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Leach joins Kraken as assistant coach

Photo: Scott Thomas/AHL

The Seattle Kraken have hired Providence Bruins head coach Jay Leach as an assistant coach on Dave Hakstol‘s staff.

Leach, 41, spent the last four years as Providence’s head coach, finishing with a record of 136-77-16-10 and winning Atlantic Division titles in 2019-20 and 2020-21. As an assistant with the Bruins in 2016-17, he helped them reach the AHL’s Eastern Conference Finals.

A native of Syracuse, N.Y., Leach spent the 2015-16 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, beginning as an assistant coach under Mike Sullivan before being named interim head coach and later associate coach under Clark Donatelli. Leach represented the Penguins behind the bench at the 2016 AHL All-Star Classic, and the Bruins at the 2018 event.

Before coaching, Leach enjoyed a 12-year professional playing career that included 499 games in the AHL with the Springfield Falcons, Providence Bruins, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Norfolk Admirals, Portland Pirates, Lowell/Albany Devils and Worcester Sharks. Leach also played 70 games in the NHL with New Jersey, San Jose, Montreal, Tampa Bay and Boston.

Leach was originally selected by the Phoenix Coyotes in the fifth round (115th overall) of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft and played four seasons at Providence College.