WHL Spokane Chiefs

Chiefs Add Stefan Legein to Coaching Staff as Assistant

Published on July 28, 2022 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


Spokane, Wash. - The Spokane Chiefs have named Stefan Legein (stef-en, lee-jen) as an assistant coach ahead of the 2022-23 season. Legein joins head coach Ryan Smith and fellow assistant Dustin Donaghy on the staff.

"I am extremely honored to be joining the Chiefs family - it means a lot to be in a place that has such good people from top to bottom," Legein said. "With that, I'd like to thank Mr. Brett, Mark [Miles], Matt [Bardsley] and Ryan [Smith] for giving me the opportunity to join a long list of great coaches that have been in Spokane. In speaking with Matt and Ryan, the objectives of the team, as well as my personal beliefs, lined up perfect and I couldn't be more excited for the opening of the 2022-23 season."

Legein comes to Spokane from the Saint John Sea Dogs, who won the 2022 Memorial Cup in June. The 33-year-old joined the Sea Dogs coaching staff as an assistant in 2018 after serving as a video coach with the Mississauga Steelheads in 2017.

"I am excited to add Stefan to our coaching staff," Spokane Chiefs Head Coach Ryan Smith said. "Getting to know him over this process, it became clear he is the right fit for the Spokane Chiefs. His experience as a player and now his experience coaching over the past few years will add value to our organization. The skill set he brings as a coach is top notch and it certainly matches who he is as a person. I'm looking forward to working with both Stefan and Dustin this season."

"We are very excited to have Stefan join the Spokane Chiefs organization to work with Ryan, Dustin [Donaghy] and our players," Spokane Chiefs General Manager Matt Bardsley said. "His experience and strengths as a player as well as a coach will be a great addition to our team in our goal of maximizing the players' development while achieving team success. We would like to thank the Saint John Sea Dogs organization for allowing us to speak with Stefan during this process. Finally, we would like to welcome Stefan along with his wife Shannon, and their three children Emerson, Delilah and MacKinnon to the city of Spokane."

As a player, Legein spent four seasons in the Canadian Hockey League with the Mississauga/Niagara IceDogs (OHL) from 2004-08, where he piled up 136 points (77G-59A) in 202 games. The 5-foot-10 winger was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second round (37th overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft.

From Oakville, Ontario, Legein represented his country at the 2008 World Junior Championship and helped lead Canada to a gold medal.

Legein then moved on to the AHL from 2008-14, spending 32 games with the Syracuse Crunch (3G-1A), 112 with the Adirondack Phantoms (29G-22A), 114 with the Manchester Monarchs (19G-23A) and seven with the Toronto Marlies (3G-0A).

After playing professionally overseas for two seasons, Legein finished his playing career in 2015-16 playing 38 games with the Manchester Monarchs and 11 with the Tulsa Oilers on the ECHL.

"My wife and three children are eager to move to Spokane and become members of the community and look forward to spending the next chapter of our lives in Washington State as members of the Chiefs family," Legein said.

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Western Hockey League Stories from July 28, 2022


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