Battalion’s Wray to be named new Attack head coach

Sources have told BayToday that North Bay Battalion assistant coach Scott Wray will be named the next head coach of the Owen Sound Attack at a "meet the coach" event in Owen Sound on Tuesday afternoon. 

"The Owen Sound Attack have found their new head coach. Come to the Bayshore Community Centre, Shore Room on Tuesday, June 4th at 3 p.m. and meet your new bench boss," an Owen Sound Attack release stated late Monday afternoon. 

"This was very rewarding exercise to go through and we were overwhelmed by the interest with 45+ candidates applying," stated Dale DeGray, Attack GM via social media about the hiring process. 

"Throughout the entire process, I kept coming back to one interview and résumé, and that was Scott Wray. 

"He checked a lot of boxes; his expectations of the team, how we need to play and his communication were paramount in the decision. Knowing that he is familiar with the city having played in Owen Sound, didn't hurt either. Scott has a very good understanding of the make-up and expectations we have going into each season."

In early May, Attack GM Dale DeGray announced the organization would not be bringing back interim head coach Darren Rumble and assistant coach Sean Teakle. 

The 44-year-old Wray spent the past six seasons as an assistant coach with the North Bay Battalion and was renowned for his efforts working with the North Bay Battalion special teams.

Wray joined the Voodoos as the organization's first head coach after a 15-year minor pro career that finished off in the spring of 2014 with the Rapid City Rush of the Central Hockey League.  

Wray won his 100th game as Voodoos head coach in March 2017 and was a two-time NOJHL All-Star team coach.  

He also led the Voodoos to 12 straight playoff wins en route to the organization's first and only NOJHL championship in 2016-17.

Wray already has some connections to Owen Sound from his playing days. 

He was selected by the Owen Sound Platers in the fourth round, 55th overall, of the 1996 OHL Priority Selection and played 21 games with them in 1996-97 before joining the North Bay Centennials in the same season.

In 179 OHL games with Owen Sound, North Bay and the Plymouth Whalers, he scored 41 goals and earned 54 assists for 95 points while amassing 156 penalty minutes. He played 150 games with the Centennials, scoring 38 goals and adding 48 assists for 86 points with 141 PiM.

After completing his OHL career with Plymouth in 1999-00, he played in six professional leagues, including two in England, before retiring after the 2013-14 season, his fifth with the South Dakota-based Rapid City Rush of the Central Hockey League. In 692 regular-season CHL games, believed to be a league record, he had 287 goals, 302 assists, 589 points and 838 PiM.

Wray also contributed hours operating development skates in the summer and supported minor hockey teams. 

His two sons, Owen and Masen, were both OHL draft picks with Masen Wray going into his third season in the Ontario Hockey League with the Niagara IceDogs.  

The North Bay Battalion has called a press conference of their own for Wednesday.