Greenville's Lord accepts head coaching job in QMJHL

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings, announced that Head Coach and General Manager Andrew Lord has accepted the role of Head Coach with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

“I cannot overstate what Lordo has meant to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits organization over the last four seasons. From his first season, Lordo had a standard not just for on-ice excellence, but in promoting synergy between hockey operations and the front office and commitment to striving for the best in all we do as an organization,” stated Tim Vieira, President of the Swamp Rabbits. “His passion for hockey and the people in it, his drive to be elite, and his leadership made our organization better in every facet both on and off the ice. He’s truly helped us build a great foundation since his arrival in 2020and helped us turn this team into a first-class destination in the ECHL for players and staff alike. I look forward to watching his career continue to develop and wish him and his family all the best.”

Lord completed his fourth season with the Swamp Rabbits in the 2023-24 campaign, posting a 44-23-4-1 record in the 72-game schedule, the second time in franchise history the organization registered back-to-back 40-win seasons. His team’s 44 wins and 93 standings points, both personal bests with the Swamp Rabbits, propelled Greenville to the 2024 South Division Championship, en route to the team’s fourth consecutive berth into the Kelly Cup Playoffs under his guidance. Additionally, Lord was selected as one of two coaches to lead the ECHL All-Stars at the 2024 ECHL All-Star Classic, earning the honor by attaining the highest points percentage in the Eastern Conference prior to the Christmas break. He also set a team franchise record by leading the Swamp Rabbits to 30 regular season wins faster than anyone in all of Greenville professional hockey history, accomplishing the task in just 42 games. Finally, Lord was bestowed with the John Brophy Award at the conclusion of the season, which annually recognizes the ECHL Coach of the Year. He is the first in both franchise and Greenville professional hockey history to receive the league’s highest coaching honor.

“This was an incredibly hard decision. I am so thankful for my time here in Greenville. The last four years have truly been special, and I am very proud of the strides we have made as an organization on and off the ice,” said Lord on his departure for Halifax. “To Jeff Dickerson, TJ Puchyr, Emma Setzer, Bill Anthony, and everyone at Spire Sports + Entertainment, thank you for providing us with the resources, in addition to everything you do for us to ensure we can compete at the highest level possible.
 
“To Todd Mackin, I will always be indebted to you for taking a chance on me and providing me this opportunity.  To Tim Vieira and our staff in the front office, thank you for your constant support and providing us with a true home ice advantage each season.  To our entire hockey operations staff, I truly appreciate all the hours and commitment you have brought to our team. To the players, I can’t thank you enough for dedicating yourselves to our organization and building our culture through your buy-in game after game. You truly represented our community with great pride.  To Matt Caldwell at Bon Secours, our arena, and all our sponsors, thank you for your partnership and dedication to our organization. Finally, to the fans, thank you for your unwavering passion, loyalty, and belief in our team.
 
“My family and I have loved our time in Greenville, and we take with us so many great memories. From the bottom of my heart, thanks for everything!”

In total, Lord compiled a 155-94-39 record over his four seasons with the Swamp Rabbits organization in 288 games, a 0.606 points percentage. He qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each season, reaching as far as the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals.

“From the moment I first talked to Coach Lord, I knew we found a true leader, competitor, and winner, in addition to an outstanding human being. I couldn’t be more thankful for him and all he’s done for our organization over the last four years,” said Todd Mackin, President of Spire Holdings. “From the start, Lordo brought a culture of winning and accountability, and through this, provided us with stability. Through success on the ice and a dedication to the Greenville community off it, he helped our organization grow into the premier entity that it is in both the ECHL and hockey today. He challenged all of us to be better versions of ourselves both in the front office and in the dressing room, and leaves Greenville in a better place than he found it in 2020. I wish him and his family all the best in their new venture. Thank you for everything, Coach.”

“Since we bought the Swamp Rabbits four years ago, we’ve had the pleasure of watching many players wear our jersey and welcomed different staff members into our organization. However, we’ve only had one head coach, and that’s what strikes me in this moment,” said Jeff Dickerson, CEO and Co-Owner of Spire Sports + Entertainment, and Owner of the Swamp Rabbits. “Lordo brought so much to our organization. He brought ideas to our staff and built a culture that will be hard to replicate. To me personally, though, he brought a peace that everything was being done the right way in the room and on the ice. We will miss him in so many ways and are so grateful for what he brought to our organization. Halifax is getting a great coach and developer of talent, a great man, and someone who has the ability to coach at the highest level of our game. Thank you, Lordo, for all you’ve done for our team.”

A native of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Lord began his tenure with the Swamp Rabbits following his time with the Cardiff Devils of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Over six seasons as their Head Coach, he led the Devils to nine separate titles, including three Conference championships, two Challenge Cup championships, two League titles, and two Playoff championships. As the winningest coach in Devils history, he led the team to an overall 221-75-22 record.

Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Lord enjoyed a lengthy professional hockey career out of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the NCAA. He spent 10 seasons as a professional player, totaling 462 games across the ECHL, AHL, EIHL, and Germany’s Second Bundesliga. His best work as a pro was done in the EIHL, where he scored 173 points in 216 games, all with Cardiff.