led his team to tremendous success in the WHL during his four seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings, as well as preparing and developing his players for the next level.
“With Brad’s nine years of NHL coaching experience, and most recently with the Winnipeg Jets, he has a great understanding of what it takes for today’s junior players to not only play in the NHL, but succeed there.”
Before he joined Edmonton, the 57-year-old spent a decade coaching at the professional level as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lighting (NHL), Anaheim Ducks (NHL), Syracuse Crunch (AHL), Ottawa Senators (NHL) and Milwaukee Admirals (AHL). Before making the move to pro hockey, he spent five seasons as an assistant coach with the Kootenay Ice from 2002-07.
As a player, Lauer spent his junior hockey career with the Regina Pats from 1983-86 and played in 189 games (74 goals, 91 assists, 165 points). In 1985, he was drafted in the second round (34th overall) by the New York Islanders and played pro hockey for 16 seasons. He appeared in 323 NHL games and recorded 111 points (44 goals, 67 assists) with the Islanders, Chicago, Ottawa and Pittsburgh.