The Moose Jaw Warriors are making a change at head coach, as Scott King gets a promotion. Mark O’Leary is leaving the organization to take on a professional opportunity behind the bench. King has been with the Warriors’ organization since 2015 – first as a skills coach. The following year he was named an assistant coach. In 2023-24, he took on an expanded role as an associate coach. “Scott has been with our organization for a decade and knows what our goals are on and off the ice,” General Manager Jason Ripplinger said in an update from the WHL. “This is an opportunity he has been working to achieve for a while and is the right fit for our team moving forward.” “From an organization standpoint, being able to hire from within is a goal of ours. Scott is familiar with how we operate on a day-to-day basis and understands the development process for our players to reach the next level,” he added. The Saskatoon product played in the WHL with the Kelowna Rockets in 1996-97. He then went on to play 18 seasons of professional hockey between minor-pro and European leagues. “I am incredibly excited and honoured for this head coaching opportunity,” King said in the WHL’s update. “My family and I are rooted in Moose Jaw now. We have seen firsthand how the Board and the entire community are full of good people that care about the team and its success.” “I look forward to continuing to build relationships with the current group as well as the new players and staff who will join us. Creating a team that commits, communicates, and holds each other to a high standard,” he added. Taking over as head coach in 2020, O’Leary heads to the American Hockey League, joining the Vancouver Canucks’ affiliate in Abbotsford as an assistant coach. In six and a half years, he leaves Moose Jaw as the organization’s all-time leader in games coached (416) and wins (191). He was the head coach who led the Warriors to their first WHL Championship in 2024. “The Warriors want to thank Mark for his years of dedication to our organization and our community. His passion for this club was on display every day,” Ripplinger said. “Mark has worked hard throughout the years, and it’s that work ethic that has earned him this opportunity at the next level. We could not be happier for him and his family.” O’Leary joined the Warriors in 2012 as an assistant coach and was promoted to associate coach for the 2018 – 2019 season. He took over as head coach on Jan. 6, 2020. The WHL season is just around the corner. Team training camp begins later in August, with the preseason kicking off Sept. 2.
