Ryan Oulahen named new head coach of Flint Firebirds; Wellwood named assistant
By @MichaelCaples –
The Firebirds officially have a new head coach.
Announced today, Ryan Oulahen will be the bench boss for the Flint OHL franchise, and he will be joined by new associate coach Eric Wellwood.
Oulahen, 31, was a fifth-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2003. He played four seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins from 2005-09 before a hip injury forced him to retire.
“Today’s announcement is a further piece in putting together a strong hockey operations staff for the Flint Firebirds,” said OHL Commissioner David Branch, as the league continues to oversee operations for the franchise. “Their combined knowledge and experience will help develop the Flint Firebird players both on and off the ice.”
An Ontario Hockey League alum, Oulahen played three seasons with the Brampton Battalion from 2002-05. He returned to his junior club as an assistant coach in 2011, and had been there ever since.
Wellwood, 26, is a Windsor Spitfires product and a Philadelphia Flyers alum. After being drafted by Philly in the sixth round of the 2009 NHL Draft, he played in a total of 21 NHL contests from 2010-13, recording five goals and five assists. Wellwood spent the majority of his time with the Adirondack Phantoms.
“Ryan and Eric are both young yet experienced, bringing tremendous enthusiasm, leadership and a strong foundation in junior hockey to the Firebirds’ bench,” said George Burnett, General Manager Flint Firebirds. “My role is to support Ryan and Eric as they lead our group of current and prospective players in delivering an exciting brand of junior hockey to Genesee County in the 2016-17 season and beyond.”
A Windsor native, Wellwood suffered a life-threatening injury in 2013 when he slid feet first into the boards during an AHL game and tore two tendons in his leg, tore his Achilles, and severed an artery. Wellwood said afterwards that he was told he had six minutes before he bled to death.
That injury led to an early retirement for Wellwood, who began coaching with the Oshawa Generals in 2014.
“The OHL strongly believes in developing both players and coaches and the Generals are known for our ability to recruit and grow strong coaches like Eric,” said Roger Hunt, Vice President and General Manager of the Oshawa Generals, in a release. “We want to see our players, coaches, and business staff all take the next step and Eric is the most recent in a long line of personnel to achieve this from the Oshawa Generals Organization.”