IceDogs name new coaching staff led by Jake Grimes ahead of 2026-27 season

NIAGARA, ONT. – Niagara IceDogs General Manager Dale DeGray announced Wednesday the club’s coaching staff for the 2026-27 Ontario Hockey League season, led by newly appointed head coach Jake Grimes. 

“Thank you to Dale DeGray for the opportunity, cannot wait to meet the players, staff and all of our fans across Dog Country this upcoming season,” states Grimes.

Joining Grimes behind the bench are associate coach Dennis Martindale, assistant coach Jeff Wagner and returning goaltending coach Ryan Ludzik.

“Jake Grimes is a coach who has had tremendous success throughout the years at various levels, including helping Saginaw win the Memorial Cup just two years ago,” said DeGray. “He’s a coach who knows what it takes to win while creating an environment where players want to come to the rink every day and commit to playing defence and winning hockey games. We feel very fortunate to bring a coach like Jake on board and look forward to watching him and the rest of the staff build this group. Welcome to the region.”

Grimes brings more than 30 years of coaching experience to Niagara.

His coaching career began with the Dalhousie University Tigers in 1996 and has included stops with the Strathroy Rockets, London Nationals, Belleville Bulls, Peterborough Petes, Guelph Storm, Cape Breton Eagles, University of Waterloo Warriors, Saginaw Spirit and University of Guelph Gryphons.

“I would like to thank every team that has welcomed me onto their bench… each one has played a pivotal role in my development and my coaching journey. I’m eternally grateful to every team, their staff, players and fans that helped get me to this point,” says Grimes. 

Internationally, Grimes represented Team Ontario at the Hockey Canada Under-17 World Hockey Challenge, winning three gold medals and one silver. His OHL résumé includes a J. Ross Robertson Cup championship with the Guelph Storm in 2019 and a Memorial Cup championship with the Saginaw Spirit in 2024.

Before entering coaching, Grimes played three seasons in the OHL with the Belleville Bulls, recording 44 goals and 69 assists for 113 points in his final season with the club, while serving as an alternate captain during the 1992 season. Over his three year career with the Bulls, Grimes amassed a total of 206 points in 198 career games. He was twice voted the Eastern Conference’s Best Defensive Forward and Best Checker in the OHL Coaches Poll.

Originally drafted and signed by the Ottawa Senators, Grimes went on to play professionally in the American Hockey League, collecting 63 points in 118 games with the New Haven Senators and Prince Edward Island Senators before his playing career was cut short by injury.

“This is a special day for me to be announced as head coach of the Niagara IceDogs,” said Grimes. “I’ve been fortunate to spend 17 years coaching and three years playing in this great league. I’ve coached in seven conference finals and three Memorial Cup tournaments, and I’m grateful to have been part of the Guelph Storm’s 2019 OHL championship team and the Saginaw Spirit’s 2024 Memorial Cup championship. I’ve reached the conference finals with every OHL team I’ve coached, and I’m excited for the opportunity to begin this next chapter in Niagara.”

Grimes has also played a key role in player development throughout his coaching career, helping countless players advance to the National Hockey League, including P.K. Subban, Nick Suzuki and Michael Misa among many others. 

“A lot has gone into this opportunity. I love to coach, and I’m very excited to get started,” Grimes said. “My wife and I will be relocating to the area in short order. We are ecstatic for this opportunity to be part of Dog Country.”

Martindale joins the IceDogs after four seasons with the Barrie Colts. Before that, he spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and also gained coaching experience in Germany following a seven-year professional playing career in Europe.

“I’m really excited about this group,” said Martindale. “I’m going to bring my experience as best I can to help us have success. I’ve been fortunate to work with some outstanding players and coaches over the years, and I’m looking forward to getting started in Niagara.”

Wagner arrives after spending five seasons with the Coquitlam Express organization, where he held several coaching and management roles.

He began his coaching career in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League before joining the Express in 2021 as associate coach. In 2022, he was also named the club’s director of scouting while continuing his coaching responsibilities. Wagner became interim head coach on April 1, 2024, before taking over the role full time for the 2025-26 season, while also serving as assistant general manager. He has earned a reputation for player development, strategic leadership and strong hockey acumen.

Ludzik returns for his second consecutive season as Niagara’s goaltending coach after serving in the role during the 2025-26 campaign.

He previously held the same position with the IceDogs from 2015-19 and has worked with the Brock Badgers men’s and women’s hockey programs, as well as the St. Catharines Falcons of the GOHL.

“I’m excited to return to the IceDogs and be part of this new chapter. We have a great group in place, and I’m looking forward to continuing my work with the goalies,” says Ludzik.

A former OHL goaltender with the Erie Otters, Windsor Spitfires and Niagara Falls Canucks, Ludzik also played professionally with the Bloomington PrairieThunder and Tulsa Oilers before transitioning into coaching.

Throughout his coaching career, Ludzik has helped develop several professional goaltenders, including Connor Ungar, Alex Nedeljkovic and Dylan Wells.

With an experienced coaching staff featuring a championship pedigree, player development expertise and more than 40 combined years of junior coaching experience, the IceDogs will begin preparations for the 2026-27 Ontario Hockey League season later this summer.