Both Men Will Remain In Current Roles For Idaho Falls
By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com
Two members of the Idaho Falls Spud Kings management will now be in similar positions with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies, while remaining in the same positions with the Spud Kings.
John Becanic, who is the Assistant Coach and Director of Player Development for the Spud Kings, was recently named Head Coach for the Grizzlies. Additionally, Erik Hudson has been named the General Manager for the Grizzlies, and he will continue in his role as General Manager for both the Spud Kings and their home Mountain America Center.
“Being a part of the Elmore Sports Group has been a great experience these past 3.5 years,” said Hudson. “As the GM of the Grizzlies, I truly hope to continue the legacy of this franchise and to honor Kevin Bruder with a championship level season in 2025-26. In just the first week of free agency, we have secured core pieces to the puzzle and we will continue to add until we feel comfortable with our team.”
“We are in the heart of recruiting and signing players to contracts. It is an excellent opportunity for me to begin building relationships with the returning players and get some insight regarding the support staff and playing in Salt Lake in general,” added Becanic. “As far as what is most rewarding, for me, it would be to see the players reach their professional goals which is to advance to the next level, whether that is the AHL or playing in Europe.”
Becanic said that the summer is challenging for an ECHL team as roster-building largely dependent on cuts from their higher-league affiliates.
“I think the biggest challenge will be trying to assemble your team while navigating the affiliation with the [NHL’s] Colorado Avalanche – not knowing exactly which players you will be receiving and how long you will have them for,” he said. “As you try to build out your roster throughout the summer, you have to keep in mind that those players on two-way contracts will be coming at some point.”
Becanic was certainly grateful to be a continuing member of the Spud Kings’ hockey operations staff.
“Well, I can’t say enough about the Spud Kings or Erik Hudson,” added Becanic. “When I was asked to come in back in January of 2024, I had not envisioned all of this. The Spud Kings provide the staff and players with everything necessary to be successful.”
That success was confirmed when the Spud Kings won the first Dineen Cup for a Mountain Division team in April.
“Last year, Coach Anthony Bohn did an amazing job leading our group to a championship and I was fortunate enough that he allowed me to be a small part of that,” Becanic said. “The ownership, staff, players and the community deserve every good thing that comes their way. I was humbled to be a part of it all.”
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