Great Britain: Andrew Lord leaving Cardiff Devils, returning to North America

[Theokritos]

After seven years with the Cardiff Devils, Andrew Lord is leaving Great Britain and returning to North America.

The most successful coach in the club's history said he is returning to North America to coach an as yet unnamed club.
Lord won two Elite League titles, the last two Playoff Championships, three Conference titles and two Challenge Cups in 6 seasons.
He was hired when new owners took over the Devils in the summer of 2014.
When the 2019/20 season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Devils were first place in the league and looking to win their third title in four years.

Link



Lord had also been in talks with HC Innsbruck (Austria), but opted for North America. I think it's a little surprising he apparently didn't get any offers from better leagues in Europe like the DEL.

Oliver Hampson on chasingthepuck.com:

Rumours circulating on twitter suggest that the 35-year-old, who departs the Devils as the most successful coach in franchise history will be moving to the Wheeling Nailers, a team he played for early in his playing career to become an assistant coach with the ECHL club.

This is based on the following note the Wheeling Nailers tweeted yesterday:

Click to read more...

 

[Theokritos]

Craig Anderson (britishicehockey.co.uk) on Andrew Lord:

One of the nicest coaches I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with, Lord wasn’t just a coach for Cardiff, he was an ambassador and carried himself and the weight of the organisation with great ease.
At the time of writing, we’re still to find out which club in North America he’s going to, but you can only hope it’s somewhere of an AHL level. He’s earned it after all.
(...)
I wrote some years back about the difficulty Coventry Blaze had in replacing long-serving Paul Thompson, which seems to have finally sorted itself out in Danny Stewart and the job he’s done there.
Lord set the bar really high in South Wales and from the signings they’ve made so far, keeping the core was important.
Whoever his replacement is to be, they’ll rely upon the experience of those players to keep the good times going until changes need to be made and the coach is familiar with their surroundings.

 

[Theokritos]

Oliver Hampson on chasingthepuck.com:

Rumours circulating on twitter suggest that the 35-year-old, who departs the Devils as the most successful coach in franchise history will be moving to the Wheeling Nailers, a team he played for early in his playing career to become an assistant coach with the ECHL club.

Rumoured destination disproven, but Lord does indeed sign in the ECHL:

Lord has been named head coach in Greenville - Andrew Lord Named Head Coach of Greenville Swamp Rabbits

 

[Theokritos]

Cardiff Devils manager Todd Kelman talks "life after Lord" and the development of the British EIHL.

The BIH Show: Life after Lord | British Ice Hockey