Lord Named Head Coach, MacKenzie Promoted
June 14, 2024 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Halifax Mooseheads News Release
Halifax, NS - Halifax Mooseheads General Manager Cam Russell announced Friday that Andrew Lord has been hired as the 14th Head Coach in team history while Brad MacKenzie has been promoted to Associate Coach.
Lord is the reigning ECHL Coach of the Year after leading the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (LA Kings affiliate) to a 44-23-4-1 record and the team's first South Division Championship in more than a decade. Lord spent four seasons in Greenville, where he additionally served as General Manager and Director of Hockey Operations. The 39-year-old native of West Vancouver, BC also finished as runner-up for the John Brophy Award as Coach of the Year following his first season in 2021. Lord was named as a coach for the 2024 ECHL All-Star Classic in January. He led the Swamp Rabbits to the playoffs in each of his four seasons behind the bench including back-to-back 40-win seasons.
MacKenzie has been an Assistant Coach with the Mooseheads for the last three seasons and works with the teams' defencemen and the penalty kill.
"After a long and thorough search, Andrew stood out in the interview process as the right candidate to lead this young roster into the future. He has a contagious passion for the game, paired with the upmost attention to details, and a motivating presence that gets the most out of each player.
Our fanbase deserves a team that everyone can be proud of, one that never gives less than 100% effort and compete. We truly believe in Andrew and his vision to deliver on this mission and are beyond excited to welcome him and his family to Moose Country," said Sam Simon, Owner/Chairman and Peter Simon, President of Simon Sports.
"Brad is a true pro, and a brilliant hockey mind who has been instrumental to the club the past three years. He's continually developed a greater capacity to help assist us and will be taking on an increased responsibility with our group as we embark on this new phase."
Prior to joining Greenville, Lord led the Cardiff Devils of the Elite Ice Hockey League to nine separate titles, including three Conference championships, two Challenge Cup championships, two league titles, and two playoff championships. He served as a player/coach from 2014-2018. As the winningest coach in Devils history, he led the team to a 221-75-22 record across his six seasons and coached such familiar QMJHL names as David Brine, Stephen Dixon, Chris Culligan and Joey Haddad.
"We are thrilled to have Andrew join our staff and excited to watch him take the reigns of our young, revamped roster," said Russell.
"It's been a pleasure to have Brad on the bench for the last three seasons and he has earned this opportunity to take on a greater role with the team."
Lord enjoyed a lengthy professional hockey career including four seasons with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the NCAA. He went on to play 10 seasons and 462 games of professional hockey, making stops in the AHL, ECHL, Germany2 and EIHL.
"I am beyond excited to join the Halifax Mooseheads, a club with such rich tradition. I am fortunate for this great opportunity and want to thank Sam and Peter Simon, and Cam Russell directly for putting their faith in me," Lord said.
The Mooseheads have such a storied history and I cannot wait to be part of the organization going forward. This is the right fit for me at this stage of my career, and I am thrilled to have the chance to work and help develop young talent.
Furthermore, getting the opportunity to join a team with so many high character, experienced people is incredible. From Cam and Allie as GM's and all the scouts who have shaped this franchise for many years, to all the staff members and coaches such as Brad MacKenzie. This is a huge opportunity for me personally and I cannot wait to start this next chapter of the organization's story with such great people.
Lastly, I have heard amazing things about the city of Halifax and their passionate fan base. I am looking forward to seeing the Scotiabank Centre rocking with 10,000 fans in Moose Country."
The Halifax Mooseheads' Home Opener will be held on Friday, October 4th at 7pm versus the Quebec Remparts at Scotiabank Centre. Season Tickets are on sale now at HalifaxMooseheads.ca.
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- Lord Named Head Coach, MacKenzie Promoted - Halifax Mooseheads
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