Marek: Mitch Love expected to join Washington Capitals coaching staff

It sounds like the Calgary Wranglers will need a new head coach. Per a report from Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, Wranglers bench boss Mitch Love is expected to join the Washington Capitals as an assistant coach.

Love has spent the past two seasons as head coach of the Calgary Flames’ American Hockey League affiliates – first in Stockton, then in Calgary – and has led the team to regular season division titles in each season. He was named the AHL’s coach of the year in each season.

Love was a finalist for the head coaching vacancy with the Flames. That job went to Ryan Huska, formerly an assistant coach on the NHL bench. (The other two finalists, per reporting from Elliotte Friedman, were Travis Green and Todd Reirden.) Love reportedly was kicking tires on several NHL gigs, but seems to have settled on the Washington Capitals. His new head coach, Spencer Carbery, had a similar career trajectory as Love, emerging as a strong AHL head coach (with Hershey) and transitioning to the NHL as an assistant (in Toronto) before landing as a head coach in Washington.

Announcements regarding the Flames’ NHL coaching staff are expected in the near future. We’ll have more on this story as it develops.