Andrew Brunette, Spencer Carbery, and Mike Velluci among candidates for Anaheim coaching vacancy
Frank Seravalli reported on Wednesday that Andrew Brunette, Spencer Carbery, and Mike Vellucci are in the running for the Anaheim Ducks’ coaching vacancy.
#NHLDucks coaching search has mostly flown under radar, amazing because I believe GM Pat Verbeek has spoken to roughly 468 potential candidates.
But I can confirm 3 names on the list: Andrew Brunette (#njdevils), Spencer Carbery (#Leafs) & Mike Vellucci (#pens).@DailyFaceoff
Brunette is likely the most sought-after name of the trio because of his impressive recent track record.
A veteran of over 1,000 games as a player, Brunette formally arrived on the coaching scene during the 2021-2022 season. That year, he led the Florida Panthers to the President’s Trophy as interim coach following Joel Quenneville’s ignominious departure from the club.
The Panthers replaced Brunette with Paul Maurice, after which the former returned to an assistant role with Lindy Ruff’s New Jersey Devils. His impact was easy to see; the Devils made a 59-point improvement and won a playoff series against the rival New York Rangers.
While Brunette is a big name, Carbery and Vellucci also have impressive CVs.
Carbery became the youngest coach in the ECHL in 2011 when he took over the South Carolina Stingrays aged 29. Since then, he has made stops in the OHL and AHL, where he led Hershey Bears to a league-high point total in 2020-2021.
Carbery has been an assistant to Sheldon Keefe for the Toronto Maple Leafs since 2021, and his youth and developmental experience could make him a valuable asset for a young Ducks’ roster.
Vellucci is an assistant for Mike Sullivan in Pittsburgh and has the most head coaching experience of the three, though he has never held that position at the NHL level.
The 56-year-old coached the OHL Plymouth Whalers for 13 seasons before leading the AHL Charlotte Checkers to a Calder Cup victory in 2018-2019.
Vellucci worked for the Carolina Hurricanes in a developmental capacity between those stops and has been with the Penguins since 2020.
The Ducks were the worst team in the NHL in 2022-2023 under the leadership of Dallas Eakins, who Anaheim fired on April 14 after failing to achieve a winning record during four transitional seasons.
Despite the Ducks’ abysmal recent record, their coaching position could be an enticing one. Anaheim will almost certainly draft Adam Fantilli with the second-overall pick, adding to a deep prospect pool and a cast of talented young NHLers like Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish.