Americans name Jody Hull 17th head coach in franchise history
Kennewick, Wash. – Tri-City Americans general manager Bob Tory today announced the team has hired Jody Hull as the 17th head coach in franchise history. He had spent the past three seasons as an associate coach with the Americans. The team also intends to extend the contract of associate coach T.J. Millar.
“Jody brings a wealth of experience as a player and a coach,” said Tory. “Obviously, continuity was important as Jody is greatly respected by our players. His work ethic, passion, commitment to our program and the player development was paramount in this decision.”
Hull, from Petrolia, Ontario, has an extensive hockey resume. During his three seasons as a player with the Ontario Hockey League’s Peterborough Petes, Hull was drafted 18th overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. He won a gold medal at the 1988 World Junior Championships with Team Canada.
“First off, I would like to thank Jon Sortland, Bob Tory, Daryl Henry, Stu Barnes and Olaf Kolzig for the opportunity,” said Hull. “I am very excited and honored to be the next head coach of the Tri-City Americans and am looking forward to continuing the development of our players and bringing a championship to the Tri-Cities. I would like to thank my wife Kelly and my children Brayden and Mckenzie for being very supportive in my coaching journey.”
Hull then enjoyed a 16-year professional hockey career that saw him play 831 NHL games, recording 261 points (124-137-261). Over those 16 years he played games with the Whalers, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Philadelphia Flyers.
Upon retiring as a player following the 2003-04 season, Hull began his coaching career with the same junior team he played for by joining the Peterborough Petes as an assistant coach for the 2005-06 season. The Petes won the OHL championship in Hull’s first season on the bench.
After seven years as an assistant coach with the Petes Hull was named the team’s head coach for the 2012-13 season, a title he held until 2017-18. Hull then spent three seasons as an associate coach with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs before joining the Americans in 2022-23.
“As we carried out our search for the next head coach of the Tri-City Americans, it became clear that we already had the perfect candidate within our organization,” said Americans team president Jon Sortland. “Not only does Jody fit in with our culture, but he’s also a good human being who cares deeply about his family, which are qualities we gravitated toward during our search.”
Millar, from Calgary, Alberta, remains with the Americans after also serving as an associate coach for the past three seasons. The 2025-26 season will be Millar’s 10th full season as a coach.
Prior to joining the Americans, Millar spent the 2021-22 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization as a coaching development associate, working with the Leafs, their AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies and their then-ECHL affiliate Newfoundland Growlers.
Millar was an assistant coach with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Nipawin Hawks from 2016-2018, helping them win the 2018 SJHL championship. He was then on the bench of the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Bonnyville Pontiacs for three years before joining the Maple Leafs.
Loading ...