While there has been some internal upheaval within the Bruins’ organization this offseason, the club decided that at least some continuity with its top minor league affiliate was the best route.
The Bruins on Monday officially named 49-year-old Trent Whitfield as head coach of the AHL Providence Bruins, where the former Bruin had been an assistant for the past 10 years. He takes over for Ryan Mougenel, who left the organization after last season to become an NHL assistant with the Vancouver Canucks.
But there is also some new blood coming in, too. The B’s simultaneously announced the hiring of 39-year-old Ryan Ward as an AHL assistant coach. The Assonet native coached the Youngstown Phantoms the last four years, winning the USHL’s Clark Cup championship in his first season there.
“Over the past 10 seasons, Trent has established himself as a highly successful coach, and we are confident that he is ready for this opportunity, ” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said in a statement. “His ability to create a winning culture while prioritizing player development will help prepare our players for success at the NHL level.
“Adding Ryan Ward to our Providence staff is a significant addition for our organization. Ryan joins Trent’s staff as an accomplished coach with a proven track record of success and a strong commitment to developing players. We are excited to welcome Ryan and his family back to familiar surroundings in Providence.”
Whitfield has certainly put in his time. He worked under Mougenel as well as other head coaches Jay Leach and Kevin Dean over the last decade with the P-Bruins, preceded by one year as an assistant with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League and one with the AHL’s Portland Pirates. Originally drafted by the Bruins in the fourth round of the 1996 draft, he played in 812 AHL games and 194 NHL games with the B’s, Blues, Capitals and Rangers.
“I’m honored and grateful to the Boston Bruins organization for the opportunity to lead this group in Providence,” Whitfield said in the statement. “This is a position I’ve worked toward throughout my career, and I’m excited to get started as we continue to compete at a high level while supporting the growth of our players.”
Ward, who will join returning assistant Ryan Bourque on the staff, coached one of the B’s top prospects, 2025 third rounder Cooper Simpson, last year at Youngstown. Simpson, who is headed to the University of North Dakota, led the Phantoms in scoring with 34-40-74 totals in 61 games.
The organization has gone through some changes since the B’s last played a game. At the managerial level, assistant GMs Jamie Langenbrunner and Ryan Gold left the organization while former Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams was hired as a senior advisor to Sweeney and Dennis Bonvie and Jeremy Rogalski were bumped up to assistant GMs. Alex Giminez was hired from outside the organization to fill the newly created position of director of hockey operations, collective bargaining agreement.
At the coaching level, Leach left Marco Sturm’s staff and Matt McIlvane was hired to take his place. And now Whitfield is in place in Providence after Mougenel’s departure.