Ducharme, Ward added to Golden Knights coaching staff

By Danny Webster

Published Wednesday, July 12, 2023 | 4:49 p.m.

Updated Wednesday, July 12, 2023 | 5:04 p.m.

The Golden Knights filled their assistant coaching vacancies Wednesday, adding former NHL head coach Dominique Ducharme and AHL Henderson assistant coach Joel Ward to Bruce Cassidy's coaching staff.

Ducharme's name is a familiar one among Golden Knights circles. The 50-year-old coached the Montreal Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.

The Canadiens defeated the Golden Knights in six games in the Stanley Cup Semifinals to make their first Cup Final since 1993.

Ward, an 11-year NHL veteran, was an assistant coach with the Silver Knights since their inception in 2021. The 42-year-old Ward moves to the NHL club two weeks after Henderson named Ryan Craig the second coach in team history.

“We are extremely pleased with the additions of Dominique and Joel to our coaching staff here in Vegas,” Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said in a statement. “Dominique brings a wealth of coaching experience into our organization and has proven to be a successful leader at multiple levels. Joel has excelled in Henderson during the first three years of his promising career as a coach and we’re excited for him to be taking his next step with us.”

The Golden Knights already went into the offseason needing to find Craig's replacement, but had to add a second coach after the departure of assistant coach Misha Donskov. Having been on the Vegas staff since the inaugural season, the Golden Knights announced on July 2 that Donskov would not return.

A Columbus, Ohio, native, Donskov could potentially be in line to join the Blue Jackets' coaching staff with new coach Mike Babcock.

Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.