Saginaw, Mich. – Spirit General Manager Dave Drinkill announced Monday afternoon that the team has hired Jake Grimes as their new associate coach. Most recently, Grimes’ lengthy coaching career placed him as an associate coach at the University of Waterloo.
“As an organization, we are very happy to announce Jake Grimes as our new associate coach,” said Drinkill. “He is a very established and respected coach throughout hockey circles. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience that both Chris Lazary and I feel will help continue to push our organization forward. We are excited to get started with Jake here in Saginaw and welcome him to the Spirit family.”
Grimes joins the Spirit with over 25 years of coaching experience, including 18 seasons in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). In 2019, the Dartmouth, NS native won the J. Ross Robertson Cup with the Guelph Storm.
“I am privileged and fortunate to join such a consistently strong and reputable organization as the Saginaw Spirit,” said Grimes. “The entire organization has demonstrated pride, excellence and work ethic from the start and I am very grateful to be a part of their mission.”
Before his year behind the University of Waterloo bench, Grimes spent parts of three seasons as the head coach of the Cape Breton Eagles in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). His CHL career also includes two years as an associate coach in Guelph, two as an assistant coach with the Peterborough Petes, and 11 as an assistant coach with the Belleville Bulls.
As the Spirit prepare to host the 2024 Memorial Cup, Grimes brings with him six games worth of experience in the prestigious tournament. In 2008, Grimes and the Belleville Bulls fell in the semi-final to the Kitchener Rangers. In 2019, it was the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies who defeated Grimes’ Guelph Storm in the semi-final game.
Internationally, Grimes has collected three gold medals coaching Team Ontario at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. His first two gold medals came as an assistant coach in 2008 and 2009, while a silver medal as head coach in 2010 preceded another gold in 2011.
Grimes began his coaching career in 1996 as an assistant coach at Dalhousie University, later being promoted to an associate coach. He would find his first head coaching job with the Strathroy Jr. Rockets of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) in 2000. Other head coaching stops in the OHA included the London Nationals, and a Head Coach/GM position with the Petrolia Jets in 2003.
In addition to his coaching experience in the OHL, Grimes skated in 198 games as a player with the Belleville Bulls from 1989-1992. He amassed 206 points (84G, 122A) in his OHL career and was selected 217th overall by the Ottawa Senators at the 1992 NHL Draft.
The hiring of Jake Grimes is dependent on the approval of United States immigration paperwork.
