Charlotte Checkers: Who Can Replace Vellucci?

Mike Vellucci coached the Charlotte Checkers for the past two seasons and led the Checkers to their first ever Calder Cup. He and the Carolina Hurricanes organization mutually agreed to part ways, who will replace Vellucci?

Mike Vellucci‘s time with the Charlotte Checkers were times where a coach can see his career moving from the minor leagues to the big leagues. Vellucci led the Checkers with a 97-43-12 record. He led Charlotte to dominating the regular season and flying through the playoffs, ultimately winning the team’s first ever Calder Cup.

Vellucci served as an assistant general manager for the Carolina Hurricanes organization for four years and as the coach for the Checkers for two years. In Carolina, Vellucci didn’t really have too much room to move up, especially after a stellar season in Charlotte. In Raleigh, Rod Brind’Amour is in too early to remove and he led the Hurricanes to a playoff berth for the first time in ten years.

Vellucci’s four-year experience as an assistant general manager wouldn’t be able to be utilized in a larger way such as going from assistant general manager to general manager, which Don Waddell has recently taken and also succeeded so far in his position. There were quite a few options out there that would make sense for Vellucci, but there was a promising fit: the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.

Clark Donatelli resigned from his position as the head coach for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, after suffering back-to-back first round exits and missing the playoffs, Vellucci was hired as a replacement. Not only does Wilkes-Barre’s four-year lack of success give Vellucci a new opportunity, which was the AHL, which he already had, but the Pittsburgh Penguins suffering a tough playoff loss in 2018 and being swept by the New York Islanders in 2019 raises questions as to if Mike Sullivan will stay the head coach for the Penguins.

It’s a tall bid, but it’s a chance Vellucci will take. That leaves the ultimate question back in Charlotte and that is who will… or can take the position of head coach of the Charlotte Checkers. The quickest answer of the options would probably be Ryan Warsofsky, the assistant coach who served under Mike Vellucci.

Warsofsky had two seasons in the East Coast Hockey League as the head coach, as he led the South Carolina Stingrays to a Kelly Cup Final appearance, but ultimately lost in the Finals. It would be safe to say Warsofsky being on the bench with Vellucci developed him throughout the season with the Checkers and celebrating the Calder Cup with him would have Warsofsky embrace the winning culture and throw past mediocrity as a standard out of the window.

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Clark Donatelli is also a choice, despite three “alright” seasons, the most recent being debatable considering injuries that really limited the Penguins from success.. ultimately missing the playoffs. Donatelli has led the Penguins to some feats before, sweeping the Providence Bruins as an underdog in the 2015-16 Calder Cup Playoffs and losing in a tough Game 7 loss to the Hershey Bears. Donatelli may just need a better team in front of him or a new place of scenery to coach.

Finally… the last option.. Cam Ward. You heard right. Cam Ward may have had some bad recent seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes and recently his backup role on the Chicago Blackhawks didn’t end too well either, posting a .897% save percentage. Although it’s only been a day in free agency, Ward has not been any team’s targets in free agency to sign him. His playing career may be coming to an end and this would leave options for Ward.

Despite Ward’s bad recent history here, although it’s not toxic, just bad performances, he is a big part of the Carolina Hurricanes organization’s history and a big reason why the Hurricanes have a Stanley Cup, as he won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2006. He could end up being a goaltending coach for the Carolina Hurricanes or he could be the coach for the Charlotte Checkers. It may be a long shot, but one for Ward to really engrave his name here longer, whether or not his number gets retired in the rafters.

Whether Don Waddell and Tom Dundon grab a name from here or from elsewhere to being the head coach of the Charlotte Checkers, it shouldn’t really come with concern, as the first year Waddell touched the Checkers was also the first year they won the Calder Cup. Ryans Warsofsky was Waddell’s appointment as the Checkers assistant coach, he seems to have eyes everywhere.

Question for Cardiac Cane Readers: Who will the Charlotte Checkers hire as the new Head Coach?