Blazers’ Hay retiring as all-time winningest coach
KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops Blazers have announced that three-time Memorial Cup winner Don Hay is retiring as head coach.
Hay will remain with the Western Hockey League team in an advisory role.
He leaves the bench with a WHL-record 750 wins in over 20 seasons with the Blazers, TriCity Americans and Vancouver Giants. He also coached Canada to a world-junior title 1995.
Hay’s coaching career started with the Blazers in 1986 as an assistant coach. After seven seasons under Ken Hitchcock and Tom Renney, Hay was named head coach in 1992.
In three seasons, he led the Blazers to two WHL championships and two Memorial Cups in 1994 and 1995. He later coached the Americans for two seasons from 1998 to 2000 and the Giants from 2004-2014, leading Vancouver to a Memorial Cup title in 2007.
Hay returned to the Blazers for the 2014-15 season.
Hay also had stints as a head coach in the NHL with the Phoenix Coyotes (1996-97) and Calgary Flames (2000-01). “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 majority owner Tom Gaglardi. “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.”
The Blazers also announced that general manager Stu MacGregor has been reassigned within the Dallas Stars organization, while director of player personnel Matt Recchi and assistant coach Mike Needham will not have their contracts renewed.