ROCHESTER, Minn. – The Rochester Grizzlies of the North American 3 Hockey League announced today Head Coach and General Manager Casey Mignone is departing the team for an associate coaching position with the St. Cloud Blizzard of the North American Hockey League.
Mignone was the first Head Coach/General Manager in Grizzlies team history and led the team to a 31-15-1-0 (63 points) in their inaugural season. The record was good for third place in the tough West Division and a playoff berth in the Fraser Cup Playoffs. Mignone helped see several Grizzlies players commit to college hockey for the fall of 2019. Under his watch, four other Grizzlies were either tendered or drafted by NAHL teams. Mignone joins the newly relocated Blizzard, as the team was previously located in Brookings, SD.
“I want to thank Mike Cooper and Craig Patrick, the Austin Bruins and Rochester Grizzlies for an incredible year in Rochester. It feels like I’ve been here for a long time and we did a lot of great work. I’m extremely proud of what we did in Rochester and I know the future is bright. I want to thank the fan base for accepting us in the community and the players for a tremendous year. Without their dedication and hard work, we wouldn’t be where we are. My time here was special and I won’t forget it. I’m looking forward to a new challenge in St. Cloud,” said Mignone.
Prior to joining the Grizzlies, the Ramsey, NJ native spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at Johnson & Wales University, an NCAA D-III school in Providence, RI. Mignone spent time as a coach at the USA Select 16 festival in Buffalo, NY for two seasons, as well.
“We’re really excited for Casey and his opportunity to move up in the hockey world. We want to thank him for all his hard work and dedication over the past season. He laid down a great foundation for future success. We wish him the best of luck with St. Cloud,” said Grizzlies co-owner Mike Cooper.
A future Head Coach of the Grizzlies has been identified and an announcement will come in the near future. With the season approaching, be sure to remain on the lookout for the schedule. It will officially be released in the near future, as well. Season tickets are already on sale starting as low as $150. Special promotional nights, fan giveaways and other added experiences are already being planned for the Grizzlies’ second season. For more information about season tickets or to market your business with the Grizzlies, call the front office at 507-722-0415.
(photo from NAHL.com)