A former Stouffville Spirit head coach and one of his players are teaming up in the ECHL.
Phil Barski was named head coach and general manager of the expansion Bloomington Bison this spring.
Dan Larmer has been named assistant general manager.
The new team in Illinois is an affiliate of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League.
Larmer was the head coach and assistant general manager of the Spirit in the Ontario Junior Hockey League from 1996-98. Barski was a star forward in Stouffville from 1997-99.
Barski has 15 years of coaching experience in the OJHL (Pickering Panthers), OHL, U SPORTS, ECHL and professional leagues in Europe.
Barski joined the OHL’s Barrie Colts in the 2022-23 as an Assistant Coach. He took on the role of Associate Coach this past season, helping the Colts to a 28-36-4-0 regular season record.
“I am honored and excited to be named head coach and general manager of the Bloomington Bison,” said Barski. “Starting a new team in a city with such enthusiasm for hockey is a tremendous opportunity. I’d like to thank Jim Hallett for this incredible opportunity. And in the short time that I have gotten to know Larry McQueary with the Bison and Ryan Martin with the Rangers and his staff I feel tremendously honored to be surrounded by such incredible people. Together, we will strive for excellence on and off the ice.”
Larmer joins the Bison from the 2023 OHL Champion Peterborough Petes where he will remain a regional scout.
A graduate of the Whitchurch-Stouffville Minor Hockey Association (WSMHA), Dan’s early achievements include winning an OMHA Bantam Championship.
He played Jr .B for the Vaughan Raiders, earning a spot on the COJHL All-Star Team. He then played Jr .A for the St. Michael’s Buzzers, where he served as an Assistant Captain, before moving on to NCAA with the Mercyhurst Lakers, from which he graduated with a B.A. in Business Management.
Larmer began his coaching career in the WSMHA before moving to the Jr. A Spirit.
In 2015, he joined the Peterborough Petes as a scout. He was instrumental in three banner-winning seasons in Peterborough: the 2017 OHL Eastern Conference Regular Season Champions, the 2023 OHL Eastern Conference Playoff Champions and the 2023 OHL Champions.
Larmer lives in Brantford.
“We are very fortunate to have Dan Larmer join our organization,” said Barski. “Dan’s commitment to his craft and unparalleled work ethic truly set him apart. In the short time that we have been working together, he has proven himself to be a tireless worker and an excellent evaluator of talent.”
The ECHL is a mid-level professional hockey league a tier below the AHL.
