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WHL's Vancouver Giants fire head coach Troy Ward after just 25 games
The Vancouver Giants dropped a late-afternoon bombshell on the junior hockey world today by announcing that first-year head coach Troy Ward had been fired after just 25 games on the job. The timing was odd, given that the Giants are currently on a road trip through the WHL's Eastern Conference and have a game tonight in Lethbridge.
A short press release hit the Giants' website at 3:56 p.m., and suggested that the primary motivation was the team's disappointing 9-16 start under Ward:
“Obviously with where we are in the standings, it just wasn’t working with Troy,” said Giants General Manager Scott Bonner. “This is the unfortunate part of sports, but we thought change was needed. We wish Troy all the best in the future.”
The sudden move is shocking given that the Giants engaged in a lengthy coaching search after parting ways with Don Hay — who coached the Giants for 10 seasons — in the offseason. Hay is now coaching the rival Kamloops Blazers.
Ward, who spent the three previous seasons coaching the AHL's Abbotsford Heat, promised to bring a fast-paced, possession-oriented style to the Giants when he was hired. There was even talk of Vancouver becoming the "next Portland Winterhawks" after Mike Johnston left Portland to coach the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Things started out well enough for Ward, who won his first three games with the Giants and went 6-4 through 10 games. But Vancouver has posted a 3-12 record since, including a current four-game losing streak that has included lopsided losses to Prince George, Regina and Medicine Hat.
After making the playoffs last year, and featuring a balance of seasoned veterans and promising young talents like Alec Baer and Tyler Benson, the Giants were expected to take another step forward this season. Instead, they are in last place in the 10-team Western Conference.
The Vancouver Province's Steve Ewen noted the team's rapid descent in a column written after Saturday's loss to Prince George:
Vancouver coach Troy Ward mentioned repeatedly in the post-game about how much he liked his team’s effort and how he had a bunch of good kids in the dressing room. He seems to be right. They had lots of try Saturday. Lots of it. But they had trouble stringing two passes together. They had no puck support, no guy in the same colour jersey within a reasonable vicinity to dish to. Anything positive that happened for them offensively seemed to be by chance, rather than choice.
The puck possession that owner Ron Toigo and general manager Scott Bonner talked up in the off-season and Ward seemed to instill once he got here has vanished. Kaput. Gone.
Fans in Vancouver have also rapidly lost interest in the team. Two seasons ago, the Giants averaged more than 7,200 fans per game. Last year that declined to about 6,200 and through 14 games this season they're averaging just 4,879 at Pacific Coliseum.
For now, the Giants will turn to assistant coach Matt Erhart — who won the BCHL title as head coach of the Surrey Eagles in 2012-13 — to lead the team on an interim basis.
