On Monday, the Reading Royals announced that head coach and director of hockey operations Kirk MacDonald has resigned to become the head coach of the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the United States Hockey League. This season, the Royals were 45-17-9 and tied for the most points (99) in franchise history.
Kirk MacDonald was the Royals head coach for five seasons with a record of 158-86-34 in the regular season and made the playoffs four of the five seasons. MacDonald began his Reading career as a player for two years before becoming an assistant coach for four seasons under Larry Courville when Reading won the 2013 Kelly Cup championship.
“It has been an honor to be the head coach of the Royals for the past five seasons,” said MacDonald in a statement. “First, I’d like to thank GM David Farrar and the BCCCA for the opportunity to lead this team. You are only as good as your ownership in pro sports, and they have given us all the tools needed to succeed and then some. Assistants Pat Wellar, Mike Marcou, Nick Luukko, and James Henry have made my job easy with their knowledge and work ethic. Jason Macdonald and Sean Berberich are the best training staff in the ECHL, and I have been lucky to work alongside them for all these years. I need to thank all the Royals players for their hard work and effort while wearing the Royals jersey. Lastly, I’d like to thank my wife, Caroline, for her support and understanding since I started coaching back in 2013. We are looking forward to this new challenge but will always look back on our time in Reading fondly.”
“Kirk has been an intricate part of our team and community as both a player and coach for nine seasons,” said GM David Farrar. “His dedication to his players, team personnel, and the game of hockey is second to none. On behalf of the entire Reading Royals organization and community, we thank Kirk for his service with the team, and we wish him and his family the best in his future endeavors.”
The Royals start the 2022-23 season on Thursday, October 21st, against the Newfoundland Growlers.
