Kris Mallette to coach Team CHL for 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge

The Canadian Hockey League announced the coaching staff for the upcoming 2024 CHL vs USA Prospects Challenge.

The coaching staff will feature Kris Mallette from the Kelowna Rockets as their head coach, while Gordie Dwyer of the Acadie Bathurst Titan and Ryan Oulahen of the North Bay Battalion will serve as assistant coaches. All three coaches recently helped Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

“We are excited to be bringing on board three coaches with the level of experience Kris, Gordie, and Ryan have to lead our Team CHL at this first-ever CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada,” said Dan MacKenzie, President of the CHL. “All three have extensive experience coaching in the CHL and internationally. Having recently worked with a number of our 2025 NHL Draft prospects at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where they captured gold as part of that team’s coaching staff, Kris, Gordie, and Ryan will be excellent coaches to lead the talented group of players from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL who will represent the CHL at this new event.”

“I feel very fortunate and honoured to be given the opportunity to represent the CHL. It’s obviously somewhere that I’ve been for coming up into my eleventh season as a coach and then my time as a player too,” said Kris Mallette, head coach of the Kelowna Rockets and Team CHL. “Having a relationship with some of these players in a high-pressure environment I think will help because it’s built some trust between myself and those players. This event will be a great showcase for the players within the WHL and players across the CHL. We as a staff have the opportunity to be the first to try and have some success at this event so I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”

Mallette is in his fifth season behind the bench of the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League (WHL). He won a WHL championship and helped the Rockets reach the Memorial Cup final in 2015. Prior to his coaching tenure, Mallette was a defenseman for four seasons with Kelowna and the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL.

Dwyer is in his third season as head coach and general manager of Acadie Bathurst. Dwyer previously spent time as the head coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs, Shawinigan Cataractes, Charlottetown Islanders, and Prince Edward Island Rocket. Prior to his coaching tenure, Dwyer played four seasons in the QMJHL with the Québec Remparts, Drummondville Voltigeurs, Beauport Harfangs, Laval Titan Collège Français and Hull Olyqmpiques, where he captured a QMJHL Championship. Dywer spent five seasons in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, and Montreal Canadiens.

Meanwhile, Oulahen is in his sixth season behind the bench in the North Bay. Prior to his head coaching gig, he spent three seasons as head coach of the Flint Firebirds and six seasons as an assistant coach with the Battalion. Oulahen was drafted by the Red Wings in the fifth round of the 2003 NHL Draft.