Papaioannou named head coach of Abbotsford Canucks

Former Wheeling Nailers' head coach Ryan Papaioannou has been named head coach of the American Hockey League's Abbotsford Canucks.

In his lone season as Wheeling's head coach in 2025-26, he led the Nailers to the North Division title with a 46-20-6 record, marking the team's first division championship since 2003-04. The Nailers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 10 years, falling to the eventual Kelly Cup champion Florida Everblades in five games. Papaioannou finished fifth in voting for the John Brophy Award as ECHL Coach of the Year.

Prior to joining the Nailers, the Calgary, Alberta native spent 16 years as General Manager and Head Coach of the Brooks Bandits, winning five Alberta Junior Hockey League titles, one British Columbia Hockey League title, as well as being named AJHL Coach of the Year three separate times.

Papaioannou becomes the 13th former ECHL coach to currently serve as an AHL head coach joining Bakersfield’s Colin Chaulk, Chicago’s Spiros Anastas, Cleveland's Nick Bootland, Coachella Valley’s Derek Laxdal, Grand Rapids’ Dan Watson, Lehigh Valley's John Snowden, Manitoba’s Mark Morrison, Milwaukee’s Karl Taylor, Ontario’s Andrew Lord, Rochester’s Mike Leone, Rockford's Jared Nightingale and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Kirk MacDonald.