Former Victoria Cougar and National Hockey Leaguer, Micah Aivazoff, has joined the Victoria Grizzlies as an associate coach.
“I have brought Micah on board to help mentor our players into becoming everyday players with high expectations,” Grizzlies head coach and general manager Brad Knight said in a statement. “Micah has been drafted, played and scouted at the NHL level and will be able to first-hand teach the players on what it takes to be an everyday professional.”
Aivazoff, who has been involved in hockey for roughly 40 years as a player and scout, played three seasons in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders.
The forward, who originally hails from Powell River, played in 92 NHL games and recorded four goals, six assists and 46 penalty minutes.
“In Micah we have added a person with high integrity and moral value who has, since the day he started to play all the way through his career, never changed,” added Knight.
“In the game of hockey it is important to surround your organization with individuals that will help create an everyday winning culture and today we have done just that.”
Aivazoff has previous ties to Victoria as a member of the Western Hockey League’s Cougars from 1985-89. He had 100 points and 100-plus penalty minutes in his final season, recording 35 goals, 65 assists and 136 penalty minutes in 70 games.
Aivazoff retired in 2002 and returned to the NHL in 2008 as a scout for the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he spent three seasons.
