Spokane Chiefs extend head coach Brad Lauer, assistant Jake Toporowski; promote George Ross to assistant GM | WHL hockey

May 11-The Spokane Chiefs have signed head coach Brad Lauer and assistant coach Jake Toporowski to multiyear contract extensions, the team announced Monday.

The Chiefs also promoted George Ross to assistant general manager.

Associate coach Brian Pellerin will not return to the organization.

The multiyear agreement with Lauer extends his current contract, which had one year remaining on it. The Humboldt, Saskatchewan , native originally joined the Chiefs ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Lauer was named WHL coach of the year following the 2019-20 season with Edmonton and was a finalist for the same award in his first year with the Chiefs. Lauer's Oil Kings won the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2021-22 and guided the Chiefs to the WHL championship series in 2024-25.

Lauer also earned a bronze medal as an assistant coach with Team Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships.

"I'm extremely grateful to the organization for the trust and confidence they've shown in me with this extension. It's an honor to continue leading this group and working alongside such a dedicated staff and talented players," Lauer said in the team's news release.

"We are excited that Brad will continue with us going forward," Chiefs general manager Matt Bardsley said. "His coaching record in junior has been excellent along with the experience of having a nine-year NHL coaching resume. Even more important is his ability to develop players to not only succeed in the WHL but to advance to the next level with all the skills, habits, and details necessary to be a pro player."

In his first two seasons in Spokane, Lauer's teams have amassed 96 wins and reached the playoffs both seasons.

Toporowski, an Iowa native, spent his entire major junior career with the Chiefs, playing a total of 100 games as a defenseman from 2014-18 and joined the Chiefs coaching staff ahead of the 2024-25 season. Toporowski is the son of former Chiefs player Kerry Toporowski (1989-91) and brother of Luke Toporowski (2018-22).

"I am excited to continue my coaching career with the Chiefs," Toporowski said. "I look forward to continuing my development as a coach, along with developing our players and chasing our ultimate goal of winning a Memorial Cup.

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Ross has been a part of Spokane's scouting staff since the 2014-15 season and was named director of player personnel ahead of the 2024-25 season. Ross oversees the Chiefs scouting department and spearheads both the WHL Prospects Draft and CHL Import Draft for the organization.

"(Ross) has been a key member of our organization over the past 12 years and has done a tremendous job in leading our scouting staff since being named the Director of Player Personnel in 2024," Bardsley said.

Pellerin was named the Chiefs' associate coach prior to the 2024-25 season and helped guide the Chiefs to back-to-back playoff seasons, including the Western Conference Championship season in his first year in Spokane. Prior to his time at the Chiefs, he served as an assistant coach in both Portland and Tri-City.

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