Adler Mannheim found new head coach

The 2014-15 DEL champions Adler Mannheim had no time to lean back this summer. After their win in the playoff finals against ERC Ingolstadt, Mannheim's Canadian head coach and DEL coach of the year Geoff Ward suprisingly left the team after just one season to return to the National Hockey League where he will work as an assistant coach for the New Jersey Devils.

The void will be filled with fellow Canadian Greg Ireland who receives a two year contract according to the club. Ireland, 49, started his head coaching career in the late 1990s in youth hockey when he was only in his late 20s. After a dozen years as a head coach in North American minor leagues ECHL (Dayton Bombers) and AHL (Grand Rapids Griffins, San Antonio Rampage), Ireland worked in Europe at the end of the 2010-11 season when he joined Mike McNamara in the coaching staff of Swiss NLA club HC Lugano.

During the last four years Ireland returned to youth hockey and was head coach of OHL's Owen Sound Attack.

Manager Teal Fowler told the media that the main reason for Ireland's recruitment was the playing style he imposed on his teams. The Eagles want to continue with their attractive, aggressive and fast ice hockey in 2015-16. Ireland will get to know his team already this week during team building in Vermont.

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