The slumping Niagara IceDogs promoted associate coach Ben Boudreau to head coach after firing Ryan Kuwabara on Friday.
Boudreau was named associate coach this summer, two months after his father and longtime NHL coach Bruce Boudreau was named senior adviser of the OHL club.
Ben Boudreau spent the previous four seasons as head coach of the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Comets. He led the team to a Kelly Cup championship in 2021.
“Ben has demonstrated that he has the ability to lead our team and organization into success for the years to come,” interim GM Wes Consorti said.
The team said Boudreau, 39, has signed a multi-year extension.
Kuwabara was hired last November by the IceDogs after working as an assistant coach in the ECHL.
The IceDogs are tied for last in the OHL’s Eastern Conference.