Powassan Voodoos Head Coach Scott Wray, who led the Voodoos to their first NOJHL title in 2016-17 is moving on to the OHL ranks.
Wray has been named the new assistant coach with the North Bay Battalion, replacing the outgoing John Dean.
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.
The 37-year-old won his 100th game as Voodoos coach in March of 2017 and is a two-time NOJHL All-Star team coach.
He also led the Voodoos to 12 straight playoff wins en route to the NOJHL championship this spring.
Wray has familiarity with Major Junior hockey in North Bay as, like John Dean before him, Wray played for the North Bay Centennials in parts of three seasons from 1996 to 1999 as he netted a junior career-high 23 goals in the 98-99 season for the Trainmen.
Left winger Wray 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 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 scored the title-clinching goal in Game 6 of the 2010 President’s Cup final against the Allen Americans.
The Battalion coaching staff for 2017-18 consists of Butler, Wray, Adam Dennis and Bill Houlder, who will work part-time with the defence corps.
“I really want to thank the Voodoos organization,” stated Wray.
“I have had a very exciting three season with the Voodoos. We have done a lot in a short amount of time, especially coming off this year’s championship. I also want to thank all my players I've coached over the past three seasons without them I wouldn't be going anywhere."
Stan Butler, the Battalion’s director of hockey operations and head coach, said Wray has earned his spot with the OHL club.
“Not only do we develop players in our organization, we also develop coaches,” said Butler. “Scott took the Voodoos job three years ago and won a championship and deserves a chance to coach in our league.”
Voodoos GM Chris Dawson wishes Wray well.
“As an affiliate team for the Battalion it is nice to see our players developing and moving up and this just goes to show that the NOJHL is a breeding ground for development as Scott learned and executed in his time with the Voodoos,” said Dawson.
“We are extremely proud of all his accomplishments and the growth we have seen in Scott’s coaching since he arrived here in 2014.”
The Voodoos expect to name the second Voodoos head coach in team history later this week.