Knights fill out coaching staff by hiring 2 assistants

The Golden Knights filled the two open positions on coach Bruce Cassidy’s staff Wednesday.

Dominique Ducharme and Joel Ward were hired as assistants, filling the voids left behind by Ryan Craig and Misha Donskov. Craig was hired as the Silver Knights’ second coach, while it was announced Donskov was leaving the organization July 2.

Ducharme, 50, was Montreal’s coach for parts of two seasons before being fired in February 2022. He led the Canadiens past the Knights in the 2022 NHL semifinals in six games. Montreal lost the 2022 Stanley Cup Final to Tampa Bay.

Ward, 42, was a Silver Knights assistant the past three seasons. He played 726 NHL games from 2006-18, scoring 304 points as a right wing.

“We are extremely pleased with the additions of Dominique and Joel to our coaching staff here in Vegas,” Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said in a statement. “Dominique brings a wealth of coaching experience into our organization and has proven to be a successful leader at multiple levels. Joel has excelled in Henderson during the first three years of his promising career as a coach, and we’re excited for him to be taking his next step with us.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.