The Providence Bruins earned the top spot in the AHL season, finishing with a 54-16-2 record to lead the next closest team by three points. The Boston Bruins' minor league squad had a talented lineup despite losing some of their regulars to the NHL club at the start of the season, and they should be the favorites to win the Calder Trophy.
Ryan Mougenel did a great job leading the talented group that at times had three lines worthy of being the No. 1, a defensive group that included future NHL contributor Frederic Brunet, and the top goaltender and possibly the league's MVP, Michael DiPietro. It isn't the easiest job leading a bunch of minor leaguers to success who believe they should be at the NHL level, and Mougenel earned the Coach of the Year award for his efforts.
Guided by the best in the league ✅
— Providence Bruins (@AHLBruins) April 20, 2026
Head Coach Ryan Mougenel has won the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding coach for the 2025-26 season 👏 pic.twitter.com/m0yQngD63Q
Mougenel's award win creates an interesting conundrum for Bruins fans. While Providence has been succeeding as a team this season, the common complaint about the group is its inability to develop players into NHLers. Some blame Mougenel for that, but the AHL does have a full staff that includes developmental coaches. I find it hard to place the Bruins' development issues on Providence's head coach.
NHL teams hire AHL head coaches to develop their prospects in the minors, but those head coaches also have professional aspirations. Mougenel isn't coaching Providence as his final destination. He wants to one day coach in the NHL, and winning Calder Cups puts him one step closer to that goal. If he has to choose between team success and individual development, he'll try to win every time.
Pascal Vincent, Todd Nelson, Mitch Love, Spencer Carbery, Jeff Blashill, Jon Cooper, and Jon Hynes are just some of the coaches who have won that prestigious award over the past two decades. They were great coaches in the AHL, but not all of them were known as "development coaches". The truth is, the Bruins have a great head coach in the minors, and it wouldn't be surprising if they lose him to an NHL job one day if Marco Sturm stays in Boston for a while.
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