New Avalanche coach Jared Bednar never played in the NHL. The 6-foot-3 defenseman enjoyed a nine-year professional career, but mostly traveled on buses. He even had a six-game stint for Roller Hockey International in 1995.
Throughout his travels, he was a great teammate, and upon his retirement, he immediately moved into coaching. Standing behind the bench and leading his minor-league teams through practice, he has become known as a players’ coach, seemingly loved by all.
“We’ve had a fairly close relationship, a relationship that has developed, and I think the Avalanche not only hired a very good person but a very good coach,” Cleveland Monsters captain Ryan Craig said of Bednar, who officially replaced Patrick Roy on Thursday.