WHL suspends Wenatchee Wild head coach Kevin Constantine
The Western Hockey League announced Monday afternoonn that it has suspended Wenatchee Wild head coach Kevin Constantine pending an independent investigation into alleged violations of league rules.
Constantine, 64, joined the Wild in July as the team’s first head coach since the franchise relocated from Winnipeg to Wenatchee, Washington.
The WHL published a statement on Monday afternoon revealing that Constantine was officially suspended on Sunday and that the league’s independent player advisory council is conducting an investigation into his alleged misconduct.
The league has not disclosed any specific details about the allegations made against Constantine, who is barred from contact with any member of the Wild organization during the investigation. Per the statement, Wild management and the WHL Security Network met with the players on Monday to “address the situation and offer support.”
The Western Hockey League announced today, Kevin Constantine, Head Coach of the Wenatchee Wild, has been suspended pending an independent investigation into alleged violations of WHL Regulations and Policies.
STATEMENT | https://t.co/aS4lL8H9Z4 pic.twitter.com/eKkJ5lITsD
Constantine was behind the bench over the weekend as Wenatchee opened its inaugural WHL season with a 6–5 win over the Portland Winterhawks on Friday and a 3–2 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday.
The Wenatchee Wild franchise previously existed in the BCHL from 2013 to 2023 before shifting into the WHL to take the place of the fledgling Winnipeg Ice. The Wild kept their BCHL name and branding through the relocation while assuming control of the former Winnipeg roster, which included NHL first-round picks Matt Savoie, Conor Geekie, and Zach Benson.
However, the Wild elected not to retain head coach James Patrick, who presided over the Ice for their entire four-year existence in Winnipeg. They chose instead to hire Constantine, a veteran coach with experience in the WHL, USHL, AHL, NHL, and overseas.
During his first of two tenures with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips, Constantine was suspended four games and fined $5,000 for a 2006 incident in which he forced his players to wear their equipment for the duration of a four-hour bus ride home after a 5–0 loss in a preseason game.
Constantine worked in the NHL from 1993 to 2002, serving as head coach of the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New Jersey Devils over that span. His career NHL coaching record is 161–150–61–5.